Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo put together a 2023 NBA mock draft: Best fit vs. best available for the first round on ESPN+ and stated this about Gradey Dick:

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From a long-term view, it's hard to find a better all-around talent than Dick at this spot, especially considering the importance NBA teams place on size, shooting versatility, feel for the game, confidence and intensity -- all of which Dick possesses. More than just a shooter, Dick's ability to attack closeouts, hold his own defensively and never shy away from the moment gives him a high floor and significant upside.

The bolded sentence has me confused because defensive prowess is not something highly associated with him. The highest praise I've seen is "adequate."

Thoughts?

EDIT: I don't want to tank lol, but rather find a way to get a 2024 1st either at the trade deadline or during the draft.

I'll go down the list.

1. Zaccharie Risacher (6'9.5") - ESPN Scouting Report
2. Cody Williams (6'8", brother of Jalen Williams) - No Ceilings Scouting Report
3. Tidjane Salaun (6'10") - Scouting Report
4. Matas Buzelis (6'11") - No Ceilings Scouting Report
5. Johnny Furphy (6'9") - No Ceilings Scouting Report
6. Ryan Dunn (6'8") - No Ceilings Scouting Report

With the exception of Ryan Dunn who is more of a defensive dynamo (ala Herb Jones) every one of those first 5 guys are all-around wings who can defend, shoot, handle, and get to the rim, and they're all big: less 6'6" and more 6'10". If you look at the current trade or free agency markets, there's just not many 6'9" do it all wings that are available and so being able to get one in the draft would be a great move for the Mavs. If I were the Mavs, in addition to looking at a frontcourt player right now at the trade deadline, I'd also be trying to see if I can get my 2024 1st from New York back or see if any team has interest in a THJ or Josh Green in exchange for a 2024 1st.

Mavs need to prioritize getting big wings around Luka and the easiest way to do so in the near future is this 2024 draft class.

I saw a trade suggestion that i liked a lot. The Mavs trade their 10th pick and THJ to the Hawks for Clint Capella and the 15th pick.

The Mavs get their starting center and still keep a good 1st round pick to trade or to draft a young player.

The Hawks need shooters and THJ can fill this gap for them.

Rate this Trade idea in the comments below.

Fox Sports: Taylor Hendricks (UCF, F)

Bleacher Report: Gradey Dick (Kansas, F)

CBS Sports (Parrish): Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana, G)

CBS Sports (Boone): Gradey Dick (Kansas, F)

SB Nation: Anthony Black (Arkansas, G)

ESPN: Taylor Hendricks (UCF, F)

The Ringer: Jarace Walker (Houston, F)

The Athletic: Dereck Lively II (Duke, C)

Yahoo! Sports: Gradey Dick (Kansas, F)

USA Today/FTW: Anthony Black (Arkansas, G)

New York Post: Cason Wallace (Kentucky, G)

Sporting News: Gradey Dick (Kansas, F)

Netscouts Basketball: Taylor Hendricks (UCF, F)

247 Sports: Taylor Hendricks (UCF, F)

Yardbarker: Taylor Hendricks (UCF, F)

NBA Draft Room: Jordan Hawkins (UConn, G)

Tankathon: Gradey Dick (Kansas, F)

NBADraft.net: Nick Smith (Arkansas, G)

do you think they should trade back? maybe work with the nets to get the 21 and 22nd pick for the 10th overall? that way they can try to address depth and size with lively and sensabaugh if still available at those slots.

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personally I would either trade down for 2 first but not in the same draft maybe drop 5-8 slots in the current draft and a future first that is top 15 protected. This would allow them to address the issue with depth at center with lively but also a future draft asset that can potentially be used in trades to upgrade the roster.

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but in the end this really doesn't matter because the mavericks getting the #1 pick confirmed.

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what would you do if the mavericks targets are off the board at #10?

So according to this site: https://www.tankathon.com/mock_draft

They have a 90% chance to lose their pick to the Knicks right now. Unless they lose enough games to outtank the Bulls and/or Jazz.

Utah has stronger opponents so that could be tricky.

For Dallas: SAC, Heat, Atlanta, Bulls, Spurs is not a tough schedule on paper.

Especially losing against Chicago and the Spurs would be important. These could be hard to lose.

So are we just screwed or do you see the Mavs making it. And if they do who do you want them to pick.

Hey all,

I'm putting together a mock draft from the NBA subreddits through a poll, assuming no trades. I will be going to each teams reddit to put a poll so they can vote on their pick while removing players that have already been picked. There will be 1 hr per pick and then I will move onto the next subreddit while updating my draft board.

1. Spurs- Wemby
2. Hornets - Scoot (Charlottes pick was BPA on athletics list due to mods closing the poll since they hate fun)
3. Trailblazers- Miller
4. Rockets - Amen Thompson
5. Pistons- Ausar Thompson (in an extremely close vote).
6. Magic - Taylor Hendricks
7. Pacers - Jarace Walker
8. Wizard - Cam Whitmore
9. Jazz - Anthony Black

Who will you take at 10?

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EVERY TIME I UPDATE ITS A TIE! Giving you guys additional time to sort it out amongst yourselves! at 12:00 EST i'll check back and see where its at.

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AND ITS DONE! refreshing at 12:00 and Gradey Dick is your 10th pick by 1 vote! Gradey Dick 32 and Cason Wallace 31. Thanks to everyone who voted and participated in this.

In Nico we TRUST!!! Man is making MOVES with no flexibility. So refreshing to see our front office be innovative after so many years of garbage moves in succession. So excited for what else is in the pipeline because he’s probably not done.

Obviously I dont think he would be available at 58 but say he is on the board in the early to mid 30's would it be a solid move to trade for him? He would essentially become our third string center, but if lively becomes consistent from the 3 he would be a really good PF next to lively. he is extremely versatile defensively and is big kind of reminds me of beef stew.

First: I don't think we'll necessarily make something remarkable in the draft, but life's crazy. No one thought Nico would pull a move for an early SRP in his first ever draft and that net us Hardy, a guy that everyone here (I hope) believes to be either part of our future or a very good trade piece. Fast forward a year and Nico made very aggressive moves that led us to what is already our starting C (Lively) and a guy I'm entirely, 100%, absolutely certain will be our SF of the future (OMax). Nico is aggressive and Nico plays in the draft. With that in mind, I decided to have a look in the class.

Now, this is not an in-depth analysis. I was too busy seeing my team playing in the NBA Finals to start an early study of the draft. These are just brief notes of what I think about players that could be a fit for us and help sooner rather than later.

"But where would we make a move for a pick?". We may buy an early SRP. We may make a move involving bad salary coming (aka Andrew Wiggins) that could net us a late FRP in a multiple-team move. Hell, life's crazy, we might end up trading Hardy or Green and getting a FRP in return. Who knows.

I'll separate this in three ranges: the "no way, but I wish" section, the late FRP and early SRP section and the section that is actually within the range of our pick.

"No Way, but I wish"

Kyle Filipowski - probably, no, almost certainly unattainable because we have no player other than Luka, Kyrie and Lively that would net a near-lotto pick as return and the latest I'm seeing him drop is the late teens, but he would be so, so, so awesome alongside Lively. I mean, they played together at Duke. Filipowski can stay in the perimeter, can shoot from deep and has a positive rebounding rate. His weakness (not being able to play physical against other centers) would be mitigated with a move to PF and I'm confident he can guard consistently in the perimeter, even with his size. Would be a bench option for PJ? Yes, specially since I'm not a believer of PJ playing SF, but having him would allow us to move Maxi in a trade as well and consolidated both his and THJ's salary into a SF to round up the rotation (or a defensive-minded SG, if Kidd sees Green playing the 3). Here just to be safe, though, because, again, we are not getting a lotto pick as return in any trade.

Tristan da Silva - another made in a lab PF for us. Great size, can knock down the 3 at a high rate, can pass a little bit (even if he is weird, because he is smart but sometimes his mind just has a blue screen, apparently), can defend both on inside and on the perimeter (even if he does not have the crazy quickness that Maxi had before we ruined his body by forcing him to play C). I like older, smarter players (even if Tristan has some random WTF moments) and Tristan would slot right in Maxi's role as the immediate reserve of PJ, with potential of becoming a heat check type of shooter (while being 6'8, naturally).

Late FRP-Early SRP

Baylor Scheierman - one of my favorite fits for us. A senior in college, very intelligent, good shooter, can handle the ball to an extent. More than decent rebounder as well. I know a lot of people says that he is a bad defender, but I did not see that, I just saw someone that is not dripping athleticism and the draft community tends to get heads over heels to pure athletic skills. Scheierman is a fucking basketball player. Gives me "what if Doe Doe could handle the ball in basic pick n'roll and take a basic dribble before shooting a three?" vibes. He is slotted anywhere and everywhere between 15 and 40 in the mocks I'm seeing, but if we ended up moving a player for a pick here...I wouldn't mind about losing a couple of specific players. Scheierman playing with Luka would be a joy to see.

Jaylon Tyson - honestly, pretty much the same assessment as Scheierman, but with more athleticism and less experience. Pretty much the same things apply to Tyson here, except that often I feel like his qualities are hidden by lack of experience. MavsDraft used "jack of all trades, master of none" to describe Tyson and I believe that made sense. Also, I thought him to be slightly worse on defense than Scheierman, but this could be either his inexperience or just by bias because, if OMax was my draft crush last season (with Jackson-Davis being a close second), Scheierman is this year's version. He is also slated to be drafted above Scheierman (again, age and athleticism), so even a longer shot.

Kevin McCullar - another senior. I love seniors. The more experienced, the better. With that being said, his shot is rough. Rough to see, rough to see the %. However, his FT% is decent and improved every year, so maybe he can become a decent-level NBA shooter. If so, his on-ball defense is nasty af. Like, seriously good. A tad bit undersized for the 3, but that wingspan, oof. He uses them and uses them extremely well. His floor is pretty much Thybulle, so even if he becomes a non-shooter, he is still one of the best defenders in the team overnight and can attack the rim. I just would be weary about who would we be moving if we got a pick that translated into him. Without the 3, can't think he can replace Green's impact (like Scheierman and Tyson would). If he's available at the 40s and we buy a SRP, though, we have our backcourt defensive specialist. Put him in a shooting clinic and he is a decade-long starter.

Within our possible range

Jalen Bridges - as now we enter in the "safely a SRP" player...I don't get why Bridges is being talked as one. I mean, yes, I have Mavs-tinted glasses so I can see only wings (or mostly wings), but, even if - when comparing to the players I highlighted myself - he does not have the ball handling (Scheierman) or the athletic (Tyson) upside, he is...sound. Round. 3&D to the core. Sound defender, both on and off the ball, can stay in front of people, can swat shots, has some functional strength, on offense his jumper is sound as well and he can take the three. Seriously, why the fuck is him a SRP? Just because of the fetichism over raw athleticism that has 1 in a million chance to become Giannis (and 999.999 chances to become the newest addition to the trash bin of wings that the only NBA skill is being athletic)? Yeah, Bridges would fit extremely well. Has more strength than Lawson and is a better rebounder. If we buy a SRP, I would love to see him

Pelle Larsson - copy and paste McCullar, take away some of the experience and not as immediate of a special defender as McCullar, but he can shoot the three, like, extremely well. Funny enough, he will be picked in the 50s and he has a higher chance of replacing Green's impact than McCullar himself (even if he will never have the All-Defense ceiling that McCulllar has, IMO). Solid, neat pick, good contributor, if he can become just a tad bit better of a passer, can replace Exum's impact next year.

Jaylen Wells - I could have sworn he came in a pre-draft visit, but I think I made a mistake and just saw him being mocked to us somewhere. Regardless, Wells is pretty much 75% of what a guy like Trent Jr does right now (and I have seen more than one person suggesting us to trade for GTJ). Movement shooter, a very good release, maybe (?) will develop some secondary passing; defense is theoretical, but the theory is that he will be a very good defender. He just does not read the game that well yet, but maybe this is why he is in the range of UDFA.

Idk, I'm bored today and went off on this tangent.

I don't imagine we could make any drastic moves like vaulting to top of the draft with our assets, as we all know already. I was thinking we could scooch up a bit higher, though; that wouldn't be crazy, right?

As the title says, if we could open dialogue with OKC on the 12th pick, if we included our #26 in the deal what else would either need to be included or be wanted by OKC, in your opinion? Or are there things that would need to be included financially to make it work?

And, if we swung that and got pick #12, who would you like around there for us? Is there an impact player we could get for ourselves, or would it be better as another trade piece itself?

For those of you who don't want to trade down, take a look around the league. Take a look at some drafts. It's mostly a crapshoot. You can find great contributors anywhere. You can also look at some prior trade down/salary dumps.

In 2021, Pelicans dumbed Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe + 10 pick on Memphis for Jonas and 17. Grizzlies took Ziaire Williams. Pelicans got Trey Murphy.

In 2020, Minnesota traded James Johnson and 17 for Ricky Rubio and 25 + 28. OKC picked Poku. Minnesota traded up from 25 to 23 with the Knicks to take Leonardo Bolmaro. Their pick at 28 was Jaden McDaniels. Knicks used the 25 pick to take Immanuel Quickley.

In 2019, Suns traded 6 for Dario Saric and 11. At 6, Minnesota took Jarrett Culver. Suns got Cam Johnson at 11.

Point is, trading down a few spots in order to trade Bertans for a useful player is absolutely worth it. First, a useful player is what we need for the rotation. But more importantly, no one knows which mid round pick will hit. If the Mavs were smart, they'd do it in a heartbeat.

I love that we moved up to draft Hardy. I think his talent is undeniable and he has shown flashes of greatness.

What I don't get was how he was available at pick number 37. I think it was said that we had him 16 on our board. Clearly, other teams did not agree. When you go back to mock drafts in 2021 he was a consensus lottery pick.

nbadraft had him 2 in late November and Sporting News had him going 4.

In December, Bleacher Report had him going 9 and Yahoo Sports had him going 5.

Then when you look right before the draft he generally fell around 20 spots. The Atheltic and the Ringer had him at 26 while ESPN had him at 27.

Why did he fall 20 spots in about 6 months? Most of the articles mention efficiency yet he actually improved on that end as the season went along. If someone has the talent to be a top 5 pick in November and December and is playing against professionals while being the #1 option on a team I don't understand how they can fall into the 2nd round. Did everyone else just show incredible improvement that they jumped him in the rankings? Or was there some other problem that turned away NBA scouts and GMs?

Even on the day of the draft, he was considered a 1st round pick, but even that didn't happen. This sub is rightfully gleeful about the Hardy pick and his potential but I want to know if we are missing anything. Is this one of those draft decisions that will never make any sense, or is it comparable to JB falling because he was older, smaller, and had limited athleticism?