1 NBA Draft Prospect Luka Doncic's Mavs Are Unlikely to Consider

The Mavs have often been linked to a particular prospect in 2023 NBA mock draft projections, but the team is reportedly not interested in the idea.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have an important decision to make with the 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The team has already expressed a desire to improve on defense and at rebounding, but is limited in the mechanisms at their disposal to achieve that result — making their first-round pick in this year's draft so important.

It remains to be seen which prospects will be available by the time the 10th pick is on the clock. Many of the intriguing versatile defenders seem to be trending upward in terms of draft stock — making the options potentially depleted by the time the Mavs would be on the clock to make a selection. 

According to Tim Cato of The Athletic, the Mavs are unlikely to consider selecting Gradey Dick using the 10th pick. The priority is to add athleticism and physicality as opposed to selecting an underwhelming athlete.

"The team’s new front office is focused on athleticism and physicality much more than the old guard, which might have favored a skilled shooter but an unremarkable athlete like Dick," Cato wrote.

Dick played one season of collegiate basketball at Kansas and averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 36 games. He shot 44.2% from the floor, 40.3% on 3-pointers, and 85.4% on free throws. While he's one of the more efficient offensive players with a versatile jump shooting ability, he's a limited athlete. 

Perhaps most interesting of all, the latest projections from 10 different outlets — compiled by NBA.com — determined that using the 10th pick to select Dick is currently the most commonly projected outcome for the Mavs.

While the Mavs may not be interested in selecting him, Dick is intrigued by the idea of playing alongside Luka Doncic on the Mavs. 

“The possibilities could be endless, and just a fun play style," Dick said, via Dallas Morning News "The way [Luka] plays is just phenomenal in and of itself, but the way he can stretch the floor and the way he can score the ball but also find guys around the perimeter — [those are] positions where I could potentially be.”

The Mavs remain a likely trade candidate using the 10th pick, whether to acquire a veteran player, or to trade down. While Doncic is 24, he already is a four-time All-NBA First-Team talent — making him more than capable of leading a title team with the proper pieces around him. 

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.comand an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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