Could International Prospects Mean Major Mavs NBA Draft Surprise?

Before Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri was building championship rosters, he was traveling across the world searching for players most NBA teams barely noticed. Ujiri began his NBA career as an international scout for the Orlando Magic in 2002, often paying his own travel expenses and sharing hotel rooms with players to save money. 

He joined the Denver Nuggets as an international scout in 2003 before eventually becoming the Toronto Raptors director of global scouting in 2007. Long before he became one of the league’s most respected executives, Ujiri built his reputation as one of basketball’s sharpest evaluators of international talent.

READ MORE:NBA Draft: Mavs Face Classic Boom-or-Bust Choice With Mikel Brown Jr.

That background shaped nearly every successful roster move he later made. In Denver, Ujiri selected French guard Evan Fournier with the 20th overall pick in 2012. In Toronto, he drafted Austrian center Jakob Poltl ninth overall in 2016 while also selecting Pascal Siakam later in the same draft. One year later, he added OG Anunoby, an English-born wing out of Indiana, with the 23rd pick. 

That history matters entering the 2026 NBA Draft because Dallas could realistically target international talent at both pick No. 9 and pick No. 30.

Karim Lopez is currently viewed as the top international prospect in this class. The 6-foot-8 Mexican wing spent the season in Australia’s NBL after leaving Joventut Badalona in Spain. Despite battling through a wrist injury early in the season, Lopez emerged as a legitimate late lottery prospect while averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds on 46/30/74 shooting splits.

His combination of size, athleticism and shot creation gives him one of the more intriguing two way profiles in the draft. Lopez also projects naturally alongside Cooper Flagg because of his defensive versatility and ability to operate without dominating the ball. Most mock drafts currently place him between picks 12 and 18, meaning Dallas would likely need to trade down slightly from No. 9 or hope he unexpectedly slides.

Sergio De Larrea may represent the more realistic option for Dallas at pick No. 30. The 20-year-old Spanish guard spent this season in Liga ACB averaging 9.3 points, 3.6 assists and 3 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. His offensive profile stands out because of his pick-and-roll processing, court vision and mature decision-making.

De Larrea also fits well within the type of offensive structure Dallas appears to be building around Flagg. He is comfortable operating off the ball while still providing secondary playmaking, something the Mavericks will likely prioritize heavily moving forward.

READ MORE: Should Cooper Flagg's Mavericks Go Big in NBA Draft?

What makes all of this especially interesting is Ujiri’s history itself. He never built his reputation sitting inside front offices relying entirely on consensus evaluations. He built it by identifying players before the rest of the league fully caught up.

Dallas now has that same philosophy leading its basketball operations department. Because of that, Mavericks fans should not be surprised if draft night takes an unexpected international turn.