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Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

By Gerald Bourguet

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images /
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2018 NBA Draft
Photo by Matteo Marchi/NBAE via Getty Images /

Dallas Mavericks

  • No. 3: Luka Doncic, Slovenia (via Atlanta Hawks)
  • No. 33: Jalen Brunson, Villanova
  • No. 56: Ray Spalding, Louisville (via Philadelphia 76ers)
  • No. 60: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Dayton (via Philadelphia 76ers)

In a draft full of winners, the Dallas Mavericks were the biggest winners of the night, trading No. 5 and what was originally reported to be a top-five protected pick in 2019 to move up to No. 3 and snag the best player in the draft, Luka Doncic. The fact that the pick is lottery-protected, per NBA.com, helps even more.

People may not be sold on international players, but Doncic is no Mario Hezonja or Darko Milicic. He’s accomplished things overseas that no foreign prospect has, and he’s done it all at the age of 19. EuroLeague champ, EuroLeague MVP, Spanish ACB champ, you name it.

Doncic is a wizard with the ball, can create his own shot and the Mavs now have a dynamic backcourt for the future between him and Dennis Smith Jr., both of which should thrive together under Rick Carlisle.

https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1009949411605172224

They may not have gotten a franchise big to pair with DSJ in the pick-and-roll, but this was an excellent move. A lottery-protected pick over the next two years is a small price to pay for a generational talent like Doncic.

At No. 33, they added a proven winner, stout defender an all-around smart point guard in Jalen Brunson. As one of the NCAA’s most decorated players last year, Brunson only lasted this long because of his age, but he’s the exact type of reliable backup who should be able to carve out a role in the NBA thanks to his high basketball IQ, smart passing and 3-point shooting.

The Mavs weren’t done dealing though, sending No. 54 to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ray Spalding (No. 56) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (No. 60), the brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Neither projects to be an NBA difference-maker, but taking two swings this late in the draft is commendable…even if keeping No. 54 would’ve yielded Shake Milton.

Grade: A