Mavericks land perfect draft outcome in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft

While predicting the NBA Draft is far from a science, mock drafts still offer a glimpse into how teams might shape their future. For the Dallas Mavericks, that speculation becomes especially important at No. 9 overall, where Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft delivers a potential best-case scenario. In its projection, Houston guard Kingston Flemings lands with the Mavericks — an ideal fit for a team in need of backcourt creation and shooting.

Flemings is one of the top point guards in the 2026 NBA Draft class and has been widely projected to come off the board before Dallas picks at No. 9 overall. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, for example, he landed with the Sacramento Kings at No. 7. That’s what makes Bleacher Report’s projection such an ideal outcome for the Mavericks.

Kingston Flemings' roller coaster draft stock

Although the former Cougar entered the season far from a projected lottery pick (or even a first-round lock), he quickly climbed into the conversation as a legitimate top-10 prospect. Even after a stellar year at Houston, however, Flemings’ projected draft range has remained volatile. For a Mavericks team selecting at No. 9 overall, that volatility only increases the appeal of his range.

Flemings didn’t have the strongest March Madness run, averaging just 12.7 points across Houston’s three NCAA Tournament games. He closed his collegiate career with an 11-point outing on 4-of-10 shooting against Illinois, at times appearing overwhelmed by the Fighting Illini’s length.

That uncertainty carried into the NBA Draft Combine, where Flemings’ stock became even more divisive. His measurements raised concerns on the first day of the combine, as he checked in at 6-foot-2.5 and 183 pounds with a 6-foot-3.5 wingspan after previously being listed at 6-foot-4 at Houston.

Interestingly enough, his measurements closely mirrored Kyrie Irving’s. Still, the results shifted some evaluators away from viewing him as a combo guard and more toward a pure point guard, which is a distinction that may have slightly lowered his perceived ceiling as a prospect.

Nonetheless, Flemings reminded scouts why he’s been such a highly touted prospect throughout the NBA Draft Combine. On Day 2, he excelled in nearly every shooting drill, knocking down 26-of-30 off-the-dribble attempts, 19-of-25 threes in the star drill, and 18-of-28 spot-up triples in the side-mid-side drill. He also impressed in athletic testing, finishing in the top seven in every agility drill.

How Flemings fits the Dallas Mavericks’ backcourt needs

Flemings’ shooting testing backed up the efficiency he showed at Houston, where he shot 47.6 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three, and 84.5 percent from the free-throw line. That type of shooting profile is exactly what the Mavericks need to be valuing in their backcourt targets.

The Mavericks were among the least efficient 3-point shooting teams in the league last season, reinforcing the need for additional floor spacers and shot creators this offseason. While Flemings’ measurements raised some eyebrows during the pre-draft process, they are less concerning in Dallas given the team’s long, rangy roster.

While the 19-year-old may no longer project as a shooting guard, Dallas is well-positioned to compensate for that elsewhere on the roster. With Max Christie already in place at the two and access to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, the Mavericks have avenues to address the position in free agency. That would allow Flemings to develop as the point guard of the future, learning behind Irving early in his career.

Flemings’ stock has fluctuated throughout the pre-draft process, but much of the surrounding hullabaloo may be skewing how strong a prospect he actually is. And if Bleacher Report’s mock draft is any indication of how things unfold for the Mavericks at No. 9 overall, landing Flemings would represent a near-perfect outcome for the franchise.

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