Analyst names best, worst NBA Draft fits for Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are narrowing down their search for the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

There are only a handful of prospects the Mavericks can choose from, especially with eight teams selecting ahead of them. One player who has been linked to the Mavericks consistently throughout the pre-draft process is Arizona guard Brayden Burries, who was named a top fit for the Mavericks by Bleacher Report analyst Zach Buckley.

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“After the rookie season Cooper Flagg just authored, prospects should be lining up at the chance to be one of his long-term running mates,” Buckley wrote. “The Mavs could give Burries that opportunity, but they could also provide the playmaking and scoring support he’ll need right away with Kyrie Irving still on the roster and seemingly in the plans.“

Burries could be the shooting guard of the future for the Mavs, who need someone alongside Irving that can shoot. Putting as many high-level shooters around Flagg should be the goal for the future, and Burries could be the start of that complementary group around their star player.

For every player like Burries, there is someone like Houston guard Kingston Flemings, who might not be exactly what the Mavs need going into the draft.

“A backcourt featuring Flemings and Kyrie Irving would be tiny and exploitable on defense, especially against bigger guard groups,” Buckley wrote.

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“There’s also a worry about whether Flemings or Cooper Flagg could summon enough three-point volume for the other to have the breathing room they need. Flemings’ burst only really works in a properly spaced offense, and Dallas was dreadful from three last season (29th in makes, 26th in percentage).”

The Mavericks need to have Irving in mind when building their roster for next season, but he shouldn’t be the priority. That being said, the Mavs aren’t really in position to put a player like Flemings on the roster without adding other pieces to the mix.

If they believe Flemings can be their point guard of the future, they should take him, but it should come with a lot of patience.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/analyst-names-best-worst-nba-110000932.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-13 11:00:00

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