3 Positives, 2 negatives of Mavericks landing 10th pick in 2023 NBA Draft Lottery

The Dallas Mavericks had dreams of jumping into the top four in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. Winning on Tuesday night was a massive chance to land another generational talent in Victor Wembanyama, even if the odds were extremely slim. The Mavs had never moved up in the lottery, despite 15 shots, and they were hoping their luck finally changed.

It did not happen on May 16, but Dallas avoided their doomsday scenario. The Mavericks held at tenth overall, which means they will have their first-round pick on June 22.

Things could have been much better or much worse for Dallas on Tuesday night. They came out with a positive result, but there were plenty of nervous moments leading up to it. Here are five takeaways from this year’s draft lottery.

Positive of Dallas Mavericks landing 10th pick: 3. Kept their pick

The Mavs owed their 2023 first-round pick to the New York Knicks with a top-ten protection from the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019. It is why Dallas lost their final two games on purpose, and had to pay a $750,000 fine. They finished with the tenth-worst record in the league, but they had zero guarantees of keeping their pick until the lottery.

In Mavs fashion, they held at tenth overall and barely held onto their draft choice. There were much worse scenarios and general manager Nico Harrison was certainly relieved that his organization will have a pick this year, but there is still plenty to sort out for the Dallas Mavericks.