Who are the top 20 Dallas Mavericks Draft Picks of All Time?

Basketball is a well-loved sport in America, where people turn up in throes to watch basketball matches. Therefore, many youngsters aspire to have a career as a basketball player and start playing very early in life. 

The game is so popular that there are basketball teams in middle school, high school, and college. From here, if a player shows the ability and skill to play professionally, they can be drafted to join the NBA or the National Basketball Association. For those who want to make it big in basketball, being drafted is a dream come true. 

The NBA s a professional basketball league in North America that comprises 30 teams and is one of the major professional sports leagues in both the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it is the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. 

The NBA is the third wealthiest professional sports league, which is why many basketball enthusiasts are keen to be drafted into the various teams of the NBA. Some of the teams include Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, etc. 

NBA Draft

NBA Draft

The NBA draft dates back to 1947 and is an annual event where the National Basketball Association (NBA) can draft players who they believe have the potential to play basketball professionally. They also have to be eligible. One of the eligibility criteria is that they are over 19 years old. Therefore, the drafting mainly takes place of college basketball players.

College players who have fulfilled the education criteria, which is their four-year college education are eligible to be selected by NBA. International students are also eligible and have to be at least 22 years old. Those who are younger have to declare their eligibility. Young players are called early entry candidates or early entrants.

The NBA drafts take place during the NBA offseason, which is near the end of June. The drafts take place in two rounds and are overall shorter than the entry drafts of other professional sports leagues. In NBA, sixty players are selected in each draft, and each player has to be eligible for at least one draft to be signed with the NBA. 

Previously, high school players were also eligible to be drafted by the NBA, but after the revision of rules in 2006, high school students could not be drafted right after they finished high school. They could be drafted one year after high school, provided that they were at least 19 years old. Due to this rule, many players have used the year after their graduation to play professionally overseas. Such tactics helped keep them in shape and gain valuable experience.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks, also known as Mavs, are an American professional basketball team who are located in Dallas. The Mavericks are part of the 30 teams of the NBA and compete in their competitions as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Maverick’s home ground is the American Airline Center, which it shares with the Dallas Stars, a team from the National Hockey League.

During the 1980s, the Dallas Mavericks were a perennial playoff team led by Ronaldo Blackman and Mark Aguirre. For a few years, the team struggled, but in the 1990s, they started rebuilding themselves, and with the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki, their fortune changed. 

After this particular acquisition, the franchise entered its most successful period. The team was extremely successful in the NBA championship of 2011 and won their first big title. Near the end of Nowitzki’s career, the franchise fell into a slump and missed three consecutive playoffs from 2017 to 2019. 

Currently, the Dallas Mavericks are under an investor called Mark Cuban. They are an overall successful team and have won four division titles and two conference championships. They also have one NBA championship under their belt.

The Top 20 Draft Picks of All Time

The Top 20 Draft Picks of All Time

Luke Doncic

Many NBA fans believe that Luke Doncic might have been the best pick Maverick has ever made, and he may prove himself in later years. If his team uses him wisely and sends him to All-Star games, he will have a chance to prove himself, and may even end up winning championships.

However, no one can disagree with the fact that he has serious potential to leap to the top. Thus, he is one of the best picks in Maverick history.

Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson was Maverick’s third draft pick in the second round. He has such talent that he completely overshot his draft slot. In the last season he played, he was able to reach many career highs and has his name in the most stats for this reason.

Brunson also managed to save Maverick’s season in the first round when they played against Utah Jazz. Therefore, he is one of the top 20 draft picks in Mavericks’ history.

Jae Crowder

Jae Crowder has not been with the Dallas Mavericks for too long, but even in the two seasons he has, he has shown his potential to be a winning player. He has an average of a little under five points, and he also had two rebounds per game during his two seasons with the NBA team. 

Thus, Jae Crowder is nothing short of an excellent player. He is a flourishing player who, although has no individual awards, is a key player in getting the Dallas Mavericks to several championships. 

Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Smith Jr. was the first lottery pick since 2000 for the Mavericks. He was selected in 2017 and was 9th overall. Ever since he joined the Mavs, he has had incredible success. He managed to have an average of 15 points per game, and also made the 2nd All-Rookie team. 

However, with the arrival of Luka Doncic, he had to be sent to a different team.

Bernard James

Bernard James was the 33rd pick in 2012 and was part of a trade with Cleaveland. James was Mav’s way of avenging Chandler, whom they lost to the Knicks. However, James was a success in the Dallas Mavericks. 

When he arrived, he was 27 years old because he had to serve time in the Air Force. Although he never won any awards, he was a fun player to watch on the court and is one of the best picks the Mavericks have made. 

Justin Anderson

Justin Anderson did not stay with the Dallas Mavericks for long, but his time on the team went extremely well. In 2015, he was the 21st pick and ended up playing for a season and a half for the Mavericks. 

At the end of the first season, he had a ten-point average and had four rebounds per game in a game in the first round, where the team lost to Oklahoma City Thunder. In his next season, Anderson improved and managed to increase his scoring average to 7.1.

However, his time in the Dallas Mavericks was cut short when he was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Shane Larkin

Shane Larkin was picked in the 2013 draft and was the 18th pick. He was a part of a trade where he came to Dallas, and Cunningham was sent to the Hawks. He was a tremendous player and appeared with the rest of the Dallas Mavericks in 48 games. 

His average was less than three points per game and it was not enough in the competitive Dallas squad. Hence, he was sent to New York Knicks in a deal where Dallas gained back Tyson Chandler.

Josh Green 

Josh Green was drafted in 2020, where he was the 18th pick. He has decent skills in passing and is an excellent and high-energy defense, who is useful on the field. However, he still lacks experience, but with time he has the capability of grabbing a bigger spot in the rotation. 

Mark Aguirre

Mark Aguirre was the first overall pick in the first round and came from De Paul University. He and Ronaldo Blackman were considered the Dynamic Duo, who allowed Dallas Maverikckes to become a solid team.

He was a top scorer in the playoffs, and his only rival for the top spot was Blackman. He has 20 points per game and is definitely one of the best Dallas Maverick player and draft pick of all time. He has had a wonderful career and has serious potential to be included in the Hall of Fame.

Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd was the second pick in the first round of the 1994 drafts and comes from the University of California- Berkeley. During his rookie season, 1994-95, he was one of the Triple Js, as he was extremely talented and caught the eye of many basketball fans.

He played two full seasons with the Dallas Mavericks after which he was traded with the Phoneix Suns. in return, Dallas got Sam Cassell, A.C. Green, and Micheal Finley. 

Despite being traded, Kidd returned to Mavericks twelve years later when he was in his mid-30s.

Detlef Schrempf

Detlef Schrempf was the 8th pick in the first round of 1985 and was from the University of Washington. In his first three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was a reliable player and was kept as a backup C/F type player, who could gain you points while your main players rested. 

However, as soon as he was traded, he become a monster in the playoffs and manage to average 19 points per game. He was also named NBA’s sixth man of the Year twice.

Derek Harper

Derek Harper was the 11th pick in 1983 and came from the Univerity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was an extremely important player for the Maverick and can be considered the third most important player on the early Maverick squad containing Ronaldo Blackman and Mark Aguirre. 

In the 1992-93 season, he was the lead scorer, and also the lead scorer of the team and averaged around 18.2 points per game. 

Jamal Mashburn 

Jamal Mashburn was drafted in the first round and was the fourth overall pick in 1993. He did not stay in Dallas Maverick for a long time and played only three full seasons. However, he greatly helped Mavericks gain some credibility when their popularity was at an all-time low. 

He had an average of 24.1 points during the 199-1995 season and played 80 games. 

Robert Traylor

Robert Traylor was the sixth draft pick in the first round in 1998. He came from the University of Michigan, and he was one of Michigan’s best. He was a part of many earth-shattering dunks. 

Although he never played a match for Dallas Mavericks, he was traded for Dirk Nowitzki, who was Maverick’s superstar. Traylor, on the other hand, did not reach the success that many people expected and averaged 4.8 points per game for his seven-year NBA career.

Jim Jackson

Jim Jackson was Dallas’s fourth pick from the first round in 1992. He was from Ohio State University and was one of the Triple Js. When he joined the Mavericks in the 1992-93 Swanson, he became the team’s second-leading scorer. 

The season he played for the Mavs, they won 11 games, and in his third season, they won 25 more games. His average was 25.7 points per game.

Kiki Vandeweghe

Kiki Vandeweghe was the 11th pick in the 1980 draft, and he was from UCLA. He was an excellent basketball player. Although he never played for the Dallas Mavericks, he became an assistant coach that helped make Dirk Nowitzki a star player for the team. 

Sam Perkins

Sam Perkins was Dallas Maverick’s fourth pick in 1984 and played for 17 years. He is one of Mav’s top 10 scorers and rebounders. However, he is often overshadowed by other players.

Mark Price

Mark Price was an extremely smart pick by the Mavericks, as he was an excellent basketball player that ended up becoming a four-time All-Star in the second round. He was the 25th pick in 1986.

Ronaldo Blackman

Ronaldo Blackman was the ninth pick in the first round in 1981. He came from Kansas State University and was an outstanding player during his time with the Mavericks. Out of his first 13 seasons, he played 11 with the Mavericks. 

His average was 20 points per game, and he was a key player in the success that Mavericks had in the playoff teams. 

Josh Howard

Josh Howard was the 29th pick in the first round of 2003 drafts. He came from Wake Forest University and was instrumental in getting Mavericks to the NBA Finals versus the Miami Heat. 

He was an excellent basketball player and helped the Mavericks go far in the NBA championships, and is one of the top draft picks by the Dallas Mavericks. 

Conclusion

Since the Dallas Mavericks became a part of the 30 NBA teams, they have used a draft system to find new talent. Thus, they have been able to find many extremely talented basketball players. However, some of their draft picks have been more successful than the rest.