5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks

5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks: 3. Draft someone ready to contribute

All of the top prospects will be gone well before the Mavs pick at 26th. That doesn’t mean the draft will be a total bust.

In the later stages of the first round, there are typically two types of prospects available – raw ones or experienced college players with more limited upside. Dallas should pursue the latter, considering their contending timeline and need to cheaply add to the roster.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ draft from last year seems instructive at this moment. With the 35th pick, the Pelicans selected forward Herbert Jones out of Alabama. Perhaps he slipped all the way into the 30s because he turned 23 years old before his rookie season even started.

However, Jones eventually emerged as a full-time starter, averaging a whopping 1.7 steals per game, and making the All-Rookie Second Team.

There will be no shortage of options for the Mavericks if they want to draft a player with a little more tread on the tires at the back end of the first round. There should be plenty of options at either forward position, in particular.

Former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell should be one possibility. He doesn’t have the same upside as Buckeyes teammate Malaki Branham, but he was a consistently productive player for a decent program and should be able to pop out to the perimeter for the occasional three-pointer at the NBA level.

Another possibility is former Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun. He doesn’t project to do anything at an elite level in the NBA, but he can provide consistency and effort on any bench. He’s also a proven winner, taking home the NCAA championship last season.

To make the most of Doncic as he enters his peak years, the Mavericks need to surround him without players ready to compete at the highest level. That should be taken into consideration during the NBA Draft.