Mavericks NBA Draft: 3 late targets to help Luka Doncic if Mavs trade back

3. Kris Murray

Luka Doncic is one of the best superstars in the NBA, but in order for him to be at his best, he needs certain types of players around him. Two skillsets he will always need by his side are three-point shooting and defense.

Iowa product Kris Murray would bring both of those skills to the table, helping the Dallas Mavericks a ton on both sides of the ball with his all-around game.

The twin of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, Kris does almost all of the same things as his brother, yet he’s projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round rather than in the top five of the draft.

At 6-foot-8, Murray would give the Mavericks a ton of help at the forward position, which they desperately need at the moment, as they don’t have a ton of depth at the three or four.

In fact, if Murray adapted to the NBA level quickly enough, he could be a solid starting option for Jason Kidd as the season progresses.

While he didn’t shoot the three-ball super well in college, a lot of that had to do with the difficult shots he was forced to take as the Hawkeyes’ top option. In Dallas, all he would have to do is defend and hit his threes.

He’ll be 23 years old by the time the season begins, so some teams may be hesitant to draft him, but for the Mavericks, that sort of experience is exactly what they should be looking for in a rookie, especially one who can help elevate Doncic’s game on both ends of the court.