The Mavericks have an uphill battle in the making the postseason this year, needing to win two games just to earn a berth against No. 1 Oklahoma City.
Should the team lose out — the likely option right now — they’ll earn a lottery pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. Which could add reinforcements to a somewhat reeling roster.
There’ll be no solving Dallas’ issues with a single draft pick, but here are three options should the team find themselves picking in the late-lottery:
Perhaps the biggest project in the draft, 6-foot-9 BYU guard Egor Demin saw a statistically fine season, but showed he has a long ways to go in the efficiency department.
He scored 10.6 points and dished 5.5 assists for the Cougars as a true freshman, but did so on just 41% shooting overall, and 27% from three.
Demin, of course, couldn’t replicate a fraction of former Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic’s impact. But the team is familiar with the jumbo guard archetype, and seemingly has the time to spare.
A 6-foot-3 combo guard, Richardson — the son of two-time dunk champion Jason Richardson — can do a myriad of things both on an off-ball.
He scored 12.1 points, dished 1.8 assists and had great shot variety, canning triples, cutting to the lane for mid-range jumpers and finishing at near-70% around the rim.
He plays a thoroughly high-IQ game, and in tandem with Kyrie Irving could be a great piece.
Thought of to be a top-five pick prior to the season, Traore saw down season for Saint Quentin that caused his stock to fall rapidly. But he still has massive potential at 6-foot-5 with size, athleticism and feel.
Traore posted double digit scoring and a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio in the LNB Elite.
He’s a true point guard, and while he wouldn’t be ready for Dallas in Year 1, he could be developed into a star or high-floor backup for the future.
