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
GOP considering Dallas for potential 2026 Midterm National Convention
DALLAS – No contracts have been signed, and no proposals have been made, but representatives of the National Republican Party did receive all the rental information for the American Airlines Center (AAC).
American Airlines Center for potential RNC
What we know:
Sources confirm that the Republican Party is exploring a national convention for the midterm elections, with Dallas being one of the cities under consideration to host the event.
Dave Brown, the general manager of the American Airlines Center, told FOX 4 representatives of the National Republican Party toured the AAC in late February, but they didn’t share any details about the possible event.
The reps were given all the rental information, including technical aspects and rental fee details, which, on average, is about $125,000 per day.
As of now, no contracts have been signed, and there are no official proposals on the table.
Why the Republican Party is targeting Texas
What they’re saying:
Matthew Wilson is a political science professor at SMU.
“Typically, parties don’t have national conventions during the midterm cycle, but it signals, I think, a desire on the Republicans’ part to rally the troops,” said Wilson. “I think there are a lot of good electoral and coalition-building reasons why Republicans would focus on Texas, in particular as a site for trying to build some momentum to gin up greater Republican turnout in this fall’s electoral cycle.”
Cornyn, Paxton, and the 2026 Midterms
Dig deeper:
Wilson says choosing Dallas would signal that the Republican Party is taking the Texas races, in November, very seriously.
In particular, the race for U.S. Senate where Democratic state representative James Talarico will face the Republican runoff winner, either U.S. Senator John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
It’s unclear when the convention will be held.
The chairman of the Dallas Republican Party, Allen West, said he has no knowledge of the subject.
The Dallas Police Department says it doesn’t have any information about a potential RNC either.
“Typically, their presidential year conventions give both parties at least a temporary boost or bounce. We’ll see if this can work in the same way it’s not been done before, and depending on whether it succeeds or not, we’ll see whether it gets done again,” said Wilson.
The only city under consideration
What’s next:
FOX 4 reached out to Mayor Eric Johnson’s office for comment but have not heard back yet.
Sources say that Dallas is the only location in Texas being considered. Some other state locations have been mentioned, including Las Vegas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Amelia Jones.
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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