Mavs 'Motivated' To Trade 1st-Round Pick in NBA Draft; Here's Why

The Mavericks are surveying trade options with the 26th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off an impressive run to the Western Conference Finals where it ended at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. The focus will be to turn their run into sustained success as they continue to build around Luka Doncic. 

For the Mavericks, the top priority will be to retain the services of Jalen Brunson as he's nearing free agency. After capping off an already career year with postseason heroics, he will be a coveted player for teams seeking an answer at point guard. They will need to account for the luxury tax if they re-sign Brunson to his expected contract value.

According to Bleacher Report, the Mavericks are joined by the Warriors as being two contenders motivated to trade their late first-round pick in the NBA Draft ahead of handing out major paydays. 

The Dallas Mavericks, picking No. 26, and Golden State Warriors, picking No. 28, are motivated to find deals for their late-first round selections, sources told B/R. Dallas and Golden State have expensive rosters that feature players such as Brunson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins who are due for paydays.

Unless a prospect is essentially worth paying luxury tax penalties to roster ends up falling, the Mavericks and Warriors are seeking to move their late first-round pick for future draft capital. Another option is to draft a draft-and-stash prospect. 

The Mavericks and Warriors are searching for opportunities to acquire future draft capital for those selections, sources said, in the event a coveted player on their boards doesn’t fall. Another possible outcome is that they will select international draft-and-stash players.

The Mavericks do not have much for immediate needs that could be addressed by selecting a player with the 26th overall pick. However, some of their role players are nearing the end of their current contracts and are already 30 or older. 

Adding a prospect to develop for the long-term could be a wise option for the Mavericks to experience sustained success. Numerous impact players have found success after being selected late in the first round and finding one could go a long way given the low cost of the contract.

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