The Dallas Mavericks received one of the luckiest NBA Draft lottery bounces ever when they won the first overall pick in the 2025 Draft, which netted them Cooper Flagg. That has saved the franchise from irrelevance, but they have another chance to add another young star this year.
The 2026 NBA Draft looks to be as talented as we’ve seen in a long time. Dallas has positioned itself to be in the lottery once again, as they have the 7th-worst record with 15 games remaining, and out-losing the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz is in play.
Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley spun the lottery simulator on Tankathon.com and ran a mock draft, with the Mavs jumping up to the third overall pick and taking Duke star Cameron Boozer.
“If the Mavericks really want to distance themselves from last season’s Luka Dončić disaster deal, why not just embrace a full-scale rebrand as the Dallas Blue Devils? After all, the Durham-to-Dallas pipeline has already treated this franchise awfully well, and that’s without even seeing what can happen when Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively III all share the floor. Adding Boozer to the mix would only up the potency,” Buckley wrote.
“Would it feel more comfortable slotting him into an NBA power role if he were a bit bigger and more explosive? Probably. But it’s not like his size-skill combo is seen often as it is. He could be a tremendous advantage-creator with his paint-to-perimeter scoring range and willingness to consistently make the right reads.”