At the NBA Draft Combine, several prospects spoke highly of the potential opportunity to play for the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago is a time for prospects to get full-body measurements, showcase their skills, and maybe most importantly, begin meeting with teams.
The Dallas Mavericks sit in the No. 9 spot in the first round, beginning June 23. There are multiple ways the Mavs can attack this position, but most believe an athletic guard is the top target for new president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz.
"We’re looking for someone who can fit our culture and have an impact at a high level for many years to come," said Schmitz, the leader in Dallas' scouting process.
"That's the beauty of this class, it's very deep, there's a wide variety of players at different positions that bring different skillsets, and so we're going to bring those guys in and really vet the market and get a really good player."
Some of the early candidates to be drafted by Dallas have spoken to the media about whether they've met with the team and how they think they'd fit with Cooper Flagg and the current roster.
"The Mavs are a great program," said Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. The 6-4 sophomore averaged 22 points and five assists last season in the SEC. He added that he think he can "bring a level of playmaking" that Mavs fans know lacked this past year with Kyrie Irving injured.
Philon added: "Dallas, as a whole, is a great city. So, really [meeting] with them is going to be special, and like get the chance to talk to them."
One prospect surging up draft boards is Illinois wing Keaton Wagler, who said he has already met with the Mavericks.
"I think it'd be a really good fit for me," Wagler said. "Being able to play and learn from Kyrie, how he plays, how he finishes around the rim ... [and] being able to play alongside Cooper Flagg, who's one of the best players in the NBA."
Another sharpshooter, Brayden Burries of Arizona, thinks the Mavs are a place where he can make an impact in a multitude of ways.
"I feel like I'd fit right in," he said. "I can play with anybody ... on-ball, off the ball, and impact the game of winning outside of scoring."
High-motor guard Mikel Brown Jr. is another coveted piece who falls neatly into the Mavs' range. Though he was hampered with injuries at Louisville, scouts believe that means we still haven't seen him at his full potential.
"Definitely a team I'm interested in," Brown said of the Mavs. "Dallas is a great place to play. I feel like I'll fit right beside Coop very well, just to ease the pressure off of him."
Brown also spoke of how he can learn from Irving and an "all-time great" in coach Jason Kidd.
"Definitely would be a great opportunity there."
