By: Marselis Davis
On the Tuesday May 16, the NBA held the 2023 Draft Lottery, which determined what pick each lottery team would receive heading into the 2023 NBA Draft. This recent draft lottery held a higher level of significance behind it, as NBA teams were eager to win the first pick in the sweepstakes that would land them the 7-foot super prospect, Victor Wembanyama. However, the 2023 Draft Lottery held a different level of significance to a certain lottery team; that being the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks had a rollercoaster of a season, to say the least. After letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency and signing Rockets center Christian Wood, to the roster, the Mavericks began the season at a disappointing 10-10 and were struggling to enter the playoff race. They began to find a groove around the trade deadline, with a 29-26 record that landed them firmly in the playoff race as a 5th seed.
After making a blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks were hoping to potentially contend for the title since Luka finally had a second star alongside him. However, the Mavericks had a disastrous final stretch to the season, losing 18 of their final 27 games to fall out of the playoffs and Play-In entirely, sitting at the 11th seed.
As the Mavericks organization became increasingly aware of the rapidly nosediving record of the team, they decided to deliberately tank the second to last game of the season against the Bulls, sitting out their starters for the entirety of the second half in order to have higher odds at retaining their 2023 draft pick. Their 2023 draft pick was very important because the Mavericks had traded this pick to the New York Knicks as part of the 2019 Kristaps Porzingus trade. However, the pick was Top 10 protected, so the Mavericks hoped that missing the Play-In would give them a better chance to land within the top 10 of the lottery and add a top draft prospect to a crumbling team. Their intentional tanking efforts were punished with a $750K fine from the NBA, but also rewarded with a secured draft pick in the 2023 Draft.
Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, the Mavericks had strong odds of retaining their pick as they held a 65.9% chance of securing a top 10 pick. On the night of the lottery, the Mavericks were represented by their General Manager, Nico Harrison. By the end of the lottery, Dallas fortunately managed to retain their pick, landing the 10th pick in the upcoming draft.
Looking forward to the 2023 Draft, there are a couple of prospects that the Mavericks may seek to acquire with their 10th selection. The main prospect that Dallas is projected to select is UCF forward Taylor Hendricks. As a freshman out of the University of Central Florida, Hendricks is a 6-foot-9 power forward who averaged 15.1 points, 7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.7 blocks this past season. He is projected to be a quality 3-and-D player in the NBA, as he shot 39.4% from three on 4.6 attempts per game. Hendricks could definitely add size and defense to the Mavericks, which were two areas in which Dallas severely struggled with this season. However, Hendricks has a quality chance of moving as high as the sixth pick in the draft, in which case Dallas would need to select someone else.
Other prospects that Dallas might look to get include UConn shooting guard Jordan Hawkins, a great 3-point shooter with excellent defensive potential, Arkansas guard Anthony Black, who has excellent ball handling and playmaking abilities, and Duke center Dereck Lively II, a 7-footer who can provide assistance to a team that desperately needs rebounding improvement. The Dallas Mavericks have a plethora of prospects to choose from heading into a highly anticipated draft.
Overall, the 2023 Draft Lottery was a success for the Mavericks, as they retained their 2023 draft pick and have a chance to draft a top prospect who could be a major cornerstone to this franchise, especially if Kyrie Irving chooses to leave the team in free agency. Luka’s prime is fast approaching and in order to retain a generational talent like him, the Mavericks must clean up the gigantic mistakes that they have made to the roster and surround Luka with a team that is contender-worthy, and the draft is a good place to start. Ultimately, it is up to Mavericks’ GM Nico Harrison to make the right selection to help this franchise move forward after a disastrous 2022-2023 season.
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