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Why the Dallas Mavericks Should Consider Michael Porter Jr.

By Kohl Rast

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Michael Porter Jr. #13 of the Missouri Tigers plays against Phil Cover #0 of the Florida State Seminoles during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Michael Porter Jr. #13 of the Missouri Tigers plays against Phil Cover #0 of the Florida State Seminoles during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Not saying they should definitely pick him, but the upside of Michael Porter Jr. should be enticing to Dallas Mavericks fans. Here are just a few reasons why it would make sense to consider the wing from Missouri.

The Dallas Mavericks have some tough choices to make. There are only a handful of places that Dallas could end up at in the draft and each passing pick brings a new set of obstacles for the team.

The Mavericks would be smart to look at all the options that will be presented to them through trades, free agency, different drafting positions, and player personnel already on the roster. When all of these things are put into consideration, more options can open up for the team.

There is no argument from me that the Dallas Mavericks would be best off picking a big man. If Marvin Bagley III or Mo Bamba (or even DeAndre Ayton) are available for Dallas in the draft, they would be my preferred pick. If an unlikely situation were to arise where those three and Luka Doncic are all gone for the Mavs, though, it seems like MPJ should get some consideration.

There is little argument across the league that Porter is an incredibly talented player. His injury history is going to scare some people, but if he gets the clearance from his pre-draft physical, someone is going to luck out with the big wing.

The main reason I would want Dallas to look into him though is simply because of the available bigs in this summer’s free agency class.

To name a few: DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Jusuf Nurkic will all likely be free agents of some sort this summer. If Dallas could snag any of these guys, the draft plan would look completely different.

If that were to be a legitimate possibility for the Mavs, I think that MPJ becomes a great pick for Dallas. It may not be the best available approach, but with the 2nd tier of draft picks, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Bamba vs. Jackson vs. Bagley

I’m not endorsing Porter at this point as I think there is still risk. That said, he could be a steal at any pick if he is able to pan out the way he is capable.