DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks own a top-10 NBA draft pick for the first time since they acquired Luka Doncic in 2018.
Who will they add now, five years later?
If the Mavericks choose to keep their No. 10 overall pick and not trade the selection during the June 22 draft, here are five lottery-level prospects who could help boost offensive creation, defensive presence and frontcourt depth — and perhaps add some local high school connections.
Anthony Black, Arkansas
— Age: 19
— Position: Guard
— Height/weight: 6-6, 210 pounds
Playing for a fourth team in four years, Black may not feel at home anywhere more than Dallas. He transferred from Coppell to state champion Duncanville as a senior in high school, logged heavy minutes (34.9 a game) and production (12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists) as a freshman at Arkansas, and now projects as a top-10 lottery pick with strong, athletic potential on offense and versatility on defense to guard in the backcourt and on the wing.
At the combine last month, Black revealed his favorite part of the game, aside from winning, is setting teammates up for success, and his pass-first instincts could help the Mavericks fill the backcourt depth and void that’s been missing since Jalen Brunson’s 2022 free-agency departure and Spencer Dinwiddie’s exit in the Kyrie Irving trade.
“I feel like all my teammates I’ve played with have told me I make it a little easier for them,” Black said. “I know [the NBA is] the best players in the world, but maybe I could also make it easier for them, too.”
Sign Doncic up.
Gradey Dick, Kansas
— Age: 19
— Position: Guard
— Height/weight: 6-6, 204 pounds
With Doncic at his best when he can drive to the paint and dish to shooters around the arc, the Mavericks will gravitate toward strong offensive talents who can score beyond the perimeter as key roster-building options around their 24-year-old superstar.
Dick presents as one of the best in that skill set in this year’s draft class.
As a freshman at Kansas, Dick averaged 14.1 points while shooting 44.2% from the floor and 40.3% from 3, flashing a quick release and smooth shooting motion on 5.7 3-point attempts per game. Unlike some of the Mavericks’ top shooters who lack scoring consistency beyond catch-and-shoot opportunities, such as Reggie Bullock and Tim Hardaway Jr., Dick thrives in motion as a connective passer and scorer at different levels.
If the Mavericks sense before the draft that free-agent-to-be Irving may not be a guarantee to re-sign, Dick could help offset the void in offensive skill and production the 31-year-old All-Star would leave behind. But if Irving remains part of the Mavericks’ backcourt entering next season, Dick’s liabilities on defense may present more of a concern than his offensive skill would help.
Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida
— Age: 19
— Position: Forward
— Height/weight: 6-8, 214 pounds
Starting center Dwight Powell is a pending free agent. So is backup Christian Wood. And the Mavericks would love to shed reserve JaVale McGee’s contract this offseason.
Time for Dallas to revamp the frontcourt.
Hendricks projects as one of the top defenders in the draft, and while forward will be his natural position in the NBA, he could also play stints as a small-ball center, similar to how the Mavericks have deployed Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith during coach Jason Kidd’s first two seasons.
If the Mavericks don’t retain score-first big man Wood, Hendricks could help make up the production, as he averaged 15.1 points, seven rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 34.7 minutes during his freshman season at Central Florida while shooting 39.4% from 3 on 4.6 attempts per game. His lob threat would pair well with Doncic, too.
“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things we need to work on is defense, period, and then rebounding,” general manager Nico Harrison said during his end-of-season interview in April. “So that’s going to be addressed.”
Jarace Walker, Houston
— Age: 19
— Position: Forward
— Height/weight: 6-7, 249 pounds
Another option for the Mavericks to build out youth and versatility in the frontcourt, Walker logged some of his best performances in Houston’s biggest games of the season. He grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in a second-round victory over Auburn in the NCAA Tournament and followed with 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in the Sweet 16 against Miami.
The Mavericks finished the regular season 30th out of 30 NBA teams in average rebounding (38.8 per game) and offensive boards (7.6), and for a second consecutive offseason, Harrison has emphasized the need for improved big-man production next year.
Walker’s free throw shooting (66.3%) and limited 3-point involvement with Houston don’t signal he’ll enter the NBA as a ready-made scorer at all three levels or progress to that point in his career, but he knows his interior offensive production and defensive savvy could help boost the Mavericks’ weakest spots in the rotation.
“I feel like it could be nice,” Walker said of his fit in Dallas. “They have a really good backcourt out there. Obviously, you don’t know what’s happening this offseason, but I mean I feel like I could fit almost anywhere just because of the versatility I bring, especially on the defensive end.”
Cason Wallace, Kentucky
— Age: 19
— Position: Guard
— Height/weight: 6-2, 195 pounds
From Richardson back to Dallas? Wallace, a 2022 Richardson graduate, Dallas Morning News’ 2021-22 boys basketball Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American, would enjoy a familiar commute if the draft unfolds in a way that makes him a Maverick.
Experts have compared Wallace’s career potential to that of Jrue Holiday, the Milwaukee Bucks’ defensive stalwart and two-time All-Star, and the Mavericks might have no bigger need than a defensive-minded guard who can help compensate for the deficiencies Doncic and Irving — if he re-signs in free agency — create on that side.
In his one season at Kentucky, Wallace averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 assists in 32.2 minutes across 32 games, and highlighted another Dallas-raised Kentucky signee — Tyrese Maxey of South Garland — as a rising NBA standout whom he’s looked to as a role model and for advice.
“Seeing him growing up pretty much my whole life, knowing that he’s from Kentucky, I asked him a few questions about my current situations at Kentucky and how he went about them,” Wallace said of Maxey, who just finished his third season with the Philadelphia 76ers. “I’m sure I’ll be able to do that at the next level as well.”
