NBA Mock Draft Roundup: who the Mavericks are taking with their 2023 pick

Pay no attention to the playoffs behind the curtain, it’s NBA Draft Season! We’ve only dipped our toe into the draft waters, giving you all the analysis you crave before the Dallas Mavericks’ fate is set. But few times in the offseason are is thrilling as this window of time before the draft when all possibility is on the table.

Over the next several weeks, and assuming the Mavericks still have their pick after lottery selection next month, we will be scanning the web landscape and rounding up all the predictions and mock draft leading up to draft night on June 22. Below are a few of those projections with any insight provided. Hoops Hype did the work of creating a composite mock from a variety of sites, and surprisingly their analysis doesn’t show the name listed most frequently below: UCF big man Taylor Hendricks. As a draft romantic vulnerable to Mavericks draft heartbreak I wouldn’t urge you to fall in love with Hendricks just yet. But there’s plenty to be excited about if he’s their man.

ESPN

Taylor Hendricks (PF)

Keep in mind that if this pick falls out of the top 10, it will convey to the New York Knicks. After bottoming out in the final stretch of the season, Dallas’ surprise lottery selection looks like a critical juncture as it tries to build a winner around Luka Doncic. There appears to be a very real chance Hendricks vaults into the top 10, cementing an incredible rise for a player who began this season far from the one-and-done radar. Because of his size (6-9), shooting ability (39% from 3), defensive chops and understanding of his role, Hendricks looks like a safe bet to provide lottery value as an efficient stretch big who’s willing to play physically on the interior. It’s easy to fit him conceptually into any NBA rotation, and his impact on both ends could be an immediate boon for the Mavs. — Woo

Tankathon

Taylor Hendricks (PF)

CBS Sports

Nick Smith Jr. (SG)

A nagging knee injury cost Smith Jr. real exposure to showcase himself on a big stage this season as he played in less than half of Arkansas’ games, only to return and struggle down the stretch. But the No. 1 recruit from the 2022 class, an immensely talented scorer and slasher, is still someone I’d be giddy to gamble on in this range.

Bleacher Report

Taylor Hendricks (PF)

Hoops Hype

Cason Wallace (G)

Cason Wallace has remained in the No. 8-11 pick range through all six aggregate mock drafts.

NBA executives believe Wallace’s defense and playmaking ability should translate relatively quickly to the pro level while he develops as a scorer. His foul shooting (75.7 percent) and three-point shooting (34.6 percent) give executives confidence that he’ll be able to shoot beyond the arc at a league-average or better clip over time.

As noted in the previous aggregate mock draft, one long-time NBA executive compared Wallace to Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley.