Top 2026 NBA Draft Prospect Could Be Trying to Force His Way to Dallas Mavericks

We are less than three weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks will enter with the 9th, 30th, and 48th picks. They're aware of just how important this draft is, as they won't control their first-round pick again until 2031, and with Cooper Flagg ready to lead this team in the future, they need to add some support around him.

Plenty of draft prospects should be interested in the Mavs. Getting to learn from Kyrie Irving while playing alongside Cooper Flagg should be an easy pathway to success. The Mavericks need guards, and there are plenty of guards projected to go in the top 10.

One possibility is Arizona's Brayden Burries. We just talked about his interest in the Dallas Mavericks, but he could be trying to force his way to Dallas, per Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports in a recent mock draft.

︀︀“Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports reported that Burries hasn't taken many workouts and there is speculation that he's trying to angle his way to Dallas. I also have heard that same chatter, which is why he lands here. To add some more color to that reporting: Burries is represented by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who steered Dereck Lively to the Mavericks with the 12th pick in the 2023 draft, even though some teams picking higher wanted to select Lively.”

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) looks on during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Rich Paul, Klutch Sports Could Be Controlling Another Draft

People are often surprised by just how agent-run the NBA Draft is, but they have a lot of say in where their prospects land. Some agents would rather have their players go undrafted if it meant they would be picked up by the right team in undrafted free agency.

No agent has more say or is more outspoken than Rich Paul. There was footage released last year of him really wanting to get Khaman Maluach to the Phoenix Suns with the 10th pick, which is exactly what ended up happening.

Burries would be a good fit in Dallas. I don't buy his upside as a long-term point guard, but his off-guard skills would fit in perfectly next to Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg. Ideally, the Mavs would be able to add more talent to both backcourt positions. There's always the chance the Mavericks could trade down with the OKC Thunder (hold 12 and 17) or the Charlotte Hornets (14 and 18) and still land a talented guard, too.

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