The 2026 NBA Draft Awaits
Dallas owns their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which boasts one of the most esteemed draft classes in recent memory. Thus, there’s a question of whether they really should be pushing for the playoffs.
As of this moment, they’re projected to have the eighth overall pick in the upcoming draft. Prospects expected to be drafted in the top-10 that could appeal to the Mavericks include Houston point guard Kingston Flemings, Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr., Alabama point guard Labaron Philon, UConn shooting guard Braylon Mullins, and Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance. Prospects such as Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr., Baylor wing Cameron Carr, Illinois wing Keaton Wagler, and Washington big man Hannes Steinbach could sneak into that range.
Ultimately, they’d likely be in position to draft Irving’s successor considering the sheer number of quality lead guard prospects. Though there are several intriguing bigs that they could find later in the draft, they may be able to settle on Davis’s replacement much earlier. They could even find a young wing that complements a core headlined by Flagg, who is essentially Doncic’s heir apparent.
In spite of these invigorating scenarios, the NBA Draft can be a crapshoot. The Mavs should be well aware of this having drafted Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick and Jalen Brunson with the 33rd overall pick. Even trying to manipulate the draft order is a gamble; there’s literally an NBA Draft Lottery. Consequently, there’s no guarantee that trading or sitting Davis or Irving will lead to better draft position or long-term success.
