11) Dallas Mavericks—Jerimiah Fears
No one knows what the Dallas Mavericks will do this summer after trading Luka Dončić and being without Kyrie Irving to start next season after he tore his ACL. What we do know is that they will need playmakers without them, and they should use the NBA Draft to help fill that need.
Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears could be the pick here for the Mavericks. Fears is a fascinating guard, given that he lives in the paint, relentlessly carving his way into the lane.
This is despite being only 6-4 and finishing with jumpers, floaters, or athletic finishes at the basket. His elite ball-handling and skill utilizing ball screens should allow him to be able to attack the paint in the NBA. The Mavericks don't have too many players like that at the moment, and he could help solve their guard rotation post-Doncic.
Fears' biggest question mark is his 3-point shooting, with him shooting below 30% from deep, but if he can knock down threes off the bounce, then he could have star potential.
The Mavs getting a potential future starter at 11 would be a win, with Fears having the potential to do so if he develops well. That alone won't get them back into title contention, but it's a start.
12) Chicago Bulls—Jase Richardson
The Chicago Bulls' late-season surge hurt their draft pick in this year's draft. That was due to the strong play of Josh Giddey and Coby White. Add in Matas Buzelis' encouraging play, and the Bulls may actually be much closer to competing than first thought.
With them having potential long-term fits at point guard in White, small forward in Giddey, and power forward in Buzelis, they could fill a role at shooting guard by taking Michigan guard Jase Richardson. Richardson is among the top guards in this year's draft class.
He saw his stock rise thanks to strong performances in the NCAA tournament, including his scoring 20 points on just eight shots against Ole Miss. He is a terrific shooter, having drilled 41.2% of his threes and being one of the best mid-range shooters in college basketball.
Richardson knocked down an impressive 49.1% of his pull-up mid-range jumpers. His ability to score on and off the ball would make him an ideal fit on the Bulls.
That should allow him to seamlessly fit playing next to two playmakers while being able to score efficiently, even as a low-usage player. Defensively, despite being 6'3, he is surprisingly active, ranking favorably in Defensive Box Plus/Minus, with him racking up a solid number of steals and blocks.
Better still, he is one of the youngest players in the draft, with him not turning 19 years old until after the start of the 2025-26 season. His skill set at this point and his age are impressive, and the Bulls should select Richardson as a result.