Mavericks rumors: Dallas not interested in sharpshooter in 2023 NBA Draft

The Dallas Mavericks tanked their final two games to try to keep their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. It cost them $750,000, but it worked. Dallas held onto the tenth pick in the draft lottery, and the Knicks now own the Mavericks first-round pick in 2024 with another top ten protection.

Dallas is rumored to be shopping this year's selection. They need to make multiple upgrades to their roster, and the fastest way of doing that could be trading the pick for win-now pieces. Plenty of teams should have interest in a top-ten pick, but will they offer enough to convince Dallas to part with it?

The Mavs have a difficult decision to make if they keep the pick. They have multiple holes to fill, but who fits best on their roster? The Athletic’s Tim Cato did a deep dive on the team’s options (subscription required) where he reported that the Mavericks are not interested in Gradey Dick, despite him being arguably the best shooter in this class.

Mavericks rumors: Dallas not interested in Gradey Dick in the 2023 NBA Draft

Dick shot 40.3 percent from 3-point range during his lone season at the University of Kansas over 206 long-range attempts. The 6’8 forward is an absolute sharpshooter, but Cato reports that the Mavericks front office is focused on “athleticism and physicality”. Those are two traits the former Jayhawk lacks.

Gradey Dick is a projected lottery pick because of his shooting and floor-spacing ability. Finding a lights-out shooter is never easy, but it appears Dallas is focused on other areas as they look to improve their roster around Luka Doncic this summer.

This should not come as a massive surprise as the Dallas Mavericks need to improve their defense. They have two of the league’s best scorers, but they must sort out things on the other end of the floor if they are going to get back into contention next season. Dick is projected as a below-average defender that will certainly need time to develop.

Who will the Dallas Mavericks target with the tenth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft? Do they trade the selection for win-now help or look to move back and get an additional asset? It is a key decision that will help shape the franchise's future. The pressure is on in Dallas, and the Mavericks must nail this offseason or things could quickly get worse. Stay tuned to see how it all plays out.