Dallas Mavericks: 5 options for pick No. 33 in 2018 NBA Draft

Much of the Dallas Mavericks’ attention will be focused on the fifth pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, but with a selection at No. 33, they’ll get another good a chance to add real talent.

Second round picks used to be thought of like the free egg rolls of NBA trades. They were thrown in as an afterthought to deals that probably would have happened anyway, but if you’re giving it for free, sure, why not. Toss on a little duck sauce and boom: serviceable 11th man in the rotation.

Oh how times have changed. With front offices getting savvier, the value of second-rounders — especially early ones — has skyrocketed. Not only can teams be creative with the contracts, but if there’s an intriguing foreign player that needs a few more years overseas to marinate, it’s a great way to draft-and-stash. It’s also a perfect place to take guys with perceived holes in their games that might still be able to help a roster in the immediate future.

No one is better at minimizing flaws and maximizing the potential of his players than Rick Carlisle. Hopefully for his sake, this year goes better than the last time the Dallas Mavericks had the 33rd pick.

The Mavs had both No. 33 and No. 34 in 2012. With the 33rd pick, they chose Bernard James, who scored 203 total points in the NBA. With 34, Dallas drafted Jae Crowder, which would have been great had they not shipped him off to Boston in the ill-fated Rajon Rondo deal. The 35th pick? A tweener from Michigan State who barely looked like he was in good enough shape to stay on an NBA court. His name was Draymond Green.

With that history in mind, let’s take a look at who might be available for Dallas in 2018.