DHJ Quick Take: The Guard Run Could Thin Out Before Dallas Picks
The Stein Line projects several of the draft’s top guards going inside the top seven, leaving the Dallas Mavericks with a narrower pool at No. 9.
- Who goes early? Wagler and Brown are projected at Nos. 5 and 6, with both canceling Sacramento workouts.
- Who do the Kings want? Sacramento is tied to Acuff but says it’ll take whichever guard it rates best at No. 7.
- Why does it matter for Dallas? With the top guards potentially gone, the Mavericks may pivot to the best wing or big available.
- What’s next? The first round tips Tuesday, 7 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN, with Dallas picking 9th.
The run on guards near the top of Tuesday’s NBA Draft could clear out the best available backcourt prospects before the Dallas Mavericks go on the clock at No. 9, based on the latest from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Fischer’s read is that Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. will land at Nos. 5 and 6 in some order, and that both have canceled their workouts with the Sacramento Kings — a strong signal neither expects to still be around when Sacramento picks at No. 7. If those projections hold, two of the draft’s most coveted guards would be gone three slots before Dallas is set to choose.
Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. Projected to Go Early
Canceled pre-draft workouts often say as much as the projections themselves, and in this case they reinforce the expectation that Wagler and Brown won’t slip far.
Players confident in their range frequently shut down visits with teams picking below where they expect to go, and Fischer noted that’s exactly the read on both guards relative to the Kings at No. 7.
Sacramento Kings Loom as the Wild Card at No. 7
The perception leaguewide is that Sacramento covets Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and worries he might not last to No. 7, but the Kings have pushed back on the idea that they’re locked onto a single name.
Fischer reported that Sacramento insists it’ll be content taking whichever guard it rates highest once it’s on the clock. Houston’s Kingston Flemings joined Acuff among the team’s recent guest workouts, another sign the Kings intend to come away with a backcourt prospect regardless of how the top of the board shakes out.
What’s Left for the Dallas Mavericks at No. 9
If Wagler, Brown, and Acuff all come off the board inside the top seven, the Mavericks could be staring at a noticeably thinner guard pool by the time their pick arrives. That matters for a team that could use a long-term backcourt talent to develop behind Kyrie Irving, and perhaps it could nudge Dallas toward weighing the best available wing or frontcourt prospect against a less certain guard option at No. 9.
The new front office under Masai Ujiri has flexibility with picks 30 and 48 to follow, so the Mavericks aren’t boxed into reaching for a position if the value at No. 9 points elsewhere.
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