3 Disastrous mistakes Dallas Mavericks must avoid making this summer

3. Dallas Mavericks must avoid keep their top-10 draft pick

Heading into the lottery, the Dallas Mavericks are slotted in as the tenth-overall selection. Post-lottery, they could jump into the top four, but it’s most likely that they select tenth. If the selection falls outside the top ten, the Mavs owe it to the Knicks from the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019.

If they keep that pick and make the selection, it will be a huge mistake.

There are plenty of solid players the Mavericks could pick up with that selection. GG Jackson out of South Carolina could be available, as could players such as Villanova’s Cam Whitmore and Houston’s Jarace Walker.

But holding on to that selection would mean that Dallas would be committing to another development project, drafting a player that may or may not be NBA-ready.

With Doncic at the helm and ready to lead a team to a championship, the Mavericks need a player that can help him win right now, not in five years.

As fun and exciting as it may be to draft a player and watch him grow, that’s just not what the Mavericks should be aiming for right now. Doncic is ready to win, and Dallas should trade the selection for a player who can help him do that.

(But if the Mavericks jump up into the top four of the lottery, they should throw everything out the window and make the pick.)