Donuts: Mavs' 12 Best NBA Draft Picks

Mavs Donuts: Ranking Dallas' 12 Best-Ever NBA Draft Picks

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks have drafted 143 players, none of them 18th overall. Until, that is, Wednesday night’s 2020 NBA Draft.

The franchise that has built its most successful teams via draft-night maneuvers more than actual draft selections will – from an unfamiliar spot in the middle of the first round – attempt to add to a legacy of acquiring foundational stars such as Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic.

While the 18th spot has spawned Hall-of-Famers Calvin Murphy and Joe Dumars, the Mavs have their share of flops adjacent to it. They picked Tyler Zeller at No. 17 in 2012 and Tony Dumas at No. 19 in 1994.

Air. Balls.

The organization that infamously wasted first-round picks on the likes of Chris Anstey (hailed in 1997 by then-general manager Don Nelson as “the best running big man in the NBA), Randy White (a Karl Malone Jr. swing-and-miss in 1989), Bill Garnett (only 47 starts in Dallas as the 4th overall pick in 1982) and Samaki Walker (taken before Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant in 1996) will attempt to supplement its current playoff roster anchored by Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

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With a little luck - and barring the possibility of Dallas trading away 18 (and/or 31), the Mavs might even slide a player onto this list of the best 12 all-time draft choices.

DONUT 12. Dennis Smith Jr. (9th in 2017) – The shoot-first point guard didn’t ultimately mesh with Doncic, but the fact that the Mavs turned him into Porzingis validated the pick’s currency.

DONUT 11. Mark Price (25th in 1986) – Making a savvy pick, Dallas nabbed a future four-time All-Star in the second round. Making a bonehead move, it traded him the same night for a pick that ultimately became unheralded Jeff Hodge.

DONUT 10. Jalen Brunson (33rd in 2018) – Jury still out, but before his 2020 season-ending injury the guard stolen in the second round looked like a positive rotation player on a championship-contending team.

DONUT 9. Detlef Schrempf (8th in 1985) – Taken after Jon Koncak but before Karl Malone, he only played 3.5 seasons in Dallas before blossoming into an All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year during a 16-year career that peaked in Indiana and Seattle.

DONUT 8. Sam Perkins (4th in 1984) – Played 17 years and is Top 10 on Mavs’ scoring and rebounding lists, but is consistently overshadowed by epic draft class that boasted Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan before him and Charles Barkley and John Stockton after him.

DONUT 7. Derek Harper (11th in 1983) – Remains the Mavs’ all-time leader in assists and steals, and his 16-year, championship career was the longest of any player drafted in the first round.

DONUT 6. Josh Howard (29th in 2003) – Knucklehead disposition notwithstanding, you don’t often get an All-Star and versatile, key contributor on teams that go to the NBA Finals and win 67 games with the last pick of the first round.

DONUT 5. Mark Aguirre (1st in 1981) – You could argue they should’ve taken Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, but his silky-smooth scoring helped put the Mavs on the NBA map and eventually led hm to 18,000 points and a ring in Detroit.

DONUT 4. Rolando Blackman (9th in 1981) – At the time, Mavs were criticized for passing on North Carolina’s Al Wood instead of the guard that became their second all-time leading scorer and arguably their second-best all-around player.

DONUT 3. Luka Doncic (3rd in 2018) – They technically drafted Trae Young, but only after the trade with the Hawks to essentially move up two spots to acquire the European teen superstar. Whether considered a trade or a pick, it’s one of the best draft-day moves in DFW sports history.

DONUT 2. Jason Kidd (2nd in 1994) – Better late than never, his second tour in Dallas resulted in an NBA championship that cemented a 19-year, Hall of Fame career.

DONUT 1. Dirk Nowitzki (9th in 1998) – Again, the Mavs officially selected Robert “Tractor” Traylor with the 6th pick but – see Luka – they acquired the immortal face of the franchise in the draft.