NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire No. 10 Pick in 2023 NBA Draft

The Kyrie Irving-Luka Doncic experiment didn't quite work out as expected last season. Dallas has a bit of wiggle room with the No. 10 pick in the draft, though, and Oklahoma City could certainly be a team that’s interested.

The tricky part for Oklahoma City in a potential trade with Dallas, is that the Mavericks seem to be searching for a proven player to help the team win now. Unlike Washington, or some of the other teams in the top ten, extra draft picks won’t help Dallas much.

Obviously, Oklahoma City’s most important trade asset is the overflow of draft picks Sam Presti has acquired.

Dallas is in a unique spot sitting at No. 10 in the lottery, because the team is certainly trying to win now. It’s not often that a Doncic-led team misses the playoffs and has a high draft pick, but the Mavericks were in a less than ideal situation a season ago. Management tried to make a furious end of the season run by trading away Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith with a few late draft picks. The team was geared to revolve around Doncic, but when Irving entered the picture, the two needed to learn how to coexist.

If Irving resigns with the Mavericks, letting the pair build chemistry is the smartest thing the franchise could do. The team still has a big time need for defensive wings.

Oklahoma City doesn’t have many proven players, but Lu Dort would certainly be an enticing prospect for Dallas. The question is, would the Thunder trade him for the tenth overall pick?

If OKC was willing to send Dort to Dallas for No. 10, the team could select two players in the lottery or package No. 12 and No. 10 to move up even higher in the draft. The Thunder could also take on a bad contract, like Davis Bertans, in the process.

Another idea that could entice the Mavericks in a package are players like Aaron Wiggins or Kenrich Williams. Oklahoma City might be hesitant to get rid of versatile wings, but a top ten pick could be worth it.

If the Thunder snagged pick No. 10, Gradey Dick could be an easy target as one of the best shooters in the draft. He’d fit right in on the wing in OKC and offers plenty of upside moving forward. Dereck Lively II could also be in play, too, if Oklahoma City is worried a team in the top ten could take a swing on the Duke center.

Oklahoma City’s Offer: Lu Dort for No. 10 pick and Davis Bertans

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