The NBA Draft has not been a real focus for the Dallas Mavericks for most of the franchise’s existence and especially since the turn of the century. With Mark Cuban taking over as owner at that time, he felt a bigger need for putting together a team through trades and free agency as opposed to young, unproven pieces.
That approach changed once the Mavs continued regular season success faltered prior to the 2017 draft. Dallas knew it was time to start a rebuild, so they kept their top 10 pick to find a talented player that could immediately jump in and play.