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

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

The type of deals on the table matter most here. The Mavs should not go into draft night dead set on trading their first-round pick as they should be looking to maximize the value of their selection. If the front office can find a deal to acquire a star player, that becomes a no-brainer, but trading for a role player gets complicated.

Because the Mavericks select 26th overall, Dallas is likely better off just keeping the draft choice than trading for a limited role player. Landry Shamet has played a total of 43 minutes for the Suns in the first four games of their series against Dallas. The Mavericks would rather have a potential game-changer like recent late first-round picks Desmond Bane or Jordan Poole.

Keeping it makes hitting on the draft pick important. The Mavericks' track record is hit or miss in recent years. They secured Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson in 2018, but they have taken plenty of busts too. It will be the first draft with picks for Nico Harrison and the new front office, so nobody knows how successful they will be.

Trading or keeping their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft will be one of the many important decisions the Dallas Mavericks make this summer. They need to get some value out of the selection, no matter what route they choose.