Dallas has worked out 30 prospects ahead of the NBA Draft, but the most popular mock draft fit at No. 9 is missing from the list.
HoopsHype published its latest pre-draft workout list this week, compiled through media reports, official releases, player announcements and its own intel, and the Dallas Mavericks section tells an interesting story heading into June 23. Dallas has brought in 30 prospects across all three of its picks at No. 9, No. 30 and No. 48.
The name generating the most buzz around their lottery pick is nowhere on the list.
Brayden Burries has not had a formal workout with the Mavericks. The Arizona guard is the most frequently projected player to Dallas in mock drafts right now, appearing at No. 9 in multiple consensus projections. Multiple reports indicate Burries and his representatives are actively pushing to land in Dallas alongside Cooper Flagg, with his camp selectively skipping workouts for other lottery teams in the process.
The absence of a formal workout with Dallas is not necessarily a red flag. It may be the opposite.
Among the notable names Dallas has worked out, Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville is the highest-profile prospect on the list and sits seventh on many big boards. Yaxel Lendeborg from Michigan, the versatile Big Ten Player of the Year, also came in for a workout. Both are legitimate considerations at No. 9 depending on how the board falls.
For the No. 30 pick, Dallas brought in Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s and Maliq Brown from Duke among several late first-round targets. Both players fit the kind of frontcourt depth profile Dallas could consider if it keeps the pick.
The deeper part of the list reflects what every front office does during the pre-draft process. Thirty names across all levels of the draft means Dallas is gathering information, identifying potential undrafted free agents and building out contingency plans as much as it is evaluating legitimate targets for its three selections.
Names like Otega Oweh from Kentucky, Milos Uzan from Houston, Christian Anderson Jr. from Texas Tech and Kylan Boswell from Illinois all appear on the list at various projected ranges.
Eleven days remain until draft night. The workout list gives a window into Dallas’ process, but the Burries situation is the thread worth pulling. When a player ranked near the top 10 is skipping workouts and his representatives are maneuvering toward a specific team, the smoke usually means something.
