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
Dallas Cowboys Star Labeled Trade Candidate and Named Ideal Fit for Chargers
Until the Dallas Cowboys sign George Pickens to a long-term deal, the chance remains that he could get traded.
At this point, it doesn’t look like the Cowboys and Pickens are any closer to a deal than when they slapped the franchise tag on him during the month of February. Owner Jerry Jones made it quite clear the two sides haven’t talked recently and Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys “haven’t started any substantial contract talks with Pickens’ agent.”
All of this sets the stage for what could be an ugly offseason that sees Pickens holding out until he and the Cowboys hammer out a long-term deal. Along with that, if Pickens’ situation becomes a headache for Dallas, it’s conceivable they could trade him.
And that’s the logic CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell is using to frame the star wideout as a trade candidate. He also rightly cites the parallels with the Micah Parsons saga.
“Yes, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been adamant Pickens is in the Cowboys’ long-term plans, but he said the same thing about All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons before trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the start of the 2025 season,” Podell explained. “Anything can happen when Jones gets backed up against the well in contract negotiations with his star players. Pickens is currently on the franchise tag, but it’s certain his agent David Mulugheta doesn’t want his client to take the field without a long-term deal in 2026.”
Chargers named ideal fit for George Pickens
Podell then went on to say that the Chargers are the “team that needs to trade for him the most.”
“The Chargers had the NFL’s ninth-ranked scoring defense (20.0 points per game allowed) in 2025, but quarterback Justin Herbert got beaten to a pulp behind the league’s most injury-ravaged offensive line,” Podell said. “He was the most pressured (126 times pressured) and most hit (took 129 quarterback hits) last season. Having a true No. 1 safety valve like Pickens, whose quick release off the line of scrimmage could save Herbert’s life, could raise the ceiling of the Chargers’ offense tremendously.”
The Chargers don’t have a bad situation at wide receiver, with Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Tre’ Harris, but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade the situation, either, given the facts that the jury is still out on Harris and Johnston has been inconsistent during his career.
What a Cowboys-Chargers trade could look like
If the Cowboys trade Pickens, they will need a replacement and, while the Chargers couldn’t offer a one-for-one swap, they can send back Johnston in a package.
That would lower the draft capital the Cowboys would get back, but at least they wouldn’t have as big of a void at wide receiver. Perhaps the Cowboys could get back the third-round pick they gave up in the Pickens trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers while also adding Johnston to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
Considering what could take place over these next handful of months with Pickens, that would be an acceptable off-ramp.
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.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
You can listen to our latest podcast episode in the player embedded below, and to make sure you don’t miss a single one moving forward, subscribe to the Pod Maverick podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Pocketcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, and most other places. If you use a feed not listed, let Kirk know.
You can check out our After Dark Recap podcasts, YouTube Live recordings, and guest shows on the Pod Maverick Podcast feed. Please subscribe, rate, and review.
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.”
-
Fitness7 minutes agoAlexandra Daddario, 40, relies on this underrated crunch upgrade for strong abs – here’s how to do it properly
-
Movie Reviews22 minutes agoMovie Review – In the Hand of Dante (2025)
-
World25 minutes agoBrazil's Flavio Bolsonaro Plans to Testify Against Proposed US Tariffs
-
News37 minutes agoVideo: Mamdani Allies Sweep New York Primaries
-
Lifestyle1 hour ago4 ways to design a dreamy summer, according to a happiness expert
-
Education1 hour agoVideo: School Year Cut Short and Aid Delivery Slowed Amid Fuel Crisis in Cuba
-
Technology1 hour agoOur favorite Prime Day deals you can shop on day two
-
World1 hour agoKim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
