Christian Anderson Jr. has surged his draft stock this past year and made it clear he would welcome a chance to join Cooper Flagg in Dallas.
Christian Anderson Jr. has been rising up draft boards all spring and he is not shy about where he wants to land.
The Texas Tech guard sat down with Mavs.com’s Dwain Price ahead of the June 23 NBA Draft and made a direct pitch for the Dallas Mavs to use one of its three picks on him.
The timing of the interview is worth noting. Anderson has been one of the fastest-rising prospects in this class. ESPN’s latest mock draft has him going 16th overall. He recorded a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine in Chicago and scouts described his shooting range as among the most consistent they saw during on-court drills. A player who was projected as a late first-round pick entering the season is now firmly in the lottery conversation.
Anderson averaged 18.5 points and led the Big 12 with 7.4 assists per game this season, setting a single-season Texas Tech record with 244 assists while shooting 41.5% from 3-point range. He won the conference’s Most Improved Player award after increasing his scoring by 7.8 points and his assists by 5.2 in one year. He was named first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-American. One scout described him as potentially the best shooter in the 2026 draft class with elite table-setting ability.
What stands out most about his pitch to Mavs.com is his self-awareness. He acknowledged the areas that need work, specifically strength and earning the trust of established veterans, without using them as excuses.
“You’re going into a league where people are established, where there’s All-Stars on the team,” Anderson said. “So just being able for them to trust me and allow me to be able to talk to them and lead them too is something I’m ready for.”
His versatility is the core of his argument. Anderson played off the ball as a freshman and on the ball as a sophomore and both versions produced winning basketball at Texas Tech. The ability to play alongside a dominant creator like Cooper Flagg without needing the ball to be effective is not something every guard in this draft can honestly claim.
“I’m just as good off-ball as I am on-ball,” Anderson said.
He did not hide his interest in Dallas, either.
“I love their organization,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, whatever team meets with me or talks with me realizes that they have enough to try to take a chance on me and use a draft pick on me.”
With most projections now placing Anderson in the 16-to-21 range, the Mavericks would be selecting him above consensus value at No. 9. But for a front office that has identified versatile guards who can play next to Flagg as a priority, a player rising this fast at the right position is worth the conversation.
