The Dallas Mavericks have the pick everyone desires. In a draft that promised, they hold the rights to the number one pick. Getting Cooper Flagg after losing Luka Doncic almost feels like the beginning of a new era in Dallas. The Mavs couldn’t even hold themselves as they accidentally leaked picking the Duke phenom with their pick. However, this draft is a deep sea of talent. So, Nico Harrison doesn’t just want to settle for Flagg. He wants to dabble more in the first-round pick, and there are a few options the Mavs could hope to get.

The reason behind doing this falls to the loss of Kyrie Irving. Nursing a torn ACL, the Mavs are short of a true point guard on their roster. They do have some alternatives. But this draft provides the opportunity to grab a young player who could learn a lot from Kyrie Irving. Locked On Mavericks’ Isaac Harris analysed a bunch of prospects. He’s narrowed down to a few that could help Dallas with their thin point guard rotation.

The first being under the assumption that the organization can find a trade partner to get a late ten’s pick in the draft. In Harris’ estimation, if that happens, the Mavericks could benefit with the selection of Jase Richardson from Michigan.

He’s the son of former Heat forward Josh Richardson. But while he is an NBA legacy, Jase didn’t get his father’s height. Standing at 6’3”, Harris feels it’s inevitable for opponents to ‘take advantage’ of him. But the balance is almost comparable to KAI.

“You look at all the offensive stuff and it’s pretty dang good. Like, I mean, this dude shot 41% from three, 45% catch and shoot shots. Um, you look at him finishing at the rim and you don’t want to compare anybody to Kyrie because anybody like no one is Kyrie Irving, but you get the little nod whenever you find players that are under 6’2 that can finish really well in the paint… So, he’s so craftier on the basket and I would love for him to like learn under Kyrie Irving and stuff yeah, just that part of his game and get make that even better,” he said about Richardson.

But how will all of this happen? The Mavericks need to find ways to get picks. Likewise, Harris has identified three teams that can help.

The path for the Mavericks to reappear in the first round

When it comes to potentially picking Richardson, Harris is looking at the Brooklyn Nets. The franchise holds four first-round picks this year. I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. And their 19 pick is what he sees as a safety net to have a chance at grabbing Jase Richardson in case he does slip, because he appears small. However, they can’t leave so much up to fate.

There has to be a backup plan. And so, another choice to run the show is the reigning national champion. The Gators’ Walton Clayton Jr. saw his stock rise incredibly after his distinguished showing during the NCAA tournament. He’s projected to go late in the first round, a spot the Mavericks could take with some help.

“There are three teams I’m looking at. One, you have OKC…  They have a stacked, loaded roster. Are they really going to add multiple rookies to this team again?” Harris wonders. The other team is the Atlanta Hawks, who hold the 22 pick, two ahead of the Thunder.

They might still help fetch Richardson in case he drops to the early 20s. However, for Clayton Jr., Harris thinks the Nets could be in play again. They also hold the 26 and 27 selections, a realistic range to draft the Florida point guard. If a national championship wasn’t convincing enough, Harris feels he has the deliverables.

“I was reading something about him and they described him shooting uh like he can shoot the ball in the foam booth. Uh basically meaning like it doesn’t matter how much space he has, he can get a shot off. I love, this is a weird thing, but I love how far off the ground he gets with his jump shots and threes and stuff. He’s just a bucket getter and he’s a winner and he’s confident and he has the clutch gene,” he said about the Gators guard on Locked on Mavericks.

And even if not for them, the Mavericks could have other options to fill up their guard rotation through the draft. It doesn’t require them to trade anything significant and gives them a friendly contract. It’s a winning situation for them. But with Flagg secured, will any of these teams actually help them?