The Dallas Mavericks will have a chance to add a difference-maker next to Cooper Flagg in this year’s NBA Draft.
The Mavericks control their own first-round pick — it will likely fall somewhere in the top 10 — as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round selection because of the Anthony Davis trade.
That means Mavericks talent evaluators have been busy the past few weeks watching prospects play in person.
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Starting Thursday, a few potential Mavericks targets will be in action for NCAA Tournament competition. Here are four players to keep an eye on — all of them guards who would address a major need in Dallas’ backcourt.
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas6-2, 190 pounds, 19 years old
Acuff’s stock is rising after an incredible performance in the SEC Tournament. In Arkansas’ wins over Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, Acuff averaged 30.3 points, 7.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds. He scored 30 points and dished 11 assists Sunday to lead Arkansas to its first conference tournament title since 2000.
Acuff is one of the most gifted offensive players in this year’s draft class. He’s averaging 22.2 points per game on impressive efficiency — 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 44.5 percent shooting from 3 — and boasts a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Acuff’s ability to make 3-pointers off the dribble is a big part of what makes him so dangerous. Defenders have no choice but to guard him closely from beyond the arc. Acuff can glide by them off the dribble and finish at the rim or deliver on-point passes with either hand.
There are shades of a young Damian Lillard in Acuff’s game. He is the type of player who could help breathe some life into Dallas’ 27th-ranked offense.
Keaton Wagler, Illinois6-6, 185 pounds, 19 years old
Wagler is an improbable success story. The tall, rangy guard wasn’t even ranked in the top 100 of ESPN’s 2025 prospects list. He came in at 150 in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings. As a freshman at Illinois, Wagler has led the Fighting Illini — one of college basketball’s best offensive teams — in scoring and assists.
Wagler is a talented shotmaker off the dribble capable of playing either guard spot. On Jan. 24, he exploded for 46 points in a win over Purdue. Wagler connected on nine 3-pointers that afternoon, with a few of those makes coming several feet behind the 3-point arc.
Wagler is in shooting range basically anywhere inside the half-court line and should have no issues adjusting to the deeper 3-pointer in the NBA.
In the pre-draft process, there will be questions about Wagler’s athleticism. He’s a below-the-rim athlete who hasn’t dunked once in a game this season. Wagler doesn’t possess exceptional quickness to blow by defenders, either. Still, his size and skill are hard to ignore — and reasons why he’ll almost certainly be a top-10 pick this summer.
Kingston Flemings, Houston6-4, 190 pounds, 19 years old
Flemings is a lightning bolt with the ball in his hands. The San Antonio native is one of the fastest players in college basketball. Flemings loves to use a between-the-legs dribble or a hesitation move to freeze defenders and then burst by them on his way to the rim.
Flemings’ jump shot isn’t as pretty as Acuff’s or Wagler’s, but it goes in. Flemings is comfortable taking midrange pull-ups. He’s not a high-volume 3-point shooter (he attempted three per game), but he did knock down 39.2 percent of his attempts from long range. He’s also an excellent free-throw shooter (he shot 83.9 percent).
Houston guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives to the basket against Texas Tech’s Jaylen Petty during a Big 12 game in January. (Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)
Flemings’ best performance of the regular season came in January against Texas Tech. He burned the Red Raiders with 42 points on 15-of-26 shooting and six assists as the Cougars pulled out a 90-86 road win.
Flemings excels at getting to where he wants to go on the court. Let’s hope that Houston and Illinois can meet in the Sweet 16 so we can see Flemings and Wagler face each other.
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama6-4, 185 pounds, 20 years old
The only player on this list who’s spent multiple years in college, Philon has had a strong sophomore season at Alabama. He’s upped his scoring average from 10.6 points per game to 21.7 while shifting into more of an on-ball role. Philon is like Flagg in the sense that he’s a right-handed shooter who, when he drives, is very comfortable going left.
Philon’s improvement as an outside shooter is a big reason why he’s a potential lottery pick. He has knocked down 40.2 percent of his 3s on nearly six attempts per game this season — up from 31.5 percent on 3.4 attempts his freshman year.
Philon is a shifty, confident offensive player who’s one of the most skilled ballhandlers in this year’s class. Philon went toe-to-toe with Acuff when Alabama and Arkansas met on Feb. 18. That night, the two of them combined for 84 points. Acuff had a game-high 49 points, but Alabama prevailed in double overtime.