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
Watching the Market: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Dallas Mavericks
Stock Up:
Max Strus, OH MY WORD!
For any of the fans out there who are the predominant voices against the Max Strus signing, tonight should abstain from any criticism for the rest of the regular season. When it looked as if the Cavaliers’ hopes were dashed being down 10 points late in the fourth quarter, Max Strus broke out of his slump and caught fire.
Strus single-handedly brought the Cavaliers back with four three-point makes within 67 seconds. When everyone thought that Strus’ heroic efforts were for naught with two seconds left, Max Strus delivered a miracle closing the game with one of the cleanest half-court heave buzzer beaters I have ever witnessed. Strus finished the fourth quarter shooting 5-5 from the field, all of which were from the perimeter.
When asked about the shot ranked in his career after the game Strus responded “It’s up there for sure”. This team all season has been reliant on team effort and anyone being able to step up when necessary and Strus exemplified that against the Mavericks.
Mitchell keeping pace with opposing star power
In a game where star power was the theme of the night, Donovan Mitchell held up his part of the bargain. Mitchell felt throughout the game that the Cavs needed to create any separation against Dallas or claw their way back into games.
Mitchell and Doncic at points appeared to be playing one on one within the game itself. Mitchell provided 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a game in which at times the Cavaliers needed his effort, intensity, and ability to keep a struggling offense afloat.
Games like tonight when the Cavaliers face some of the best players in the league, truly show the value and how necessary it is to have one of the brightest stars in the league on your side.
Stock Down:
Locking down Luka Doncic
The game plan for any team playing Dallas is either to attempt to slow down Luka Doncic or attempt to make the supporting cast around him nonfactors. It was evident the Cavaliers were trying to keep Luka’s impact to a minimum with specific defensive assignments between a variety of defenders.
LeVert, Okoro, Srus, Mobley and Allen all had quality efforts in isolation against the engine of the Mavericks’ offense and it simply did not matter. Doncic, despite taking a significant amount of his shots over the hands of opposing defenders, had it going from the jump in this game.
Doncic had a night that 95% of the league would consider a career night, however when it comes to Doncic this is just another awesome performance to add to a great campaign. Doncic finished the night with 45 points on 17-29 shooting, pairing that with 14 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Why Gabby Williams chose to play for Golden State Valkyries
Valkyries’ Gabby Williams shares with USAT’s Meghan L. Hall why she chose Golden State in the wild WNBA free agency.
Sports Seriously
When the Dallas Wings travel to Las Vegas for a clash with the Aces on Thursday night, they’ll be without one of their key players.
Alanna Smith is listed as out for Thursday on the latest WNBA injury report as she is in concussion protocol.
Smith seemingly suffered an injury to her face on Saturday night during the Wings’ 93-92 win over the Chicago Sky. In the first quarter, Smith was shaken up after a head-to-head collision with Gabriela Jaquez as Smith was defending the Sky rookie’s drive to the basket. At halftime, the team announced that Smith would not return to the game.
On Monday, Smith didn’t play in the Wings’ 112-110 overtime win over the Seattle Storm, listed as being out due to a face injury. Smith has worn a protective face mask after she suffered a nasal fracture in the Wings’ preseason game against the Aces on May 3.
Smith is the highest-paid player on the Dallas roster, signing a three-year deal worth about $3.7 million this offseason. Last season with the Minnesota Lynx, she was the co-Defensive Player of the Year, sharing the award with A’ja Wilson.
A 6-foot-4 forward from Australia who played collegiately at Stanford, Smith found a consistent role over the past two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, starting in all 81 games she appeared in for Cheryl Reeve’s squad. Across two seasons in Minnesota, Smith averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, helping the Lynx make back-to-back playoff appearances — including a trip to the Finals in 2024.
With the Wings, she’s started in just seven of the 15 games she’s appeared in, playing an average of 15.1 minutes per game. She’s posting 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Dallas has instead turned to Jessica Shepard in the frontcourt, who also arrived via free agency after spending last season with the Lynx. The Notre Dame product is posting career-highs in points (14.2), rebounds (11.1) and assists (5.6) per game while shooting 57% from the floor.
Still, Smith brings an imposing presence on defense, one that would have come in handy against the Aces.
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.
-
News9 minutes agoWith a Round of 32 spot already clinched, the U.S. takes on Turkey in the World Cup
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoHospital needs help identifying man found unconscious in downtown Los Angeles
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoLarge police presence for an investigation on Detroit’s west side
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoNo tolerance for hate or crime at SF Pride this weekend, officials say
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoAlanna Smith injury update: Dallas Wings player in concussion protocol
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoy, 13, hospitalized after being found unresponsive in swimming pool at Beverly home
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver Nuggets draft Trevon Brazile in the second round of the NBA Draft – Denver Stiffs
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoCouncil eyes street barricades in fight against violence, sex trafficking in north Seattle
