Mavericks' Dereck Lively II steal foreshadows an upcoming draft-day win

In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks traded back from the No. 10 pick to No. 12 and selected Duke's Dereck Lively II. This move turned out to be a major steal, as the 7-foot-1 Lively II was coveted by multiple other teams who were picking ahead of the Mavericks. He later made the All-Rookie Second Team and was a key piece in Dallas' run to the NBA Finals during his rookie season.

Despite other teams in the top 11 being interested in selecting Lively II, Klutch Sports Group's Rich Paul helped force the former Blue Devil's way to Dallas. Paul wanted Lively II to end up with the Mavericks, and that's what happened on the evening of June 22, 2023.

Now, three years later, a similar situation presents itself with Brayden Burries. Some MFFLs have already concluded that this is the player Dallas will draft to play with Cooper Flagg, and when looking at the evidence, the case for this is pretty convincing.

Klutch wants Burries in Dallas — just like Lively II

There has been plenty of buzz surrounding the Mavericks and Burries. He is poised to be a lottery pick, and there have been rumbles that Paul and Klutch are trying to find a way to get him to Dallas. Rumors have also indicated that the Mavericks are at least intrigued by this possibility.

Almost every mock draft is predicting that the former Arizona Wildcat will go to Dallas, and since many of these drafts use league intel, the smoke is certainly there. CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein has led the charge here, and his reporting from last week on Burries and Dallas gives a great look at what the feeling is surrounding these two sides.

"There’s growing evidence that this is where Brayden Burries and his representatives want to be," Finkelstein said about Dallas. "Brayden Burries is represented by Klutch and Rich Paul...I think Brayden Burries wants to be in Dallas, I think he wants to play with Cooper Flagg, and I think his representatives are going to try and get this done."

He has shut down workouts with other teams picking in the top 10, and there's speculation that this could be to help him fall to the Mavericks. Burries falling to ninth would be an excellent selection, given his two-way ability and strong shooting.

Dallas picking him would be a major win, as he could immediately start at shooting guard alongside Kyrie Irving before eventually taking over as the point guard of the future. The fact that he was once predicted to be drafted No. 5 overall by the LA Clippers shows how talented he truly is, and the Mavericks could walk away with another huge draft-night steal if they land him.

On top of Burries' undeniable skill and potential fit on the Mavericks, the Klutch connections in Dallas are too strong to ignore.

Klutch Sports Group and the Mavericks are connected

Just last summer, Paul helped force Khaman Maluach's way to the Phoenix Suns, who held the No. 10 pick, despite other teams in the top 10 being interested in drafting the South Sudanese big man. Current Mavericks president Masai Ujiri was working for the Toronto Raptors this time last year, and despite being a big fan of Maluach's game, he passed on the 7-foot-1 center. This is part of the reason that he ended up in Phoenix.

Now, a year later, Ujiri is running the show in Dallas. He has a strong relationship with Paul and Klutch, and we could see a Maluach or Lively II-type situation unfold again. Paul is known for getting his clients where he wants them to go, and given Paul's power around the NBA, it wouldn't be a shock if Burries ends up getting drafted by the Mavericks if they're extremely high on him.

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