The Dallas Mavericks are one of the luckiest teams in NBA history. After trading away Luka Doncic in the worst deal across any sport, the Basketball Gods still smiled on the Mavs, gifting them Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Of course, in their since-abandoned effort to build around Doncic, the Mavericks gutted a stockpile of draft picks. Barring a future-driven trade, the 2026 draft will be their last team-controlled selection until 2031. Between '26 and '31, all of the Mavericks' selections are either coming in from other teams or have swaps on them.

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The 2026 NBA Draft will be one of the most important in franchise history, and a mock draft by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman sees Dallas walk away with an elite young player who complements Flagg perfectly.

Mavericks Land Labaron Philon Jr. in Mock Draft

Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams have shown that they can be high-level backup point guards in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving will hopefully remain productive after he recovers from a torn ACL. However, the Mavericks need a long-term solution in the starting lineup that matches Flagg's timeline.

Labaron Philbon Jr., Alabama's best player, fits the bill.

This season, he is averaging 21.5 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 38.5% from deep, and is a big reason why the Crimson Tide are one of the best teams in the country.

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"He looks like one of the nation's most creative players in terms of ball-handling and scoring in the paint, where he has Euro steps and touch shots," Wasserman wrote.

He can guard either backcourt player, although Flagg will certainly remain the defensive anchor. In his prime, expect Philon Jr. to be one of the better point guards in the league, although as the projected eighth overall pick, he will be a second or third option on offense. However, he has the court vision to effectively run an offense at the highest level, provided he plays a more secondary role on defense and when it comes to scoring.

Could the Mavericks tank and land a higher pick? Absolutely, although unless they trade both Anthony Davis and Irving, that seems unlikely. Philon Jr. is playing a winning brand of basketball in the NCAA, and he fills a position of need in Dallas, bolstering Flagg and moving up the competitive timeline.