2024 NBA Draft Grades & Reactions: Dallas Mavericks Select Melvin Ajinca 51st Overall

The Mavs traded up in the second round to select a family member of someone on the 2011 Championship roster

Jun 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban reacts after their win against the Boston Celtics in game four of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks traded up to the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft to select Melvin Ajinça, a potential 3&D wing from France. Dallas traded the 58th overall pick and cash to the Knicks to get the deal done. Ajinça is the nephew of Alexis Ajinça, a member of the 2011 Mavericks that won the NBA Finals.

While it's still uncertain if Ajinça will stay overseas or join the Mavericks for the 2024-25 season, a few people were high on the selection, while others are unsure about his future in basketball. Here are a few grades and reactions of Dallas's selection of Ajinça.

READ MORE: Mavericks Trade for 51st Pick from Knicks to Acquire Melvin Ajinca in NBA Draft

Kyle Boone, CBS Sports, C-

"Yes, yes, another Frenchman off the board. Ajinça had a productive season in the LNB Pro A this past year and brings good size and defensive versatility to the table. He needs to improve his offense and become more consistent as a shooter to stick in the NBA."

Krysten Peck, Yahoo! Sports, B

"Ajinca is a draft-and-stash player out of France but showed promising upside during the LNP Pro A playoffs last month, averaging 11.5 points per game."

Zack Buckley, Bleacher Report, B+

"Melvin Ajinça has the makings of a quality, athletic three-and-D wing. There aren't a lot of avenues for him to grow out of that role, but that's fine at the 51st pick, especially when that archetype is exactly what Dallas wants to put around Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić.

"Ajinça needs to be impactful in these specific areas, then. While it looks like his movement shooting will translate to the NBA, the outlook on his defense isn't as clear. He does his job on the ball, but he hasn't sparked a lot of disruption."

Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation, B+

"Ajinca is a 6’6 Frenchman who can really shoot it from the perimeter. He’s been productive in different settings and shows some ability to make some plays off the bounce."

Kyle Irving, Sporting News, B

"The Mavericks realized that the recipe to build around Luka Doncic is athletic wings who can shoot. Ajinca is exactly that as a 19-year-old, 6-7 lefty wing with 3-and-D potential."

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, No Grade

"Mevin Ajinça is not my kind of player. I understand the idea of what he can be as a movement shooter with athleticism and strength. I also love the activity he shows. Considering where he already is as a shooter at 19, I buy that he’ll be able to knock down shots at a consistent enough level, even if his percentages aren’t incredible now. His shot diet is difficult for a professional teenager. However, there are too many holes in his game outside of that for me to fall in love with his upside. He’s not a great rebounder or a particularly impactful defender now, although I think he has the potential to become those things. Offensively, I didn’t like his game outside of the movement shooting, as I worry about his passing, decision-making and overall feel. The closest comparable player to Ajinça is Gary Trent Jr., but he became a good offensive NBA player by improving drastically off the bounce and becoming more capable of creating shots on the interior. I also think Trent was ahead of Ajinça as a shooter at their ages. Ajinça is far enough away from his level that I have him as more of a draft-and-stash as opposed to a priority two-way."

John Hollinger, The Athletic, No Grade

"Ajinca is the fifth French player selected in this year’s draft and is likely a stash pick for a win-now Mavs team that doesn’t need to clog its roster with developmental players. Ajinca is a big wing who can shoot but might not have the handle or athleticism to succeed at the NBA level."

Kevin Pelton, ESPN, B-

"Having sent their first-round pick to the New York Knicks to complete the Kristaps Porzingis trade, the Mavericks originally weren't scheduled to come on the clock until the final pick of the night. They swapped up seven spots to take Ajinca, a young French wing who might not come to Dallas immediately."

The Mavericks should come to agreements for undrafted free agents and summer league deals in the coming days. This trade will take a few days to become official, as the league has to file all of the trades from this week officially.

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