Mavericks 2026 NBA Draft: Five Prospects For Dallas With The 48th Pick

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks hold the ninth, 30th, and 48th picks in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.

Second-round selections can be a crapshoot. At 48, Dallas will hope to find a player who can crack the rotation and stick around the league. That won’t be as easy as it sounds, with talent waning as the draft drags on.

That said, there are a few names expected to be called in the second round that the Mavericks should keep tabs on.

Jaden Bradley, Arizona

Jaden Bradley is one of those names.

The 2025-2026 Big 12 Player of the Year, Bradley is a tough guard who uses his strong frame to get into the teeth of the defense. He isn’t an exceptional athlete and he isn’t the most efficient around the rim, but his ability to get to the paint draws fouls and collapses defenses.

As a shooter, Bradley has shown some ability. He shot 80.9% from the free-throw line in his four years in college and was a 39.4% three-point shooter by his senior year, albeit on low volume. If Bradley can maintain that consistency, especially in catch-and-shoot scenarios, he could carve out a nice role in the NBA.

On the defensive end, Bradley uses his strength to compete. He’s tough on opposing guards and limits the point of attack, averaging at least one steal per game in his last three years. At 6-foot-3, Bradley plays and defends bigger than his size.

Ryan Conwell, Louisville

Ryan Conwell has spent the last few seasons putting the ball in the basket. In his last three years at Indiana State, Xavier and then Louisville, Conwell averaged 17.3 points per game on 44.5% shooting from the field, 38.4% from three and 83.8% from the charity stripe.

The Cardinals needed that production, too, with Mikel Brown Jr. missing time for Louisville.

Conwell is an excellent shooter, coming off screens to catch and hit triples from uncomfortable angles at a high clip. He also has experience shooting off the dribble, which could be a valuable wrinkle in his game should he find himself with on-ball reps in the NBA.

He’s also crafty around the rim. Conwell has an array of moves that he uses to create space close to the basket, but he’s also more than capable of muscling his way to the rim and finishing through contact.

Defensively, Conwell left something to be desired, but could be better on that end with a lower offensive usage. With less pressure to create, Conwell might be able to reattribute some of his toughness to his defense.

Maliq Brown, Duke

Maliq Brown could be an interesting get for Dallas with the 48th pick.

After playing the past two seasons at Duke, including one with Cooper Flagg, Brown enters the draft as a defensive specialist. The jumper is essentially non-existent and he hit just nine of his 42 attempted three-pointers with the Blue Devils.

There is something to be said about a player who can impact the game without scoring, though, and Brown is that.

Brown genuinely has the defensive potential to switch on all positions, with good foot speed to stay with guards and long arms to protect the rim. That ability earned him the 2025-2026 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award.

If the jumper ever comes around to just average, Brown could be a tremendously valuable role player at the next level, especially with his off-ball abilities as a screener and cutter.

Emanuel Sharp, Houston

Emanuel Sharp is just 6-foot-3 and has little self-creation ability. What Sharp does bring is shooting, which the Mavericks need. Last year, Dallas was in the bottom five of the league in three-point percentage as well as made three-pointers.

Sharp shot 37.6% from three in his college career, a number that could be higher if not for his difficult shot diet. He thrived as a catch-and-shoot threat, coming off screens to get open and finding open areas along the arc.

On the defensive end, Sharp will fight, although his smaller stature will get him hunted in the NBA. Still, he shows enough effort on that end to keep him from being a complete liability.

He won’t provide much outside of shooting, but that’s a skill that could keep Sharp in the league for a long time.

Baba Miller, Cincinnati

Baba Miller feels like the type of player that a team would take a flyer on in the back half of the second round.

At 6-foot-11, Miller is a combo guard in a center’s body. He can run the floor and make connective passes while using his size to put pressure on the rim and attack with force. With quick feet, Miller isn’t just a threat to create offensively, but also can stay in front of smaller players on the defensive end.

Sure, he’s skinny and won’t put up much of a fight against true big men. Miller could still be valuable in spurts as a jumbo ball-handler and downhill transition threat. With time, practice and professional weight training, he might be able to match up with centers in the future.

He is a non-shooter, which the Mavericks won’t love, but that could be less of an issue if he’s flanked by the right players.

With the 48th pick, Dallas could justifiably take a swing on Miller if they see unicorn upside. It’s not often that someone of Miller’s size can handle the ball the way he does.

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