Mavericks just watched the perfect way to win the Anthony Davis trade

Sunday afternoon's final game of the Elite Eight gave the Dallas Mavericks a perfect look into multiple prospects the team could eye with the 2026 first-round pick they acquired in the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards. This pick is poised to be the final pick of the first round, and the Duke-UConn thriller just happened to include several outstanding youngsters who will go in this range.

The headliner of this game was, of course, UConn's Braylon Mullins. He drilled a 3-pointer from the logo to give the Huskies the lead with less than one second remaining, ultimately leading them to an insane 73-72 upset win over Cameron Boozer and the Duke Blue Devils.

Braylon Mullins' shot may have caught Dallas' attention

It was an unforgettable performance, and all of America was tuned in as he hit the biggest shot of his life. Little did fans know that they may have been watching a future Maverick if Dallas targets shooting at the end of the first round in this summer's draft.

The Anthony Davis trade gifted the Mavericks five draft picks, but their additional first-round pick this summer was easily the most valuable. They'll have plenty of options to choose from here, and this player will have the chance to be a key piece of the team's young core around Cooper Flagg.

Dallas is among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, making just 10.8 3-pointers per game on 34.4 percent shooting. This is an inexcusable mark if they want to build a contender around Flagg, and someone like Mullins could help them get back on track.

Mullins finished with 10 points in the Elite Eight while shooting 4-10 from the field. Even though he only shot 1-5 from beyond the arc, he made his toughest attempt when the game was on the line.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while making 2.1 3-pointers per contest for UConn this season, showcasing that he has the foundation to be a solid NBA shooting guard. He didn't shoot as efficiently from downtown as many may have expected during his freshman season (32.8 percent on 6.4 attempts per game), but he has the tools to be a dangerous NBA marksman on high volume if he continues to develop.

Mullins fits what the Mavericks are missing

Before he played at UConn, he was the No. 12 player in the 2025 class, and if Dallas were to use their first-round pick on him, they'd be betting on potential, just as many teams do in the second half of the first round. He shot 47 percent from 3-point range during his final season of AAU ball in the 3SSB Circuit, and he's the type of 3-and-D two-guard that NBA teams will at least be thinking about if he declares for the draft.

The form, range, and confidence are all there; he needs to get stronger and keep improving all areas of his game. One NBA scout told The Smoking Cuban that he believes there is much more to Mullins' game than meets the eye, as they think he has some under-the-radar creation skills that he hasn't gotten the chance to utilize much as a Husky.

The best prospect for Dallas may have been on Duke

The player Mullins drilled the game-winning shot over, Isaiah Evans, is also an intriguing option for Dallas to think about with their second first-round pick. He averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game in his sophomore season at Duke while shooting 36.1 percent from beyond the arc, and his improvements this season are impossible to overlook.

He has turned into much more than a shooter, as his overall scoring abilities were on display for all to see in the Sweet 16. Evans finished with a game-high 25 points in a win over St. John's, and this was the type of performance that should have him soaring up draft boards.

His shooting off the dribble and catch was electric, but he did much more than knock down shots from long range. Evans scored at all three levels, and his confidence and craftiness helped him finish several tough plays from the mid-range and around the bucket.

Evans would be an absolute steal if Dallas could land him at pick 30, and he is definitely a player Mavericks fans have been eyeing for the last few weeks. Their second first-round pick has the potential to be game-changing if they can nail it, and someone like Mullins or Evans has the juice to help turn their 3-point shooting woes into a future strength.