The Dallas Mavericks are looking to bolster their new core in the upcoming NBA Draft, including adding a "difference maker" at No. 9-overall.
The Dallas Mavericks are honing in on the NBA Draft after a sort-of rebirth under the leadership of sensational rookie Cooper Flagg.
After taking home the No. 1-overall pick last season, which eventually turned into the Rookie of the Year winner in Flagg, the Mavs improved their stock slightly but still fell into the lottery of the upcoming draft.
Despite the less-than-ideal year on the court, there is an opportunity for Dallas, sitting at No. 9, to add more firepower alongside Flagg in the hopes of speeding up the return to relevancy for the Mavs.
And that is exactly what the team is planning to do, according to general manager Mike Schmitz.
Schmitz met with reporters at the American Airlines Center to provide insights into Dallas' draft philosophy ahead of selection night.
"We're looking for a difference maker. We're looking for a young player to add to our core. We're looking for a core piece," revealed Schmitz.
This is not the most earth-shattering piece of information, as every team is at least planning to bring in new talent that will play a key role in its success. That is quite literally the entire premise of the draft.
However, the Mavs have an interesting position at ninth overall, where several of the highly-touted names will presumably already be off the board. This leads to questions about the chances of netting a game-changer like Schmitz envisioned.
Schmitz addressed these potential concerns with evidence from previous drafts.
"You look at drafts year after year and players that don’t go No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 end up as All-Stars and impact players for years and years to come. We’re looking for that guy. The guy who went too low when he should’ve gone higher when we do these redrafts in a few years."
Again, any team outside the top four to five picks would echo Schmitz's sentiments, but his adamant nature about bringing in the best the Mavs can get is a reassuring sign nonetheless.
The lottery pick is not the only concern for the Mavericks, as Dallas holds two more selections in the draft, with the 30th and 48th picks.
"Feel great about nine. Really excited about that spot that we’re in and also just the optionality of having 30, having 48 and having different tools to get better," said Schmitz. "Really excited to continue this draft process and add more to our talent base."
With those added opportunities to bolster the depth, the Mavericks can afford to heavily pursue their coveted "difference maker". Or maybe even move up to grab a particularly special prospect.
No one knows for certain where the Mavs will eventually land come June 23. However, Schmitz's comments paint the picture that Dallas is serious about reshaping the team back into a contender throughout the NBA.
