Thursday night’s NBA draft officially kicked off the always exciting NBA offseason with a bang. While no superstars or household names changed places, certain teams wheeling and dealing completely changed the outlook of their franchises (wink wink). Leading up to draft night, there was lots of chatter about one of either Atlanta or Memphis moving back a few spots to gain some extra assets. That team, as we now know, would be the Atlanta Hawks. and their trade partner? Our Dallas Mavericks. Atlanta would send the no. 3 overall pick to Dallas, in exchange for the no. 5 overall pick and next years 1st, with 1-5 protection for up to five seasons if not conveyed. The Mavericks would use that no. 3 pick to select the kid who was their guy from the start… Round 1, pick 3: Luka Doncic, A+ I am still not quite sure how Donnie Nelson and Cuban pulled this one off. They managed to get the player they claim to have no. 1 on their board, for a simple pick swap, an additional protected first, AND they still didn’t have to take back any additional salary? That’s a huge victory. Considering that this team looks to be substantially better next season and next years class is much weaker, it makes that 2019 first easier to part with. And I haven’t even mentioned the player. Luka Doncic is the single most accomplished, polished, scouted, and hyped international prospect of all time. And for good reason. He’s a 6’8 point guard/forward who can legitimately play four positions. With unique size and creative ball handling skills, Doncic is a fearless shot taker and maker in the most critical situations. He’s even got a viscous, Harden-esque step back that has left even the best defenders stuck in mud. The shot making is great, but Luka’s real draw is his ability to pass the ball. Put on the tape even for a few minutes, and his unparalleled basketball IQ and vision are impossible to miss. In transition, out of pick and rolls, out of the post, whichever way you want it, he’s going to find open teammates and do so with style. Some executives have even referred to him as a “6’8” Steve Nash.” Excited yet? You should be. But let’s not get too carried away comparing a 19-year old kid to a Hall of Famer. He’s still an average athlete by NBA standards, and his body could use a lot of work. There are questions about his ability to handle more athletic players both offensively and defensively, but most of all he’s still just a kid trying to survive the toughest league in the world. Which is why there isn’t a better place for him to learn the NBA than right here in Dallas. He will play for a franchise who prioritizes their players above all else, one of the very best coaches in the league, he will share the floor with another young, exciting running mate in Dennis Smith Jr., and he will have the greatest international player of all time mentoring him in Dirk Nowitzki. This is a home run for the Mavs. Round 2, pick 33: Jalen Brunson, B I initially wasn’t too thrilled with this pick. But it has absolutely nothing to do with the player. Jalen Brunson is a flat out winner. He won two national championships at Villanova in just three years under coach Jay Wright. He is noticeably mature on the court, and off of it as well. So much so, that the Mavs interview with him at the combine was what convinced them to pull the trigger when he fell to them at 33. Jalen Brunson is a safe bet to have a long, prosperous career as a reserve or in a pinch starter in the league. Steady in every area, Brunson can run your team, play off the ball, and be an extension of the coach on the floor. He seems built to be an ideal back up point guard, especially for Rick Carlisle. The only reason this grade was docked some points for me, is because of some of the names left on the board. While the Mavs likely felt that they drafted the best player remaining, which is a sound strategy at this point in he draft, there were other great options who also filled more pressing needs. Such as Khyri Thomas, Melvin Frazier, and De’Antbony Melton. All of those guys are defensive aces to play in between Dennis and Luka, something I think would be a great fit, but it’s hard to be mad with a guy like Jalen Brunson. This could also wind up being a pretty savvy move for the Mavs, considering Yogi Ferrell’s impending free agency. Not that we are trying to push Yogi out the door, but as the 76ers proved Thursday night, this is a business. Every cap dollar counts, and if the Mavs can draft his successor who comes cheaper, it just makes sense. Round 2, pick 56: Ray Spalding, A- Louisville big man Ray Spalding likely projects as a bouncy, rim running 5 man in today’s NBA. “Vertical spacing” is such a critical component to have in today’s pick and roll centric league, and Spalding gives you that at the very least. You can really maximize both Dennis and Luka with a big man like this, But this pick really gets a good grade because of some of the other things he’s shown he can do. Switchability on defense is such a big deal in today’s league, and given his rangy, athletic frame Spalding has shown flashes of being really solid in this area. That, plus the fact that he has shown some face-up skills and nice passing chops, albeit inconsistently, creates some intriguing upside. Especially this late in the draft. Round 2, pick 60: Kostas Antetokounmpo, C+ I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this pick. Giannis’ little brother, much like he was, is very raw and unpolished in a long, lanky frame.<doc-sep>WHO: The Mavericks and the rest of the NBA! WHAT: DRAFT NIGHT BB WHERE: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York WHEN: Coverage starts 6:00 p.m. CT HOW: ESPN or WatchESPN THE STORY: Hi everyone. The night we’ve been waiting for since the worst Mavericks season in a very long time is here. The NBA Draft. We’ve covered every. single. angle. for you guys over the past few week. Between draft profiles, Ian and Jordan’s debate series, rumors, and anything in between. You all have discussed the possibilities ad nauseum. And now we finally get to see what happens for real. The best (and worst) part of this year’s draft is that, outside of the first pick, no one knows where the next several picks will fall. The Mavericks could get lucky and have Luka Doncic fall to them. They could trade up for him. They could trade down and still take Mo Bamba. They could trade up or down or sideways and get Jaren Jackson Jr. or one of the Bridges or Wendell Carter Jr. or......aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh my head hurts. But we’re almost done. Discuss away below!<doc-sep>The draft night trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks was a nice surprise, and it could help the team get back to winning in Dirk Nowitzki’s final seasons. The Atlanta Hawks were widely expected to draft Luka Doncic, the 6’8″ guard out of Slovenia and reigning EuroLeague MVP. What they were not expected to do was trade him to the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic, arguably the best player in the 2018 NBA Draft class, is one of the most proven prospects in recent memory. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert, Lauri Markkannen and Goran Dragic are just a few European prospects that have taken the league by storm in recent years. Doncic is better at 19 years old than any of them were at his age. The Dallas Mavericks needed a transcendent, young player to guide them back to playoff contention. Here’s five reasons why trading up for Doncic gave them their best chance at doing just that.<doc-sep>In terms of summer free agency it is LeBron James, and everyone else, but there are still a lot of good other players that could be available. DeAndre Jordan is one of those guys who has to decide if he wants to opt into the final year of his deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, that doesn’t mean he will necessarily play next year in Los Angeles. Among the various options DeAndre Jordan has been weighing, according to league sources, is opting into the final season of his current contract (at $24.1 million) before Friday’s midnight deadline to facilitate a trade — with Dallas, sources say, among the teams interested. Stein also said that a Dallas Mavericks trade is a longshot, but after the debacle that happened in 2015, this could be a positive sign that he could end up with the Mavericks. One source described a Jordan-to-Dallas trade as a "long shot" … but the fact it's on the board is the strongest indication yet that the sides are willing to engage again after Jordan's about-face in 2015 free agency when he committed to the Mavs and then went back to the Clips https://t.co/RtYuckP40H — Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2018 In 2015, the Mavericks and Jordan seemed to have a deal in place, before Jordan ended up backing out and going back to the Clippers. If Jordan does decide to opt out, there is a good chance that the Mavericks will make a push to sign him. They are building a nice young team, but they really don’t have a serviceable center, and there is a good chance they will pay big money to get one this summer. Other options that they may consider are Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Clint Capela. How long before the Mavericks compete again is yet to be seen, but if they spend big money this offseason, they could speed up the process.<doc-sep>
It’s an A+, stupid. ...huh? You need more? Oh, ok. Well, Thursday night got pretty wild. Just minutes in to the 2018 NBA Draft, the Mavericks pulled off what may go down as a franchise-altering trade, sending two picks (#5 and a future first) to the Atlanta Hawks for Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic. If you’ve read the site much in the last six months you may be familiar with Doncic. He is the 6’8 passing phenom who at 19 is already a decorated European star, winning FIBA gold, a Euroleague title and the league’s MVP award in less than 12 months. After an agonizing final few weeks where speculation went from Doncic possibly falling to 5 to being the clear pick for Atlanta to a last second trade that earlier in the day appeared dead, Dallas got the guy they coveted from the get-go. Doncic is an excellent fit for Dallas, in so many ways. He gives Rick Carlisle a big ballhandler who is a savant working out of pick and roll and can take pressure off of prized rookie(soon to be second year pro) Dennis Smith Jr. In Dallas he’ll get to learn from veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, J.J. Barea and Wesley Matthews. For a team that didn’t always have a lot of wing creation, it’s hard to overstate the benefit of adding the best wing creator to enter the league in years, and his presence also allows Harrison Barnes to go back to being mostly a play finisher, which suits him. Draft hype has a way of making us all look like fools, but it’s worth noting that many publications considered Doncic the best player in the draft. Analytically, he was not just the best rated player almost unanimously, but he was widely considered the best analytics prospect on record (15-20 years). This is the sort of player you are almost never in a position to take, hence the decision to include a future first rounder. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is the sort of trade that can alter the direction of a franchise. With Doncic in the fold and DSJ next to him, Dallas can really use them as their twin-pillars to build around, and I think the team strategy going forward will be finding the right pieces that best compliment them. This feels like so much more of a viable plan than praying somebody decides they want to come play with Dirk. Now Dallas has a pair of young players with legitimate star upside. Dallas also picked other players on Thursday, but you’ll forgive me for not immediately mentioning them. At #33, Dallas grabbed Villanova standout Jalen Brunson. The Wooden Player of the Year led the Wildcats to two national titles, and expertly executed Jay Wright’s motion offense to the tune of 19 points and 5 assists, on 40+ percent three point shooting. Brunson is a no-nonsense kid who plays within himself and takes good shots, so you know he’ll get along just fine with Rick Carlisle. It was a slight surprise that Brunson was the pick, considering the team has several point guards on the roster already, but with Yogi Ferrell and Seth Curry free agents, it may be a sign Dallas is ready to move on from one of their young guards. Finally, Dallas took a pair of long-armed big men at pick #56 and #60. Ray Spalding and Kostas Antetokounmpo. Sounds good to me. Like I said, it’s an A+. FINAL GRADE: Seriously...? A+!