DHJ Quick Take: Mavericks Hold the No. 9 Pick and a Trade-Down Card in the 2026 Draft
The Dallas Mavericks landed the ninth pick in a top-heavy 2026 NBA draft, and a swap with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 12th and 17th picks could turn one selection into two rotation pieces around Cooper Flagg.
- What’s the situation? Dallas fell to No. 9 after entering with the eighth-best lottery odds, leaving it just outside the class’s clear top tier.
- What’s the move? The Thunder, facing a roster crunch while holding picks 12 and 17, could send both to Dallas for No. 9 — they consolidate, the Mavericks add a pick.
- Who fits? If the Mavericks like Brayden Burries, he may last to 12; targets at 17 include wings Karim Lopez, Allen Graves, and Dailyn Swain, while a leap for Kingston Flemings would mean holding at 9.
- What’s next? The 2026 NBA draft is June 23, when Mike Schmitz and the front office weigh trading down against their board.
Every NBA draft is different. Some classes are deep, without clear-cut superstars. Others are top-heavy. Some classes are just seen as generally weak.
The 2026 draft certainly does not fall into the last category.
This is an exciting crop of young players. That said, it’s relatively heavy at the top. So, there was some disappointment when the Dallas Mavericks landed the ninth overall selection.
Mavericks fans won’t find sympathetic ears with many other fanbases. The Mavericks made a massive leap in the 2025 draft to draft Cooper Flagg. The ninth overall pick still presents an opportunity to build around the burgeoning young superstar. But the Mavericks could take a unique approach.
Dallas Mavericks Must Entertain an Interesting Trade
Realistically, the Oklahoma City Thunder are where the Mavericks want to be. They’re perennial title contenders, but even that position comes with problems.
The Thunder are approaching a roster crunch. They won’t be able to pay everyone on their stacked roster for much longer. Meanwhile, they’re supposed to add a pair of first-round picks with the 12th and 17th selections in the 2026 NBA draft. This team needs to consolidate, and it just so happens that the Mavericks need to aggregate.
That’s why it’s been widely suggested that they could look at a trade-down scenario. Dallas could send the Thunder the ninth pick in exchange for the 12th and 17th choices. It’s an arrangement that, on paper, makes sense for both sides.
For the Mavericks, it should depend on who they like in the draft.
Dallas Mavericks Must Scout the Draft Thoroughly
Lately, there’s a great deal of chatter about the Mavericks’ interest in Arizona’s Brayden Burries. He’s a 6’4″ combo guard who shot 39.1% on a tough three-point shot diet this year. Burries is talented, but he’s a relatively limited athlete without exceptional size. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll be on the board at No. 12 anyway.
So, if the Mavericks really do like him, this is a no-brainer. They can get their guy and add another first-rounder. With the 17th pick, they could look at a wing like Karim Lopez, Allen Graves, or Dailyn Swain. If they think another guard or even a big man is the best player available, they could go that way, too.
By contrast, if the Mavericks are enamored with, say, Kingston Flemings, they’ll have to hold that ninth pick. He won’t be available by pick No. 12. So, this decision boils down to their internal evaluations of each prospect.
Ultimately, the NBA draft is always a gamble. The surefire prospects are usually gone by the ninth pick. Still, with thorough scouting, Dallas can add a long-term rotation player to its core here, or even two.
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