Jazz, Grizz, and Clippers being 2, 3, and 5 is brutal…
*** Official 2025 - 2026 Dallas Mavericks Season Thread ***
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Last: 5 min ago by Guitarsoup
Prediction: Many of the highly rated guys will end up being picked higher than they should have been in retrospect, and there will be a guy picked outside of the top 8 that over performs. Just gotta get that guy at 9.
Rewards some disgusting behavior this year
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Pelicans trade Anthony Davis and get the first overall pick ✅
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Having to deal with Anthony Davis tax
Brayden Burries, Mikel Brown Jr, Labaron Philon, or Yaxel
The pick will come down to one of these 4 I think
The pick will come down to one of these 4 I think
rsf0626 said:
Brayden Burries, Mikel Brown Jr, Labaron Philon, or Yaxel
The pick will come down to one of these 4 I think
I'd personally go in that order. Brown has the highest ceiling but the back is a serious long term injury concern.
Gonna be Labaron for the bars.
Give me burries over philon all day.
There's still so much talent in the 6-12 range. No telling where we land. Wagner, Acuff or Wilson could fall to us. Never know. Hell, I'll take Nate ament all day and worry about guard later.
What is good about the Clippers getting 5 is that PG is the only position they don't really need. But most of the 5-8 guys are PGs. So they may go another way (Nate Ament? Steinbach?)
Also, I don't think the Clippers really have the ability to really develop. Next year LAC gets the OKC 1st as a swap. They have no pick in 2028. Plus they still might (should) get punished for Aspiration.
Also, I don't think the Clippers really have the ability to really develop. Next year LAC gets the OKC 1st as a swap. They have no pick in 2028. Plus they still might (should) get punished for Aspiration.
Also lots of speculation that Atlanta would want Aday Mara at 8.
That would mean one of Brown or Flemings would be available at 9.
That would mean one of Brown or Flemings would be available at 9.
Vessel said:
Also lots of speculation that Atlanta would want Aday Mara at 8.
That would mean one of Brown or Flemings would be available at 9.
Hawks are a weird one because they need a center and they also need a PG and I think those PG prospects are way better than Mara.
Is their plan really to go in with 35yo CJ McCollum and Dyson Daniels at PG?
Or trade back. I truly believe we're going to see some movement with picks 5-12. It's just one giant glob of good players, and if you like a guy and LA doesn't, maybe it's an easy deal to work out.
I think trade back for them is a very real possibility, especially if they want Mara or something. They just have so many holes on that team.
The fact that Burries was basically 20 years old as a high schooler gives me the biggest ick. He's about to turn 21 years old as a "true freshman."
I feel this. IMO I'm taking a high upside pick at 9 now.
nm
It's kind of crazy that that Mavs lost as many games as they did and only got the 9th pick. If Luka and Reeves don't get hurt in the last week of the season the Mavs would have been tied with the Grizzlies for 6th best odds and who knows, maybe they would have been moving up. Instead they lose a 50/50 coin flip for 8th, then slide down a spot when they had a 65% chance of staying 8th or better. There are a bunch of guards (Wagler, Acuff, Brown, Philon, Flemings, Burries) at spots 5 - 10, so the Mavs will be picking almost last out that the group.
Out of those I'm guessing Wagler and Acuff are most likely to be off the board. But even Acuff could slide if teams are scared off by his combine measurements and defensive upside. All of these guys have some upside and some weaknesses so I wouldn't be surprised if the ordering on these guys is jumbled around and not matching the consensus mock drafts.
If the consensus mock drafts are right though, then I'm going Philon here if I'm picking for the Mavs. He isn't far from Acuff as an offensive prospect, similar numbers but Acuff is one year younger so a bit more upside. But Philon is probably taller with a larger wingspan and a little more defensive upside. At least his freshman year he was getting more OREB, steals, and blocks when he didn't have as high a usage. He is shifty and should project to score in the NBA.
I like Burries as well, he Acuff, and Philon all put up 50/40/80 type seasons. But Acuff and Philon did it on much higher usage as the lead guards. But if Burries projects to be a better defender then maybe that balances it out. He is also one year older than Acuff. He should be a good NBA guard though.
Out of those I'm guessing Wagler and Acuff are most likely to be off the board. But even Acuff could slide if teams are scared off by his combine measurements and defensive upside. All of these guys have some upside and some weaknesses so I wouldn't be surprised if the ordering on these guys is jumbled around and not matching the consensus mock drafts.
If the consensus mock drafts are right though, then I'm going Philon here if I'm picking for the Mavs. He isn't far from Acuff as an offensive prospect, similar numbers but Acuff is one year younger so a bit more upside. But Philon is probably taller with a larger wingspan and a little more defensive upside. At least his freshman year he was getting more OREB, steals, and blocks when he didn't have as high a usage. He is shifty and should project to score in the NBA.
I like Burries as well, he Acuff, and Philon all put up 50/40/80 type seasons. But Acuff and Philon did it on much higher usage as the lead guards. But if Burries projects to be a better defender then maybe that balances it out. He is also one year older than Acuff. He should be a good NBA guard though.
jeffdjohnson said:
It's kind of crazy that that Mavs lost as many games as they did and only got the 9th pick. If Luka and Reeves don't get hurt in the last week of the season the Mavs would have been tied with the Grizzlies for 6th best odds and who knows, maybe they would have been moving up. Instead they lose a 50/50 coin flip for 8th, then slide down a spot when they had a 65% chance of staying 8th or better. There are a bunch of guards (Wagler, Acuff, Brown, Philon, Flemings, Burries) at spots 5 - 10, so the Mavs will be picking almost last out that the group.
Out of those I'm guessing Wagler and Acuff are most likely to be off the board. But even Acuff could slide if teams are scared off by his combine measurements and defensive upside. All of these guys have some upside and some weaknesses so I wouldn't be surprised if the ordering on these guys is jumbled around and not matching the consensus mock drafts.
If the consensus mock drafts are right though, then I'm going Philon here if I'm picking for the Mavs. He isn't far from Acuff as an offensive prospect, similar numbers but Acuff is one year younger so a bit more upside. But Philon is probably taller with a larger wingspan and a little more defensive upside. At least his freshman year he was getting more OREB, steals, and blocks when he didn't have as high a usage. He is shifty and should project to score in the NBA.
I like Burries as well, he Acuff, and Philon all put up 50/40/80 type seasons. But Acuff and Philon did it on much higher usage as the lead guards. But if Burries projects to be a better defender then maybe that balances it out. He is also one year older than Acuff. He should be a good NBA guard though.
In the nightmare scenario where Acuff, Wagler, and Mikel Brown are off the board, I think I want the Mavs to trade back (ideally with OCK for their 12th and 17th pick) and draft the highest upside guy on the board who I believe is Dailyn Swain or Quintance (if the medical eval is remotely positive).
Yeah, I think asset accumulation is the name of the game - unless you see a guy that is just an absolute steal/game changer or that you feel like the rest of the league has scouted wrong, the better long term play is to accumulate multiple assets.
It's tempting to pin hopes and dreams on a mid lottery pick and try to accelerate the process, but long term having flexibility with your roster building to jump on opportunities that present themselves has proven to be the more effective way to build long term success.
It's tempting to pin hopes and dreams on a mid lottery pick and try to accelerate the process, but long term having flexibility with your roster building to jump on opportunities that present themselves has proven to be the more effective way to build long term success.
I'm fine trading back, as long as the floor is philon. But, if Burries or Brown are available at 9 (assuming all the others are gone), then 100% take either and don't look back. I think we'll regret not taking one of these guards if we let them all go. Any of them will be long-time pros in my estimation and any of them have All Star potential.
I think Brown is who I'd want but every mock I've seen has him getting snagged by the Hawks at pick 8.
Going to be a really interesting draft after the top four. It already looks like Sacramento is zeroed in on Acuff and could be willing to move up to get him. On the contrary I could definitely see Brooklyn saying F this, and trade their pick for an established player because they are tired of waiting around and getting screwed by the draft.
Also, this happens in every single draft in any sports, but once the hardcore testing and evaluations begin, some guys will rise and some will fall. Atlanta is a team imo that could shake things up by taking a guy we aren't talking about as much, same with Brooklyn and the Clippers. Last thing; there are so many pure guards in the 5-12 range, and not every one of those teams needs or wants to take a guard. Length and size is at an all-time premium, and there will be a team or two to take Lendeborg, Steinbach, Quantaince, Ament, Mara or Cenac a few spots higher than you would think.
Also, this happens in every single draft in any sports, but once the hardcore testing and evaluations begin, some guys will rise and some will fall. Atlanta is a team imo that could shake things up by taking a guy we aren't talking about as much, same with Brooklyn and the Clippers. Last thing; there are so many pure guards in the 5-12 range, and not every one of those teams needs or wants to take a guard. Length and size is at an all-time premium, and there will be a team or two to take Lendeborg, Steinbach, Quantaince, Ament, Mara or Cenac a few spots higher than you would think.
And there's the first report that the Bucks are fielding Giannis offers. I'd assume the Clippers could be an option.
Yeah Acuff is not getting past SAC. Reports during the season said they'd take him in the top 4. They're prepared to play every game in the 140s lol.
Brooklyn is extremely interesting. They took 4 ballhandlers in last year's draft. Do they really want to draft another ballhandler? Would they move back, or would they just draft Lendeborg, Mara, or Ament at 6?
I'd love to move up to that spot to ensure I get Brown, Flemings, or Wagler.
Brooklyn is extremely interesting. They took 4 ballhandlers in last year's draft. Do they really want to draft another ballhandler? Would they move back, or would they just draft Lendeborg, Mara, or Ament at 6?
I'd love to move up to that spot to ensure I get Brown, Flemings, or Wagler.
Books are going to want a lot more than the fifth pick this year and maybe some picks in a few years. I don't see the Clippers being able to put together a worthwhile package.
Giannis has also said that he wants to stay in the East.
Miami, Charlotte, weird package with Knicks, Brooklyn, Atlanta
Giannis has also said that he wants to stay in the East.
Miami, Charlotte, weird package with Knicks, Brooklyn, Atlanta
I think waggler is perfect for Brooklyn.
Guitarsoup said:
I think waggler is perfect for Brooklyn.
I do too, but why wouldn't LAC take Wagler? He's a great fit there. He's also solidly the 5th best prospect in the draft for me and for most people. I doubt he gets to 6.
Would y'all take Caruso and Hartenstein in a 9/12 swap with OKC? Maybe we have to send Gafford to them as well.
Caruso fits in to the TPE almost perfectly. OKC needs to get off a lot of money. They move up to make sure they get Yaxel or Mara. We could still add Philon or Swain.
Would that make us a top 6 team in the West next year?
Caruso fits in to the TPE almost perfectly. OKC needs to get off a lot of money. They move up to make sure they get Yaxel or Mara. We could still add Philon or Swain.
Would that make us a top 6 team in the West next year?
Vessel said:Guitarsoup said:
I think waggler is perfect for Brooklyn.
I do too, but why wouldn't LAC take Wagler? He's a great fit there. He's also solidly the 5th best prospect in the draft for me and for most people. I doubt he gets to 6.
I think they likely trade down for someone that wants Flemmings or Acuff really bad. But he does fit them well. Would a Garland/Wagler backcourt be good enough defensively? They kind of need a Dyson Daniels next to Garland.
Guitarsoup said:Vessel said:Guitarsoup said:
I think waggler is perfect for Brooklyn.
I do too, but why wouldn't LAC take Wagler? He's a great fit there. He's also solidly the 5th best prospect in the draft for me and for most people. I doubt he gets to 6.
I think they likely trade down for someone that wants Flemmings or Acuff really bad. But he does fit them well. Would a Garland/Wagler backcourt be good enough defensively? They kind of need a Dyson Daniels next to Garland.
SAC trades up to make sure they get Acuff? Would be ridiculously stupid, so would make a lot of sense lol.
https://theringer.com/nba-draft/2026/mock-draft
J Kyle Mann has Wagler falling to us at 9. Ideal scenario.
J Kyle Mann has Wagler falling to us at 9. Ideal scenario.
I'd probably do that, but I don't think OKC would. I know they need to get off money, but imo they could/should be aiming for higher in the draft. Truthfully they have the assets to trade well into the top four.
ALSO, I think there could be some real thought from Presti to move J-Dub. They won 64 games basically without him and are absolutely still loaded with young talent. The new meta as the kids say, is to have a few superstar caliber talents that you pay big money too (SGA and Chet), then surround them with high end talent on rookie deals (Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Topic etc.). So why not trade 40+ million in cap hit to a team that is kinda dying for a guy, and then draft someone like Caleb Wilson, Boozer or God Forbid Peterson.
ALSO, I think there could be some real thought from Presti to move J-Dub. They won 64 games basically without him and are absolutely still loaded with young talent. The new meta as the kids say, is to have a few superstar caliber talents that you pay big money too (SGA and Chet), then surround them with high end talent on rookie deals (Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Topic etc.). So why not trade 40+ million in cap hit to a team that is kinda dying for a guy, and then draft someone like Caleb Wilson, Boozer or God Forbid Peterson.
Yeah they could easily do an offer to jump higher that would involve J Dub. It's just a matter of teams willing to give up one of the top 4 picks. The problem with that is Washington is sitting pretty, Utah wants to move up to get AJ, and they just did a Giddey trade with Chicago. Unless Chicago wants to do another trade with them, that just leaves Memphis who is looking at either Boozer or DP.
Honestly, J Dub's value is at an all time low after being injured almost all season and OKC looking just fine without him. I doubt teams think his ceiling is higher than any of these top 4 guys. OKC would have to add several of their future picks, which they really need to keep their salaries low.
The trade with us allows them to get off money while keeping future picks.
Honestly, J Dub's value is at an all time low after being injured almost all season and OKC looking just fine without him. I doubt teams think his ceiling is higher than any of these top 4 guys. OKC would have to add several of their future picks, which they really need to keep their salaries low.
The trade with us allows them to get off money while keeping future picks.
Yea Presti will be up to something this offseason. What that is I think depends on whether or not they go B2B and chase a three-peat next year.
I heard Simmons talking about the Jdub trade ideas and, tbh, I'm not opposed to it. Everything you said is right. They won 64 without him. Ajay is a better fit alongside SGA and Chet. But I also think that Jdub would thrive in a leading role and Presti would risk repeating some of the shame he took for dealing Harden at a similar junction in his career. It would be interesting to get into his brain on that one.
Regardless of what happens, OKC has some amount of shedding to do. Wiggins has fallen out of the rotation but I think he's a starting caliber player on alot of teams. He needs a new home. Or the Thunder need to clear out a few guys ahead of him so he can play again.
Wallace is an interesting case because I think it will be tough to pay him what he's going to demand. He still has one more year on his deal and then he's an RFA. I could see Presti taking Wallace and Dort aside and seeing which one will agree to a team-friendlier extension... then deal the other one.
As it relates to a potential 12 for 9 swap with the Mavs, I think if there's a "Presti move", would be Wiggins + 12 for 9. But also sort of agree with the poster above that suggested this could be an opportunity for OKC to move a bigger salary (if desired).
I heard Simmons talking about the Jdub trade ideas and, tbh, I'm not opposed to it. Everything you said is right. They won 64 without him. Ajay is a better fit alongside SGA and Chet. But I also think that Jdub would thrive in a leading role and Presti would risk repeating some of the shame he took for dealing Harden at a similar junction in his career. It would be interesting to get into his brain on that one.
Regardless of what happens, OKC has some amount of shedding to do. Wiggins has fallen out of the rotation but I think he's a starting caliber player on alot of teams. He needs a new home. Or the Thunder need to clear out a few guys ahead of him so he can play again.
Wallace is an interesting case because I think it will be tough to pay him what he's going to demand. He still has one more year on his deal and then he's an RFA. I could see Presti taking Wallace and Dort aside and seeing which one will agree to a team-friendlier extension... then deal the other one.
As it relates to a potential 12 for 9 swap with the Mavs, I think if there's a "Presti move", would be Wiggins + 12 for 9. But also sort of agree with the poster above that suggested this could be an opportunity for OKC to move a bigger salary (if desired).
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