Dallas Mavericks: 5 options for pick No. 54 in 2018 NBA Draft

5. Raymond Spalding, PF/C — Louisville

Taking Raymond Spalding makes the most sense if the Mavericks opt to select a forward like Michael Porter Jr. in the lottery.

Spalding was a great all-around player in his junior season. He averaged 12.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists per game. He’s good enough to warrant the team moving on from its Nerlens Noel experiment.

The 6’10″ forward shot a career-high 9.4 field goal attempts per game last year, but his shooting took a dip at 54.3 percent from the field. Spalding is already 21 years of age, so there are obvious questions about how high his ceiling is.

His free throw and 3-point shooting haven’t improved much in his three seasons at Louisville either, signaling a problem with his mechanics. Spalding could see his shooting improve across the board when working with Dirk Nowitzki, however.