Mavericks' biggest steal from the 2026 NBA Draft was hiding at the very end

The Dallas Mavericks went home with four players at the 2026 NBA Draft: Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio De Larrea, Tobi Lawal, and Vsevolod Ishchenko. Johnson Jr. was drafted ninth overall, De Larrea was the No. 25 pick, Lawal was selected with the No. 48 pick, and Ishchenko was the 56th pick.

Most Mavericks fans would initially think that De Larrea was the steal of the draft for Dallas. He led the Summer League in assists per game, and it seems like he'll have a clear role as a rookie due to the team's thin backcourt. His playmaking was spectacular in Las Vegas, and if his shooting translates to the NBA level, the Mavs found their point guard of the future.

Seva Ishchenko is the Mavericks' biggest steal of the draft

Despite the hype that comes with De Larrea, he's not the draft's biggest heist for the Mavericks. Vsevolod "Seva" Ishchenko nearly went undrafted, considering he was the No. 56 pick, meaning 55 players were drafted ahead of him, but he's already looking like the team's biggest steal before even playing a game.

Dallas acquired his draft rights from the Los Angeles Lakers for cash on draft night, and this deal is already looking like a sneaky win. All that Ishchenko has to do is develop into an NBA rotation player to tilt this trade in the Mavericks' favor, as the Lakers gave him up for virtually nothing. Becoming a role player looks to be in the cards for Seva at the very least.

His physicality, feel for the game, defense, and hustle made him a fan favorite at Summer League, and he has the tools to be a do-it-all wing at the next level. He can handle the ball, competes on defense, and is already a solid connective passer, and Mavericks fans are extremely excited about his potential.

The Seva hype is real

Spotrac's Keith Smith talked with personnel from every team while in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League last month, and the thoughts from around the league about Ishchenko indicate that he's more than a draft-and-stash prospect. He's on track to become an NBA contributor one day.

"Getting Sergio (De Larrea) late in the first (round) is huge," an anonymous Mavericks front office executive told Smith. "He can really, really play. And don’t sleep on Seva (Vsevolod Ishchenko). It might be a year or so, but he’s a player too."

Dallas is obviously excited about De Larrea, as they traded up from No. 30 to get him, but the Seva buzz is impossible to ignore as well. The Mavericks liked him enough to make a trade with Los Angeles to get him, and the buzz that's following Ishchenko isn't normal for a No. 56 pick.

Many of the players that are drafted at the end of the second round like this never develop into rotation players, but things are different for Ishchenko.

"(Vsevolod) Ishchenko might end up being a really good player too," a rival overseas scout told Smith.

Why Dallas should believe in Ishchenko

Seva is getting a ton of love before he even plays a game, and even if Dallas doesn't have him on the roster next season, he still has a real chance to be a key piece of the Mavericks' young core. Teams can never have too many versatile wings, and after watching how he played in Vegas, Ishchenko looks ready for whatever role Dusty May assigns him once he makes the roster.

The Mavericks giving up nothing to land an additional second-round pick is an excellent move on its own, and Seva being this hyped is the cherry on top of the team's most slept-on move of the draft that could pay off very soon.

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