The Dallas Mavericks hold the 30th pick in one of the deepest draft classes in years. Here are two names Dallas should have circled, depending on what they do with their lottery selection.
The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2026 NBA Draft with two selections. The lottery pick gets all the attention, and rightfully so, but the 30th overall pick, which came to Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade with Washington, is a real asset in a draft class with legitimate depth into the late first round.
Who Dallas targets there depends heavily on what they do with their lottery selection, but two names stand out as fits regardless of how the board falls.
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Momcilovic is the most accurate three-point shooter in the country. He led the nation with 136 made threes on 279 attempts at 48.7% this season for Iowa State, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6% from the field.
He is 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds with a high, repeatable release that makes his shot nearly uncontestable. He also shot 87.8% from the free-throw line. The shooting alone puts him in historically elite company among college players.
The concerns are real. He is not a playmaker, averaging just one assist per game. His athleticism is average by NBA standards and his lateral quickness creates genuine defensive questions. He works best as a catch-and-shoot forward who spaces the floor in motion-based offenses, not someone who creates for himself or others off the dribble.
For Dallas, that limitation is manageable. On a team built around Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-8 forward who shoots 49% from three and does not need the ball to impact the game, it fits cleanly. Flagg creates enough for everyone. Momcilovic shooting 48.7% in college suggests he will translate quickly alongside a playmaker of that caliber.
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
Thomas is a different kind of prospect. The 6-foot-5 freshman guard from Arkansas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.6% from three and leading the Razorbacks with 1.5 steals per game.
ESPN has him ranked 28th in the class, which would project him as a late first-round pick. Bleacher Report compares him to Jordan Clarkson as a scoring guard off the bench with instant-offense potential.
What makes Thomas interesting is the two-way projection. He plays with energy and competes on defense consistently, which is not always a given for scoring guards at the freshman level.
His handle and frame need development at 185 pounds, but his shooting mechanics, quick release, and ability to create off the dribble give him a clear NBA role as a combo guard who scores in bunches off the bench.
If Dallas addresses the backcourt with their lottery pick, Momcilovic becomes the more logical 30th pick as a floor spacer to complement what they already have. If they take a wing or a big with the lottery selection, Thomas gives them an off-the-bench scorer who fills a different need. Either way, the 30th pick has real value in this class, and the Mavericks should use it wisely.