Mavs Draft Profile: Could UCF's Taylor Hendricks Be Two-Way Star for Dallas?

With the NBA draft less than a month away, Dallas Mavericks target Taylor Hendricks should get some serious consideration with the No. 10 pick if he falls that far.
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It's not often that a team with a superstar-caliber player like Luka Doncic finds itself in the draft lottery, but that's exactly where the Dallas Mavericks ended up following this season. Luckily for Dallas, it landed at No. 10 in the lottery, keeping the pick and avoiding even more of a disaster that would’ve been caused by conveying it to the New York Knicks

Dallas' needs heading into the offseason are led by re-signing Kyrie Irving and upgrading the team's defense and rebounding. Sitting at No. 10, Dallas can easily look to shop the pick for an immediate, win-now piece, or they can bring in a highly-talented prospect that for the future who can hopefully make an impact in their rookie season.

If they choose to take the latter route, one prospect the Mavericks should keep their eye on is University of Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks.

In 34 games in his freshman season, Hendricks averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range on just under five attempts per game.

For Dallas, and really every team in the league, Hendricks would fit like a glove with his versatility on both ends of the floor. On offense, Hendricks is a super athlete who, when he gets to the rim, can jump through the rafters while also proving to have a smooth, reliable jumper from 3-point range. He is still considerably raw as a shot creator and being able to put the ball on the floor, though. As a defender, Hendricks can do it all. With his size and ability to guard multiple positions while also protecting the rim, he's the exact mold that teams look for as a lead defender.

In today's NBA, having a versatile forward like Hendricks can truly be a treasure to raise the ceiling of your roster, especially around the likes of Doncic. Hendricks stands at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and has advanced switch ability on defense with his length and athleticism. He is also a trustworthy shooter from outside.

Adding Hendricks to this current Dallas roster would likely jump the rookie straight into the starting lineup and fill the hole left by Dorian Finney-Smith, who was sent to Brooklyn in the Kyrie Irving trade. 

However, with Dallas sitting in the No. 10 slot in the draft, it's very possible that Hendricks is off the board before the Mavericks are on the clock. If he does fall to No. 10, though, with the versatility and ceiling that he holds, Dallas might just have to select Hendricks for themselves and hang up the phone on any incoming trade calls.


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Michael Mulford
MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.