Mavericks should pounce on Thunder's brewing draft-night trade push

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, teams "continue to mention a certain team in Oklahoma City as a strong potential trade-up candidate" in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder hold the No. 12 and 17 picks in the first round and No. 37 in the second round. These are picks that any rebuilding team would love to have, but they're redundant for a team that has won a combined 189 games over the last three seasons and is one win away from their second-straight NBA Finals berth.

With rumors of OKC looking to move up (subscription required), this makes the Dallas Mavericks a potential trade partner that makes too much sense to ignore.

The Mavs are entirely focused on building for the future rather than chasing immediate results, putting them in an opposite position from the Thunder. Dallas needs to acquire as much draft capital and young assets as they can to build a contending squad around Cooper Flagg, making OKC an intriguing trade partner ahead of the draft.

Why a Mavericks-Thunder draft trade makes too much sense

Dallas holds the No. 9 pick in the draft, and with the way the lottery is poised to fall, the Thunder could have the chance to pick from any of the frontcourt players outside of Caleb Wilson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa if they trade up to ninth with the Mavericks. Nate Ament, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Aday Mara could all be on the board for them, or at least two of the three. With the Mavericks and Thunder's history of making draft-night deals, they could look to strike another deal next month.

Fischer reported that "there is an undeniably growing anticipation leaguewide that the Thunder are going to do something" on draft night. Something is clearly brewing in Oklahoma City, and someone is going to take advantage of their excess of first-round picks this year. Mavericks fans should hope that it's Dallas.

When looking at their cap sheet, they won't have much leverage, considering that all 15 players on their playoff roster are under contract for next season. They have team options for Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kenrich Williams, but still, the Thunder could decide to run it back with the team that has helped them be the top regular-season team in the Western Conference over the last three seasons.

This makes their draft picks more expendable than they'd usually be, and Dallas should explore making a trade with them.

Dallas has every reason to trade down

The Mavericks could just stay where they are and draft a star guard at No. 9 and call it a day, but killing two birds with one stone in the first round is far more appealing.

Dallas already has the ninth and 30th picks in the first round, but trading No. 9 in a deal centered around No. 12 and potentially No. 17 or a future draft pick should be super appealing for the Mavs. They could even think about trading No. 30 as part of this potential deal while expanding it to a multi-team trade. Prying picks 12 and 17 away from the Thunder isn't going to be easy, but the Mavericks should try to get it done.

They don't fully control any of their own first-round picks after this year until 2031, and now is the perfect time to chase some more picks.

Masai Ujiri wants to rebuild around Flagg, and they can't expect to rise through the ranks in the West without laying a stronger foundation with young, impactful players. This is what the draft is for, and with this year's draft class being abnormally strong at the top, Dallas could add two rookies who are capable of contributing right away next to Flagg if they find a way to acquire the 12th and 17th picks from the Thunder.

Rather than drafting someone like Brayden Burries at nine, they could pick two players that address multiple areas of need, such as a center and a guard, or even a wing. A combination of Labaron Philon Jr. and Morez Johnson Jr. or even Lendeborg would give the Mavs an extremely strong rookie class that's ready for action right away, and the Thunder is one of the teams that Dallas should be calling to try to get a deal done.

The Thunder's rumored interest in moving up combined with the Mavericks' need for more young players and draft capital makes them perfect trade partners, and if the Thunder are set on one of the frontcourt players and want to consolidate their picks and trade up, Dallas is a logical trade partner.

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