The NBA Draft withdrawal deadline changed the late first-round picture and Josh Jefferson could become a strong value play for Dallas at No. 30.
Wednesday night’s NBA Draft withdrawal deadline reshaped the late first and early second rounds considerably. Jeremy Fears Jr. returned to Michigan State. Andrej Stojakovic went back to Illinois.
Milan Momcilovic, the Iowa State forward who was one of the most intriguing late first-round prospects in the class, pulled out of the draft entirely and immediately became one of the top available players on the college market.
The reasons have become the new reality for college basketball. NIL money has changed the financial calculus for players weighing a late first-round contract against another season in college, with the 2027 draft widely expected to be as strong as the 2026 class.
The result is a late first and early second round that looks noticeably different from what it did two weeks ago. For the Dallas Mavericks at pick No. 30, that creates an opportunity to land a player who might not have been available had the class remained fully intact.
Joshua Jefferson could be that player.
The Iowa State senior was one of the most productive players in the Big 12 this season, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting a career-high 34.5% from 3-point range on 3.1 attempts per game. He was named an All-American as a senior and finished the season as arguably the most complete player in the conference.
CBS Sports’ David Cobb described Jefferson as a ready-made NBA role player with a rare combination of size, versatility and skill. Cobb also noted that after blossoming into an All-American, Jefferson still looks like a player on the rise and named him one of the top second-round sleepers with an All-Star ceiling.
At 6-foot-8, Jefferson profiles as the kind of versatile wing Dallas should strongly consider at No. 30. He can guard multiple positions, space the floor, rebound and facilitate out of pick-and-roll, making him a natural complement to Cooper Flagg without needing the ball in his hands to be effective.
Tankathon’s latest post-deadline mock draft has Jefferson going No. 30 overall directly to Dallas. If the board breaks that way, the Mavericks could find themselves landing one of the better values of the late first round.
