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
Steakhouse owner Al Biernat, one of Dallas’ most connected restaurateurs, has died after ALS battle
Dallas steakhouse owner Al Biernat, whose charismatic presence at his namesake restaurant attracted both the famous and the famously loyal, has died at 69. Biernat had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was diagnosed earlier this year. Soon after, Biernat began exchanging emails with The Dallas Morning News about his life and fabled career.
Biernat spent more than 50 years in restaurants, often wearing a crisp suit at the front door of his elegant Dallas restaurant Al Biernat’s, arms outstretched for a lingering handshake and an effortless compliment. Many of the players from the World Series-winning Texas Rangers chose Al Biernat’s to celebrate their 2023 championship, and football phenom Tom Brady stopped in just a few months ago. Biernat relished meeting regular folks just as much though.
“Nice to see you” was his signature phrase, delivered in a noticeable Michigan accent.
Biernat could remember anyone’s name. He lost the ability to speak in early 2024 due to bulbar-onset ALS, which attacks the face and the neck first, and his silence felt particularly unfair for this charismatic maître d’ turned restaurant owner and accomplished host.
“I have been greatly blessed with so many wonderful people in my life that it makes my future much easier to cope with,” Biernat told The Newsin February 2024.
It was the last time I interviewed Biernat by phone. Soon, Biernat lost control of his tongue and could no longer speak. By the summer, Biernat had lost 40 pounds and could ingest food and fluids only with a feeding tube. His wife of 45 years, Jeannie Biernat, served as his interpreter, caregiver and supporter.
“This illness is crazy-hard to deal with, because you lose your ability to communicate with people,” Biernat told me via email in early 2024. As the illness progressed, Biernat remained dedicated to his Christian faith. He prayed for a miracle.
To read more, visit our partners at the Dallas Morning News.
A 12-year-old Dallas middle-schooler ended up on the streets, where a pimp discovered her. For as little as $50, he sold her for sex. He withheld food unless she worked. She later disappeared into the state’s foster care system after suffering from depression. She attempted suicide.
A 13-year-old seventh- grader was forced to have sex with men in Houston by a pimp who hooked her on drugs. She died shortly after turning 18 from a fentanyl overdose — a few months before her abuser was sentenced to prison.
A 17-year-old Lubbock runaway was required to have sex with men in hotels and truck stops until she earned her pimp $1,000 daily. That quota meant seeing up to 20 “clients” per day. She spiraled into drug addiction.
These children have more in common than the abuse they endured — and the lifelong trauma that comes with it. Each was mandated by federal law to receive financial compensation from the pimps and pedophiles who abused them.
You can read more in-depth reporting from our media partner, The Dallas Morning News.
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
-
Health8 minutes agoDoes Metformin Help With Weight Loss? How To Maximize Your Results
-
Lifestyle23 minutes agoA judge says the Kennedy Center must update him on its plans — and address that tarp
-
Technology33 minutes agoA new paper argues Microsoft exaggerated its quantum claims a year ago
-
World38 minutes agoColombia’s ‘El Tigre’ secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat
-
Politics45 minutes agoComer probes alleged Biden collusion with gun control activists in Glock lawsuit
-
Sports53 minutes ago2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble
-
Technology1 hour agoFCC phone ID plan could end burner phones
-
Business1 hour agoSony Pictures invests $100 million in virtual reality venue Cosm
