NBA Mock Draft 4.0 – Best Case Scenario (Without Trades)

There are a lot of good players available in this draft, but only a handful are exceptionally good and stick out in this class. For the Dallas Mavericks, there are a few players that have been rumored to possibly be falling. Which one would be the best for the Mavs?

This is a completely biased choice by me and only me, but I think that there are others who would agree with me that this scenario would be the best for the Dallas Mavericks without a doubt. This draft scenario is by no means unprecedented, as each of these players has been seen at their chosen draft position in at least one mock draft, if not multiple.

I tried my best to keep the mock draft as realistic as possible, only putting players with teams that would actually consider picking them. The nice thing is that the teams near the top really just need all the help they can get. This leaves multiple options on the table for pretty much all four teams ahead of the Mavs in the draft.

When Dallas makes their selection, there is no telling who will still be available. Players who have projected into the top 4 include: DeAndre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr., Mohamed Bamba, and Wendell Carter Jr. Of these players, I think a majority of Mavs fans would be ecstatic with at least six of them, with some weariness if they decided to go with Young or Carter.

The biggest need for the Mavs is at the center position and that is a well-known fact. That said, they could also use a high-scoring wing to take some pressure off Barnes and possibly push Wesley Matthews to a sixth man role. Either way, there is one player that sticks out to me as someone Dallas would be extremely lucky to get. Here are the results.

Next: #1 & #2

The number one pick in the draft appears to be obvious at this point, but I will keep driving it in until everyone fully understands. The Phoenix Suns are not going to pass on Deandre Ayton, a player who is believed to be one of the best big men the draft has ever seen. His combination of size and footwork is unbelievable and he has all the tools to be a star.

The Suns could definitely use a boost at this point, finishing with the worst record in the NBA, despite having a couple solid players on the roster. Even adding Ayton is not going to push the Suns too far ahead, but he will be a great building block to go along with Devin Booker. If Ayton pans out, the Suns will be proud to say they never wavered with their choice.

Marvin Bagley III is one of my favorite players in this draft class and I believe he could be the best offensive player available. His shooting from college was excellent, he has the agility to run the pick-and-roll, and his rebounding is otherworldly. The Kings need to make a good pick this year to go along with last year’s lottery pick, De’Aaron Fox. If they really want someone who is going to turn heads, Bagley is a great pick.

Just like there has been a lot of concern on how the Mavericks would be able to fit Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic together, the same would have to be a concern for Sacramento. They are definitely not ready to give up on Fox yet, so a big may be the right move. Jaren Jackson would give the team a defensive presence, but Bagley is the better offensive option. For a team needing to sell more tickets, that is going to give Bagley the edge.

Next: #3 & #4

The rumors of Trae Young to Atlanta have been circulating a lot lately and I will bite on one of them. The idea of Young as a top 5 pick doesn’t make that much sense to me personally, but I can understand the draw that he will bring as someone who is full of offensive potential and will be an instantly recognizable name for whoever takes him.

My distaste for Young is probably at least a little bit unwarranted considering he led the NCAA in both points and assists in his freshman year. That is something that hasn’t been done in a long time and it is not necessarily because of his incredibly high usage rate (37.0).

I’m not sold on Young as an NBA prospect, but I can see the draw to him and I would not be surprised at all if he did go in the top 3 of this draft.

The youngster from Michigan State, Jaren Jackson, has been turning more and more heads as we get closer to the draft. An uber-athletic big man with a sweet stroke and a lot of defensive potential, many believe that JJJ will be the best two-way player in the draft. This is not hard to believe as Jackson averaged 3 blocks per game and has been heralded as the best perimeter defender of the big men in this class.

There are concerns with Jackson translating to the NBA by some, although others believe him to be the safest player in the entire class. Regardless of what you believe, he is a good player to take a chance on and would fit in well with the Grizzlies as he could play alongside Marc Gasol pretty seamlessly.

Jaren Jackson Jr. could easily turn into something special and I think the Grizzlies will take a shot on his upside.

Next: #5 & #6

The fit has been a concern for a lot of people here, but the Dallas Mavericks would be a great fit for Luka Doncic. Not only is he the most talented basketball player in the draft in my opinion, he is also an experienced player despite his young age. The pairing of Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka would undoubtedly be unique. Both appear to be ball dominant players that require a higher usage rate to be successful.

The thing is, the Golden State Warriors have Steph Curry and Kevin Durant which are the same way. The Rockets have James Harden and Chris Paul. The Raptors have Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The Blazers have Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

The point is, having two ball-dominant players used to be a big no-no, but teams are figuring out very effective ways to make that work. The Mavs have Coach Carlisle, a brilliant offensive mind who won’t have any problem figuring out a way to make that work. I think that this is the best possible scenario for Dallas, even if they have to choose against Mo Bamba.

The Magic at this point are going to take the player that will turn the most heads for their crowd and that guy is definitely Michael Porter Jr. of the remaining players on the board. Orlando would probably love to see Trae Young drop to them at 6, but they may be getting the better end of the deal either way.

This Magic team really is just looking for some life. MPJ would give that to them due to his athleticism and shot making ability. As one of the premier players from this draft class, Orlando would be ready to hang banners of MPJ all around their stadium to promote the team a little more.

He is also just a really talented player.

Next: #7 & #8

With all the hype around Mo Bamba going on lately, it would be pretty shocking to see him fall all the way to number 7, but the Chicago Bulls certainly would not be complaining. Even though they have committed to Bobby Portis and Lauri Markkanen in the front court going forward, Bamba would fit along side either one of them really well and is too talented to pass up. He is also a rim protector, unlike the other two.

Bamba has been mostly recognized for his incredible measurements, but he is also a very intelligent kid that is willing to put in a lot of work during the offseason. That isn’t that strange of a thing for an NBA player, but there are plenty of lazy ones in the league that people don’t know about. Bamba strikes me as the guy with the highest ceiling in the draft and the Bulls would not even hesitate if he is there at 7.

The rise of Wendell Carter Jr. has been noticed over the last few weeks as people are beginning to realize that maybe he was more than just Marvin Bagley’s sidekick all along. Alright, maybe people already knew that since he has been a top 10 prospect essentially the entire time, but his size and skillset is very strong and he will be an enticing pick for whoever does get him.

In this case, Carter could act as two different things for the Cavs: he could be a great complimentary piece to LeBron James, giving him a presence in the middle that is already significantly better than Tristan Thompson, or he could be a great starting point for a rebuilding Cavs team.

Either way, Carter has skills and should be regarded as a great value pick at #8 overall for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Next: #9 & #10

One of my favorite players in this draft class, Miles Bridges is a gritty wing that can immediately help any team in every aspect of the game. As a sophomore, he was one of the leaders at Michigan State and a heavily relied on player by Coach Izzo. This shows his coachability which will be great alongside his insane athleticism.

At this point in the draft, the Knicks will be choosing between the two Bridges or Collin Sexton most likely and, since they already have Frank Ntilikina for years to come, a wing makes a lot more sense.

A lot of people have Mikal Bridges ranked higher than Miles, but I believe that Miles is a better fit for the Knicks who just need a lot of help.

The 76ers are on their way up in the East right now and the youth on the team is pretty incredible. They may opt to trade this pick to get some more veteran leadership for the team but, if they don’t, Mikal Bridges is a great selection. Known as a solid wing with major 3-D potential, he would be an instant boost to the Sixers, helping with some pressure off of Simmons and Embiid.

His defense on the other end will also be very helpful as he could seemingly take over for Dario Saric without much of a loss on offense and a big gain on defense. He will also be a good addition to the team as a workhorse without too much to say to the refs in between each play. With Embiid on the team, Bridges could be a calming presence for the big man.

Next: NBA Mock Draft 3.0 - Top Ten

It would be pretty great if the Mavs ended up getting the youngster from Europe, and I do believe it is a possibility. That said, don’t expect this draft order to be set by any means, as teams are going to be debating their picks right to the end. Tune in to see who goes where on June 21st.