2026 NBA draft thread

[Winter]

I have been hammered here multiple times for talking about fit in this draft, but I don't think Kyrie should be part of that equation.  We are trying to land the second best player on this team for the next 10+ years and I don't think fit with Kyrie should impact that decision.

But on my original post I was mostly surprised you had Wagler over Flemings as well.  I presume that means you have Wagler at 5, which I think is higher than anybody else on here.

I said I don't know about Flemings. Let's make it simple. If we pick 6th, I doubt Flemings, Wagler, and Acuff will all be there. I really don't know who will be available the sixth pick. It's likely two of the three players mentioned will be available.

The trick here is how does an NBA team view Wagler. Primary PG or primary SG? How do the Mavs see Wagler? If he's good, he's useful in both positions, and on top of that, he's reasonably good defensively. Acuff is one thing only. He's a stud offensively with a high usage rate. Flemings can play some defense and doesn't need the ball quite as much as Acuff to be effective. But he's not the consistent scorer Acuff is.

I don't know which of these players is the best fit here. Whomever it is, needs to make sure Flagg gets the ball. That's why I say there needs to be a lot of discussion about fit at the GM level.

I haven't mentioned Burries, but I might include him in this group. In some ways I rather like the combo guard elements of Burries and Wagler more than the strict PGs. Flagg is a very versatile player. I like the idea of surrounding him with versatile players. 

That's my thinking right now. I might change it tomorrow.

[Mavs2021]

Sandfort with 25 pts. I wanted his brother with one of our 2nd rounders in the 50s. First year he went back to school, second year he went undrafted. Now he´s a two way with OKC. I already feel vindicated that Presti sees it, too.  

Good to see Swain go out before he does more upward damage to his draft stock.

Also good night for our 2nd round pick. Magic and Hornets moved within a game of Phoenix. Unfortunately I assume that the records don´t mean much, if Phoenix makes the actual play-offs or is the 2nd round seeded purely by record since there is no lottery? 

I´m sure East fans with teams that regularly made the play-oiffs with a 36-44 record over 50 win West teams would know the answer to that. 

[Mavs2021]

Really interesting match-up with Acuff going up against my sneaky 2nd round pick Jaden Bradley.

[F Gump]

I think this draft is going to be a giant crap shoot for the Mavs if they don't move into the top 4. .

Ok. Let's move into the top 4, so we don't have to fret about it.

[F Gump]

My argument for Peterson is credible people who know a lot more about basketball that I do put his ceiling at Kobe Bryant. If he doesn't get there, that's ok ... even for a number 1 overall pick. He was overhyped and his season was weird but he still put up historic numbers for a freshman while flashing elite perimeter defense. You can't pass on that. The only reason he'll slide out of the top-3 is if it's injury related.

On the other hand, picks 5-9 could go in any order and a case could be made that any one of them would be a top-5 pick in a normal draft (Acuff, Wagler, Flemings, Burries, Brown Jr)

"he still put up historic numbers for a freshman" -- What is this all about? "Historic"? I don't see anything in the year he had to label in that way, and in fact I think many would call his season disappointing. There was an awful lot of meh and nonsense to wade through, if you were a fan of his.

[F Gump]

Boozer isn't near as athletic as Zion is.  

He has a better shot, extremely basketball smart and makes the right play 99% of the time.  Think of a modern day Tim Duncan.  Doesn't have the length Duncan has, but is that type of player.  Him and Flagg would be a pretty nasty combo.  The only concern is - does a smaller Tim Duncan succeed in the NBA these days.

I don't think Boozer is anywhere near as athletic as Duncan, either. And he's smaller too (in a meaningful way).

So I am impressed by how much Boozer squeezes out of what he has to work with. His shot isn't especially great looking (very flat), he doesn't jump high, he's not extra fast or quick -- yet he's very productive, and it seems he always shows up. I don't know how to measure the value of that, but I suspect he will be much better than we expect because he will find a way to be productive. Just my guess.

[F Gump]

I'm not sure about Flemings. Read back on my post. It's really about the makeup of the Mavericks with Kyrie and Flagg. I just feel like there needs to be some thought about who would be the best fit on this Maverick's roster. I'm not convinced that's Acuff. Of all the players drafted in the top 10, Acuff needs to see the ball a lot to be effective. With Flagg and Kyrie, I might wish for less ball-usage out of a PG.

I'm not at all concerned about whether the player will work with Kyrie/CF just so long as he's a top talent. If he's good enough, it will work just fine, because elite players have multiple ways they can impact a game.

So I'm more concerned over "who is better" and want the Mavs to get that better player, rather than flee from greatness in favor of some specific box they might prefer to fill.

[F Gump]

I said I don't know about Flemings. Let's make it simple. If we pick 6th, I doubt Flemings, Wagler, and Acuff will all be there. I really don't know who will be available the sixth pick. It's likely two of the three players mentioned will be available..

The chance the Mavs pick 6th is supremely tiny. I wouldn't even think about whoever you have at 5-6. 

Who do we like at 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 or 8?

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Everything about Wagler's first half is why I think he'll fail in the NBA. Houston plays physical defense and Wagler can't score.

[KillerLeft]

I have been hammered here multiple times for talking about fit in this draft, but I don't think Kyrie should be part of that equation.  We are trying to land the second best player on this team for the next 10+ years and I don't think fit with Kyrie should impact that decision.

But on my original post I was mostly surprised you had Wagler over Flemings as well.  I presume that means you have Wagler at 5, which I think is higher than anybody else on here.

The only way Kyrie should factor in at all is the same way some of us liked the idea of Flagg/AD: the youngster learning from the master. In that way, I can see someone like Acuff benefitting greatly from a year or two with Kyrie, but to consider whether any of these guys fits on a championship squad WITH Kyrie is pointless, to me.

To your other point about "fit"...I think it would be insane to draft the BPA if you don't think he fits with Flagg. The thing is that we have a pretty wide variance of opinions about what would/wouldn't fit with Flagg, but, yeah - not considering it at all would be bananas, imho.

[Scott41theMavs]

Everything about Wagler's first half is why I think he'll fail in the NBA. Houston plays physical defense and Wagler can't score.

I kind of look at Wagler's game and am reminded of renowned former Maverick Justin Jackson, although with two or three times the defensive ability. If that's at all accurate, to me, you don't pick that with the 7th or 8th pick in this draft.

[mvossman]

Everything about Wagler's first half is why I think he'll fail in the NBA. Houston plays physical defense and Wagler can't score.

To be honest, Fleming does not look any better.

[cow]

The chance the Mavs pick 6th is supremely tiny. I wouldn't even think about whoever you have at 5-6. 

Who do we like at 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 or 8?

Shouldn't you be working your voodoo magic to get us #1 again?

[Scott41theMavs]

To be honest, Fleming does not look any better.

Burries is having a pretty nice game.

[mvossman]

I kind of look at Wagler's game and am reminded of renowned former Maverick Justin Jackson, although with two or three times the defensive ability. If that's at all accurate, to me, you don't pick that with the 7th or 8th pick in this draft.

Wagler is a wildly better shooter and a much better playmaker.  I don't see much similarities.  He struggles against size at the rim due to lack of strength, but as a late bloomer I think that is something that can get better.

[mvossman]

Burries is having a pretty nice game.

He is definitely having the best game of the four, but he also has the least amount of responsibility.  He doesn't have to lead the offense and he is on a dominate team with tons of options.  Hard to compare with the other guys.

[Scott41theMavs]

He is definitely having the best game of the four, but he also has the least amount of responsibility.  He doesn't have to lead the offense and he is on a dominate team with tons of options.  Hard to compare with the other guys.

He should fit in well with the all-star team Presti puts together for us next year.

[Mavs2021]

Acuff might be the smallest of the bunch, but he scares me a lot less than Wagler or Flemings, but I can see the Pacers argument. There is a pretty big drop off after the top 4 imho.

I think the pipedream would be to get Dybantsa or Wilson with Swain at #30 and Bradley at #48.

Bradley
Swain
Flagg
Wilson
Lively

They might not be able to shoot, but that´s probably the best Under 22 defense in the league by a WIDE margin.

Add

Irving/Nembhard
Christie/A. Simons
Thompson/Martin
Marshall/Bagley
Washington/Gafford

...and suddenly your biggest problem might be the expansion draft protections.

[F Gump]

Shouldn't you be working your voodoo magic to get us #1 again?

LOL   My focus is on Presti, doncha know?!?!

How about just a draw to somewhere in the top 4?

[F Gump]

I kind of look at Wagler's game and am reminded of renowned former Maverick Justin Jackson, although with two or three times the defensive ability. If that's at all accurate, to me, you don't pick that with the 7th or 8th pick in this draft.

I watched most of the game vs HOU to look for this, and I saw something way different. 

What stood out to me was that to my eyes, Wagler was not a SG sometimes playing PG. He is DEFINITELY a PG. He was very capable in running the offense against a very good HOU defense. Never got rattled. Also I have been a bit concerned about his strength, yet he held up against these guys. And his size is a plus.

Based on that game, if I wanted to draft a PG and was choosing between Wagler and Flemings, I would take Wagler over Flemings, and it's not all that close. 

If you squint, can you see a path to Haliburton Jr? I dunno. But maybe, I think. And that's the appeal.