Mavericks' odds of landing Cooper Flagg's dream co-star just tanked

The Dallas Mavericks are looking for Cooper Flagg's perfect running mate in the 2026 NBA Draft, but after Monday afternoon's tiebreakers, the Mavericks will have the eighth-best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery, and the chances of finding the perfect teammate are now more of an uphill battle than originally expected.

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler has been around the six range for being picked in the draft. For a while, it looked like the Mavs were in a perfect position at No. 6 to take the dynamic playmaker from the Fighting Illini, but the odds have dipped if we're looking at Dallas' latest position.

Wagler is the perfect fit next to Flagg because of the guard-forward combination that Dallas can build around for years to come. He's also got a quickness to his game, and has proven he can shoot from NBA range already. But because of the tiebreaker favoring the New Orleans Pelicans, the Mavs may not get a chance at him, and the hopes of Flagg landing his perfect teammate are now in jeopardy.

Mavericks' new odds of drafting Keaton Wagler are collapsing

Tankathon's latest mock draft has Wagler going to the Memphis Grizzlies, where they can use a guard with Ja Morant not likely to return to Memphis next season. Brayden Burries from Arizona is the mock pick at No. 8 for Dallas.

Burries is a high-IQ player with a quick motor to his game, but has shown inconsistency at shooting from deep. He's also more of a guy who plays the two, compared to Wagler, who can play at the two and the one when Kyrie Irving isn't out there.

Of course, there's still a lot to think about when drafting Wagler. For instance, his defense will be tested in the NBA, but he can find ways to score in the paint and shoot from outside. The rest will come with enough reps and more time in the weight room, but with the help of the Mavs' wings like Max Christie, Wagler's shooting will be enough to make up for any lack of defense.

One NBA draft guru compared Wagler to Brandon Roy and Tyrese Haliburton, showing that he can be a quick, efficient shooter.

History proves there's still hope for the Mavs to draft Wagler

You can never say never if you're the Mavs after last year's NBA Draft Lottery.

The Mavs have secured another lottery pick this season, and if they can jump 10 teams to get the top spot and draft Flagg, they can definitely jump to No. 1 again. In that case, the Mavs would be thinking about a lot more than Wagler, and hopefully draft Big 12 Player of the Year, AJ Dybantsa. That would scare the rest of the NBA.

Even if they get into the top six, which is just two spots away, they have the perfect chance to still draft Wagler. If Sacramento stays at No. 5, the Mavs have the perfect excuse to still draft Wagler at six. If the Grizzlies are above Dallas, the chances diminish significantly for Wagler to be picked as a Maverick.

Of course, anything can still happen, but let's just say, it may be time for Mavs fans to look in a different direction than Wagler.

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