Should Dallas Mavericks keep or trade their first round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft?

Case for Dallas Mavericks keeping their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

The draft can be hit or miss at the end of the first round, but there will still be plenty of talent left when the Mavs reach the clock at 26th overall.

Bones Hyland, Cam Thomas, Herb Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu were all still available last year at that selection. In 2020, Desmond Bane and Payton Pritchard were taken from 26th to 30th overall. Jordan Poole, Keldon Johnson, and Kevin Porter Jr. headlined the last first-round picks in 2019. In Luka’s draft, Robert Williams and Landry Shamet went from 26 to 30 with Jalen Brunson, Devonte Graham, and Mitchell Robinson going in the early second round. There are capable rotation pieces available every year, but selecting the right player is easier said than done.

The Mavericks keeping their pick allows them to get another young talent that can grow around their core. Superstar Luka Doncic is only 23 years old, so adding a Desmond Bane-type that can play off of him for the next decade-plus would be massive for the Mavs.

This will be the first draft for Nico Harrison and the Mavericks' new front office. They were in place for the 2021 NBA Draft, but Dallas did not have a selection. How will the new regime draft? Do they value the picks or would they rather trade it or a veteran? It is something fans are going to find out starting this summer.