Dallas Mavericks: Three strategies for the 2020 draft

The Dallas Mavericks have two draft picks in the 2020 draft. That, and the abundance of intriguing prospects, offers plenty of directions to go.

The Dallas Mavericks‘ first postseason trip in the Luka Doncic put them on the map. The Mavericks’ offense, spearheaded by Luka and his magical scoring and playmaking abilities, posted the best offensive rating of all time. Despite losing in the first round, the Mavericks showed that they’re the real deal.

The 2020 draft offers the opportunity to build on the already promising talent Donnie Nelson and the front office have assembled. The Mavericks currently own the 18th and 31st picks, presenting them with plenty of options to draft good prospects or move up or down.

The unflattering narratives around this draft class stem mostly from the uncertain upside of the top prospects. The chances a team finds a player like Doncic in this draft are slimmer than paper. But there are plenty of prospects with the tools to be valuable role players. For Dallas, picking in the middle of the first round and the beginning of the second round, golden opportunities to bolster the team abound.

This draft is imperative for Dallas, as it’ll be the best chance they have at upgrading their roster this offseason. They don’t have much cap space to work with and they don’t have a first-round pick next year. Finding a key building block would be huge for their hopes of advancing in the playoffs and luring a star free agent in 2021.

There’s no telling which prospects are going in certain spots in the draft, so it’s hard to pinpoint specific players Dallas should aim for. But there are plenty of strategies Dallas can take to upgrade their roster. Here are three examples.