Ranking top 5 prospects for Dallas Mavericks with 10th pick in 2023 NBA Draft

5. Bilal Coulibaly

Not the name most Dallas Mavericks fans would think of when considering picks in the top ten, but Bilal Coulibaly reeks of a player who will skyrocket up draft boards during the week of the NBA Combine.

He spent last season playing alongside consensus number-one pick Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92 in France, emerging as a potential lottery pick as the year went on.

Most mock drafts have him going in the late teens, but Dallas could afford to take a chance on him at pick ten, especially considering what he could bring to the table for them.

Coulibaly is 6'7 with a 7'3 wingspan and plays the wing position. Considering Dallas doesn’t have many solid perimeter defenders on their roster, Coulibaly’s length would prove crucial for them. And he’s put his measurements to good use, too. He’s a quality defender with the body and mental readiness to compete at the NBA level, especially on that end of the court.

Plus, Coulibaly is still only 18 years old. He turns 19 on July 26, meaning he’ll be 19 for the entirety of his rookie season, giving him plenty of time to improve.

Some Dallas fans may want the Mavericks to take a more NBA-ready player with the tenth overall pick, but with how much potential Bilal Coulibaly has shown on the defensive end, he fits the mold of what Dallas needs.