2026 NBA Draft Lottery Preview: Dallas Mavericks

Stephen Gillaspie and Nathan Grubel analyze the possible outcomes that are likely to exist with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

Stephen: What a whirlwind of a season the Dallas Mavericks are having! Fresh on the heels of the infamous Luka Doncic trade, they end up winning the Draft Lottery and drafting Cooper Flagg. After a brief stint of running Point-Coop–thanks to the choices of former coach Jason Kidd–Flagg ended up finishing with a heck of a stretch that led to him being named Rookie of the Year.

Not only did Flagg show an encouraging trajectory to being one of the better players in the league, but now the team has some new-but-familiar faces within their front office. Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz are now helping to build Dallas’s roster and find a new head coach. These decisions are among the most important in the entire NBA, as they will be instrumental in Cooper Flagg’s ascension into the league’s elite players.

Kyrie Irving’s status appears to be that he will still be with the team. Derek Lively’s return is going to be heavily anticipated.

Adding to the excitement, Nathan, they also have the 9th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. This is an interesting spot to make a selection in this class because many outlets have a tier break around this spot. However, that’s assuming picks 1-8 go in accordance with the big boards of consensus. This pick could end up being a spot where a player “falls” into their lap.

With all of the newness and excitement happening in Dallas, which direction could you see them go with the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Nathan?

Nathan: There’s a wide assumption among scouts, fans, and anyone you talk to with a pulse on the NBA that the Dallas Mavericks are likely to target whichever lottery-level guard falls to them at pick #9 in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Now that conversation stems from where the value is in this particular class. Starting with Darius Acuff Jr. and Keaton Wagler, this class is loaded in the mid-late lottery with talented lead options like Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, and some others that will likely go later than projected by raw talent on many big boards.

However, as you mentioned, Stephen, this is a front office that may not be dead set on drafting to fill in the backcourt if a player is available at another position that proves to be a true “difference maker” as quoted by new GM Mike Schmitz.

Mavericks fans have hated any of my social media interactions and mock draft projections that go away from a guard being chosen at that pick, given Kyrie Irving’s status within Dallas. Yes, he’s on this team now, but he’s not going to man the point guard position for as long as Cooper Flagg is with this franchise. So why not go get a potential replacement who could even play alongside him for stretches now, letting Irving focus on scoring the ball as he has in other key roles for better teams?

There’s one player in particular who stands out as a much more intriguing option than even a guard like Burries, who looks the part of a 16-game player. His name is Morez Johnson Jr., out of Michigan.

Johnson can play the center position, but has shared the spotlight in the frontcourt with a giant in Aday Mara, his fellow 7’3” Wolverine. Mara, Johnson, and Yaxel Lendeborg combined for the most physically imposing frontcourt I’ve seen in college basketball since the Florida teams that won championships with Joakim Noah and Al Horford. That team cut down the nets for a reason, in large part because Johnson was the exact piece needed to tie the knot together defensively.

Whether it’s in ball screen coverages, in zone, or in a system that’s built entirely around switching or pre-switching matchups, Johnson can quite literally do it all as one of the best athletes in the draft at 6 ‘9”. Johnson is long, strong, and quick enough of foot to keep up with guards and perimeter-based wings. He swallows up opposing ball-handlers and doesn’t fall much for pump fakes or shot fakes. Johnson knows how to stand his ground, play with balance, and keep drivers in front of him. Not to mention he’s a beast on the glass and in the lane as a shot blocker.

When I watch the NBA Playoffs, I ask myself who the players are in the upcoming draft class that I can see making an impact in the very games I’m watching. I could easily see Johnson on the court for the San Antonio Spurs or New York Knicks because of his energy, physical talent, and defensive acumen. Add to that his promising touch indicators and vertical finishing, and you have a big man who’s built for modern-day basketball.

How would you feel about Dallas taking a swing on a big man like Johnson with the ninth pick, and who would be your favorite guard to look at for the Mavericks if you went the direction of the backcourt?

Stephen: To be honest, Nate, I haven’t given much thought to a big man for Dallas until you posed that thought exercise. If the Western Conference Playoffs have taught us anything, it is that Victor Wembanyama is here to stay, and teams need to throw multiple different looks at him. What I like about Morez is that he can play next to another big man. His footwork is awesome, he is a great rebounder, he’s mobile, and he plays like his hair is on fire. I’m not necessarily drafting him for this, but there is a strong possibility that there is some underlying shooting touch with him. While that isn’t the reason why I’d take him, I’m definitely looking to see if he can space the floor.

Given that he measured better at the combine than I admittedly expected, I think you can ask him to play the five as well. I think a reasonable floor could be Jaylin Williams (J-Will, not J-Dub) from OKC, but with a significantly higher ceiling. I love that suggestion.

As far as guards go, I’ll give you two.

One is a fairly popular choice, but it’s Brayden Burries–the man you already mentioned. I think he helps with Kyrie on the roster now. You ask Burries to take on the more difficult backcourt assignment defensively. You ask him to give you some second-side creation. He helps you in transition. He keeps the floor spaced for pick-and-rolls with either Kyrie or Coop, and whichever big man is on the court. He’s built to play Day One, and there is a possibility that he could run the offense in the mold of a Jamal Murray or Keonte George.

The other guard I’ll throw out there is Ebuka Okorie. I know that he isn’t ranked as highly among other scouting outlets. One of Labaron Philon, Bennett Stirtz, and whichever of Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and the aforementioned, Brayden Burries, would likely still be available, but Okorie has one of the best handles in the class. He had the second-best wingspan among the guards (only behind Mikel) at the combine. He shot the ball well from deep. He has awesome finishing. The passing feel and vision are better than the numbers indicate. Also, he showed defensive playmaking. If Dallas wants another guard to be the successor to Kyrie, I truly believe that Okorie has a great shot to be an All-Star outside of Darius or Mikel.

The last thing I want to kick over to you, Nathan, is this:

Does the rise of Wemby make Aday Mara inherently more valuable to Western Conference teams? Does a player with a nearly 10-foot standing reach–who can also pass and could maybe shoot–mean more to San Antonio’s in-state foe?

I’ll hang up and listen.

Nathan: There’s been a popular belief that Aday Mara may very well be off the board by the time the Dallas Mavericks pick at #9, largely because the Atlanta Hawks will choose one slot above and are in need of some legitimate interior size.

IF Mara were still available for Dallas, I wouldn’t be stunned if he was the pick, given everything you laid out with Victor Wembanyama’s NBA ascension into the utmost stratosphere of superstar. Teams have to figure out how to beat him, and even though that’s not the same as building an entire foundation around limiting his impact, he’s still a problem teams will have to try to solve in order to win a championship.

That’s exactly why I loved my notion with Morez Johnson Jr., but I could see similar arguments for Mara given the pure size equation. I personally think Wembanyama is a bad matchup for Mara because while I don’t see Mara as a stiff athletically, there is some challenge there in terms of actually staying with a player who can handle the ball like a wing and shoot from well beyond the three-point line like Wemby can. That’s why I don’t love the idea of someone like Mara covering Victor, given nearly all of his value on defense stems from impacting the game around the basket.

If I felt better about Ebuka Okorie’s shooting projection long term, I’d let you talk me into him being an option with the ninth pick because he does so many other things at a top-tier level positionally. His burst, handle, and creativity finishing at the rim are unbelievable for a player his size, not to mention he measured with as long a wingspan as you could hope for with a 6’1” to 6’2” guard in shoes. I’d much rather draft Okorie in the mid-late first round, but that’s just me personally. I completely understand why others have him higher on their boards; I just don’t love the form and speed on his shot, and believe it’s something that will take real work to get right on an NBA level. And I just have a hard time buying into guards at this point that I don’t trust to make threes off the dribble from day one.

You and I both agree on some prime targets for the Mavericks, like Brayden Burries and the aforementioned Johnson Jr. I’ll throw two more potential targets out there, one much more obvious choice and another dark horse that may even spark more intrigue and debate than the Okorie proposition, given the buzz around both prospects.

Yaxel Lendeborg hasn’t been brought up by us yet, but he does make a lot of sense from a pure TALENT perspective. Few players in this draft can match his blend of size, length, and ball-handling ability while also providing equal value on the defensive end of the floor with impressive steal and block rates. Some of his numbers, especially on the rebounding front, took a hit compared to where he rated out at UAB, but that’s because Michigan routinely played essentially three bigs on the court at the same time in him, Mara, and Johnson Jr. I’m confident in Yaxel’s ability to impact the game no matter what his role is, be it reliable scoring option, defensive switch blade, or just pure agitator depending on who he’s assigned to guard. Lendeborg even has the ability to grab a board, push on the break, and either finish the play himself OR get the ball where it needs to go for easy transition points—not to mention his ability to call for screens and attack mismatches in halfcourt situations. He can take smaller matchups on the block or go around larger frontcourt players. Yes, he’ll be a bit older on draft night and in his rookie season than some teams may want out of a lottery pick, but he’d be awesome in between Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively.

Now here’s the dark horse that you knew I was going to throw out: Christian Anderson.

There have been few who have discussed Anderson at as much length as I have this draft cycle, and I know he’s not a favorite at No Ceilings when comparing him to the other guards available. I’d be hard-pressed to say Mavericks fans would be thrilled with him going as high as # 9 in the draft, given the other backcourt options we’ve discussed.

But man, do I just love the fit of Anderson with frontcourt options like Flagg and Lively.

Anderson’s game is built around the pick-and-roll. He was a legitimate star in college when playing alongside JT Toppin, who dominated in short-roll and post-up situations. Even when Toppin wasn’t on the court, and Anderson could play off an active roller, he’d find a big man for a lob or cut to the basket. Anderson is a great passer, and he can make all the reads necessary while delivering the ball in tight windows. Imagine how good Anderson would be working off Flagg in ball-screen situations, or even with one of the best lob catchers in the NBA in Lively.

And to top it off, Anderson is a SPECIAL shooter. This kid has been nailing threes from the parking lot long before he was a freshman in high school. There isn’t a more consistent pull-up shooting prospect, especially when working in ball-screen sets, than Anderson in this class. You can find him for shots off the ball as well, which mimics how we expect Kyrie Irving to operate alongside Flagg next season in Dallas. I would love Christian to find a mentor like Irving in the NBA, someone who can continue to instill confidence and nuance in a player who has so much natural ability in all of the important areas offensively that I look for in a guard. Defensively, he’s no slouch either, as he possesses a 6’6” wingspan and I rarely see him out of position or unaware of what’s going on out there. He competes and fights on that end, even if he may go up against matchups that are unfavorable to both him and any of these other guards we’re discussing in this range.

Skeptics will push back on Anderson because of the lack of rim pressure metrics in his favor, as well as the turnover issues he battled through at times. But watching back his tape, and seeing how he fared in some key NBA Draft Combine tests for agility/verticality, there’s more to Anderson than meets the eye as someone who can threaten defenses working off ball screens. And if there’s ever a case for a player to hang in isolation situations without the freakish burst to get by every man who covers him one-on-one, I’d want that player to be a supremely gifted pull-up shooter with excellent passing vision and awareness to get himself out of trouble. Few guards in college basketball were double-teamed as often as Christian, and that was out of respect. I still can’t quit Anderson as a lottery-level talent in this class.

Take us home, Stephen. Give me all of your thoughts, good AND bad, about what I suggested for Dallas!

Stephen: Well, I’ll pick up where you left off, Nathan. Look, I like Christian Anderson, which means I have to complete my thought by listing off my concerns. If the Playoffs have taught us anything, it’s that physicality matters. Dealing with pressure and inflicting pressure matters. I certainly understand that Anderson is one of the premier shooting prospects in the class, but, as you mentioned with Okorie, Anderson is 6‘1” without shoes and 180.4 pounds. Both of those numbers are slighter than Ebuka Okorie–so that worries me a little bit for picking with the ninth pick in the draft.

I’m much more in line with the thought of Yaxel Lendeborg being a name to consider in this range. I know that sort of diverges from the opinion of consensus, which believes a guard almost has to be selected in this spot. We’ve seen a number of NBA teams have success by having two larger wing/forwards who can score from multiple spots on the floor. Pairing Yax with Coop provides the Mavs with guys who can get to their spots off of the bounce, play off the ball on the perimeter, rebound, and defend. The whole age discussion with Lendeborg has been quite interesting to follow–with comparing him to Dalton Knecht as a cautionary tale, but comparing him with Cedric Coward as a reason to buy into the production.

There are going to be those who bring up the post-game interview following Michigan’s defeat of Alabama, or the play where he let the ball roll on the court against Tennessee with the game well in hand. They may question his maturity and character based on those sorts of actions, but I simply chalk that up to him being a goof or a cornball. Those are not the sorts of things that would keep me up at night if I took him to play alongside Cooper Flagg.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least share a quick thought on the direction Dallas could take with the 30th pick in the draft. Obviously, NIL has done its work on a certain range within this draft, but I think Dallas has the chance to walk away with an awesome contributor. Sure, if the draft goes exactly according to my board, your board, or with consensus, the player drafted here will likely be a rotational player to a certain degree. Last year, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Maxime Raynaud, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Sion James were all available with the 30th pick. Someone will inevitably fall or be available who can contribute.

This is where a floor spacer like Isaiah Evans or Meleek Thomas could be players to watch out for with the 30th pick. They might also go with a big man who possesses a particular skill, like Henri Veesaar. Alex Karaban or Richie Saunders have a bit more size as floor spacers compared to Evans or Meleek, and Dallas could deem them as more versatile and ready to contribute. Baba Miller could be a dark horse as a later riser due to his tools. Is there some crazy outcome where Koa Peat could still be available, with teams being afraid of his jumper? What about Chris Cenac Jr. being viewed as more of a potential-driven pick? He could be a later-round grab for Dallas.

That’s what makes this draft class so much fun is because there is that depth of talent–even after the withdrawal deadline. Dallas could even put themselves in position to “win” the draft based on what they do in the first round and with the 48th pick. They could grab Jaden Bradley, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tyler Nickel, or someone else!

With all of the changes Dallas has made and having their guy with Cooper, #MMFL have all the reasons in the world to be ecstatic for this summer!