The Mavericks finally learned their draft fate this week, with the NBA Draft Lottery slotting the Mavericks into the expected 10th slot, thus allowing the Mavericks to keep a pick they would have otherwise owed to the New York Knicks to complete the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
It’s by far the most valuable asset the Mavericks have and might have for the reminder of Luka Doncic’s contract. As I’ve written before, what happened to the Mavericks almost never happens. While teams have lucked into a top pick while holding onto an MVP-level superstar, that’s usually because of catastrophic injuries or roster upheaval.