The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2026 NBA Draft with the #9 pick, the #30 pick and a fair amount of trade rumors swirling around them. After selecting Morez Johnson, Jr. at #9, things went dreadfully quiet on the trade front. As subsequent picks were made and the minutes ticked by, it seemed apparent that Dallas would be making a selection at #30 instead of packaging that pick with a veteran in an effort to move up the draft board. Any hope at picking up a young guard to help in the rebuild looked bleak.
Dallas, TX
Mark Daigneault Previews Dallas Mavericks Ahead of Second Round
The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially found out its second round opponents for the first time since 2016.
It’ll cross paths with the No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks, led by the star guard pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They got past the LA Clippers in six games the previous round, possessing loads of playoff experience and high-level offense.
It’s a much different look for the Thunder than the New Orleans Pelicans were, who were without their No.1 scoring option in Zion Williamson for the entirety of the series. The Mavericks had a top 10 offense in the NBA throughout the regular season, and are near at full capacity heading into the series, outside of the absence of Maxi Kleber from an AC joint injury.
“Our guess for them is to stay big, but we’re ready for everything.” Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault said on Kleber’s absence. “It definitely changes their looks in the frontcourt.”
Kleber has been an important piece in Dallas’ lineup for several seasons now at the power forward position, and although he only averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season, his ability to defend opposing forwards and space the floor is still providing crucial minutes in the rotation. It’ll be a significant loss against a team with great frontcourt talent, most notably in regards to Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
Still, the Mavericks are equipped with a fairly deep roster that can cover Kleber well enough. P.J. Washington has flourished since joining them at the trade deadline, Tim Hardaway Jr. is still giving close to 15 points per game and Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II make for a great center rotation.
“Anybody advancing in the playoffs is a really good team,” Daigneault said on Dallas. “We obviously have a lot of respect for them. They’ve been playing exceptionally … Post trade deadline I thought that really changed their team … Obviously a tall task for us.”
The Thunder will not underestimate its opponents just because it’s coming off a first round series sweep. The Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, making it a total of four playoff appearances in the Doncic era. They’re more than prepared for another stab at making it to the WCF, or even a NBA Finals run.
This second round matchup could easily reach seven games if both teams continue to play they did in the first round, and Oklahoma City knows that. Doncic is one of the largest talents the league has seen in the last decade, an unideal matchup for any team.
“[He’s] a great player,” Luguentz Dort said on Doncic. “Good ability to create shots. Makes a lot of tough shots. The ball is gonna be in his hands a lot so my main thing is to make everything tough.”
Doncic will be by far the most difficult matchup the Thunder has faced in the playoffs up to this point, but if any team can hold him to below his standards, it has one of the best shots. Dort is an elite on-ball defender on the perimeter that can make any guard have a difficult night, so most of the assignment can be expected to go to him. Even beyond him, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Cason Wallace can also give the 25-year-old troubles.
Oklahoma City’s first true test of the playoffs will begin Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT , inside Paycom Center for Game 1.
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With the #30 pick, Dallas selected Koa Peat, Adam Silver said goodnight and that was that. Except it wasn’t. As the first round of the Draft was concluding, rumors started buzzing that the Mavericks were in fact making a move. Details are still being confirmed, but as it stands, Dallas will be trading the #30 pick Koa Peat and two future second-round draft picks to the New York Knicks in exchange for Sergio DeLarrea’s services. The exact second-rounders were still being determined late Tuesday night.
Here are the details we have at this time:
Los Angeles Lakers Received: 24th Overall Pick (Cameron Carr, Baylor)
Dallas Mavericks Received: 25th Overall (Sergio de Larrea, Spain)
Phoenix Suns Received: 30th Overall (Koa Peat, Arizona)
New York Knicks Received: Cash (Lakers), two second-round picks (Mavericks), and three more second-round picks (Suns)
DeLarrea was on the radar of a number of Mavs Moneyball staffers, perhaps none more than Tyler Edsel who wrote an excellent crash course on him and what he can bring to the Mavs. To be clear, it is unlikely he is going to have a massive day-one impact on the team, but the Mavericks really needed to do something to acquire more young talent that fit a position of need. While he may not be as flashy a name as Brayden Burries (whom the Mavs skipped over in favor of Morez) or Labaron Philon, Jr. (who somewhat surprisingly slipped to #22), Dallas really needed to do bolster the guard position and they came through.
If DeLarrea’s shooting transfers to the NBA level, it would be a big boon for a team that struggled from downtown much of last season. While not an immediate impact player, Dallas did well to move up a bit in a low-cost move that keeps all of their other assets intact for what will surely be a summer of retooling via trades and free agency.
Stay tuned for updates, as it is unclear which second-round picks the Mavericks will let go of in this deal.
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What Drake London’s new deal could mean for George Pickens
Falcons WR Drake London is now the NFL’s third-highest paid wide receiver in AAV, signing a four-year, $141 million extension with $100 million guaranteed and $35.26 million per year.
London, who is 25, is the same age as Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, and both are heading into their fifth seasons in the NFL. Pickens too was seeking a long-term contract, but the Cowboys told him and his representation that would not happen this offseason, and he instead signed his $27.3 million franchise tag that keep shim under contract for the 2026 season.
Pickens’ one-year deal on the tag makes him the 17th highest-paid wide receiver in the league in AAV. Should Pickens go out and post a year similar to his 2025 campaign where he had more than 1,400 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, a deal similar to London’s may be in the ballpark of what Pickens could seek. For reference, CeeDee Lamb is the league’s fifth-highest paid WR at $34 million annually. If Pickens surpasses him and is closer to London’s $35 million per year mark, he and Lamb would become the highest-paid WR duo in NFL history, surpassing the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who currently combine for $69 million per year. – Tommy Yarrish
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.
“This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas.”
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