Mavericks' Labaron Philon Jr. interest hints at risky draft-night trade

ESPN's Jeremy Woo reported that the Dallas Mavericks have interest in Labaron Philon Jr. out of Alabama ahead of next month's NBA Draft. This is some of the first reported draft interest from the Mavericks, and fans definitely need to keep an eye on him as draft season advances. If this interest is strong enough, Dallas' plan could be to trade down on draft night to nab the former Crimson Tide guard.

Mavericks' interest in Philon Jr. points toward a trade-down scenario

Philon Jr. came in at No. 16 on Woo's big board on Friday morning, leaving the Mavericks in an interesting position at No. 9. Should they draft the 6-foot-4 guard with their lottery pick? Or should they trade back and acquire additional assets before drafting him?

Moving back would make sense, given that guards like Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, Keaton Wagler, and Darius Acuff Jr. will likely all be drafted before him. But trading out of No. 9 to draft Philon Jr. later on comes with serious risks — and it doesn't have much to do with his game.

Philon Jr. is a phenomenal player. Just look at his numbers from his sophomore season at Bama.

He averaged 22 points, five assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting just over 50 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from downtown. These are some of the best numbers of any of the point guards projected to be selected in the lottery, but his long-term ceiling isn't as high in the eyes of figures around the NBA. This is concerning for a team that desperately needs more star power around its franchise cornerstone, Cooper Flagg.

Can Philon Jr. be the star Dallas needs?

Kyrie Irving is incredible on and off the court, Dereck Lively II has immense potential, and P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall are both excellent dirty-work wings. Still, all of these players come with their own concerns.

Can Kyrie return to his old form after missing all of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL? Can Lively II stay healthy after playing seven games last season? Are Washington and Marshall real long-term fits next to Flagg without being strong shooters?

The Mavericks' roster as currently constructed has some serious holes compared to the best teams in the West, and they need to find a true No. 2 option to play alongside Flagg once Irving is gone. There are plenty of players projected to be drafted in the top 10 who fit this mold, but it may not be Philon Jr., based on how people around the league think of him.

Philon Jr. may be a better fit elsewhere

As Woo reported, "many around the league feel he projects better as a sixth-man-type creative guard." The scoring off the dribble, shooting, and passing are all there, but his potential to become a true lead guard is still a major question mark. This is why the Mavericks would be making a serious gamble in a trade-back scenario. They need a guard who has a serious shot to become Flagg's co-star. Not a flamethrower who projects to be best when coming off the bench.

On top of the concerns with Philon Jr.'s lead-guard potential and "below-average testing numbers for a ball handler" at the NBA Combine this month, Dallas also has to look at the bigger picture here.

The risks of trading down from No. 9

Do they really want to trade out of the last of their own first-round picks that they fully control until 2031? This is likely the best draft pick they'll have for the next few years, even with the reformed lottery odds, and they can't risk missing on it.

This is the Mavericks' best shot to add a foundational young guard to their young core, and while Philon Jr. has the potential to become that, several other top guards project to be more NBA-ready than him. Teams seem to agree with this notion as well.

Woo reported that Philon Jr. has "drawn interest from teams starting in the late lottery, but it remains to be seen whether he can leap ahead of any of the younger guards over the course of the next few weeks." He's starting behind many of the aforementioned star incoming rookie guards, and it's going to be an uphill battle to leapfrog them with less than a month to go until the draft.

The former Alabama star has a chance to do this, especially if his pre-draft workouts go well, but the Mavericks' interest comes with some asterisks that must be answered to have a proper analysis of their rumored interest.

Mavericks' path to Philon Jr. remains unclear

Would they even consider taking him ninth? Or are they looking to trade back?

Taking him at ninth would be risky, especially if Burries, Brown Jr., or Flemings is still on the board. While trading back is a safer option to bring in Philon Jr., it comes with its own risks as well. Dallas would have more bites at the apple, as they'd likely acquire multiple first-round picks to move back, but their chances of finding a future star are far lower.

Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have a tough decision to make once June 23 rolls around, and while Philon Jr.'s game is extremely appealing, their route to getting him isn't crystal clear.

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