Dallas enters the 2026 draft with two first-round picks — No. 9 overall and the No. 30 pick acquired from Oklahoma City — and Bleacher Report projects the Mavericks to take Arizona’s Brayden Burries at No. 9 and Arizona’s Koa Peat at No. 30, adding two Wildcats to a roster anchored by Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Dallas controls neither its own first-round pick (which goes to OKC as part of the Luka Doncic trade) nor a second-round pick, but receives the No. 9 pick from a trade with another team (via a prior transaction chain) and the No. 30 from OKC. This creates a scenario where the Mavericks can add talent without tanking — a requirement, given the Flagg-Irving pairing is built to compete.

Burries is one of the most interesting guards in this class. The Arizona freshman started slow as a top-10 recruit, then erupted once Pac-12 play began, averaging north of 20 points in conference while helping lead the Wildcats to the Final Four. Multiple NBA executives cited his Combine measurements — 215 pounds at 6-foot-4, 25 to 35 pounds heavier than every other lottery guard — as a major factor in his rising stock. His physical sturdiness means he can defend multiple guard positions without getting bullied, and his scoring game relies on manipulation, strength, and shiftiness rather than pure burst. He reminds evaluators of a stockier Eric Gordon.

The fit alongside Flagg and Irving is direct. Burries’ defensive versatility and shooting allow him to play off both stars without demanding the ball. He can occupy the weak side in half-court sets, trail in transition for catch-and-shoot threes, and defend the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer. The Mavericks’ best lineups under new president Masai Ujiri will feature Flagg as the primary creator — Burries enables those lineups without conflicting with them.

The player immediately after Burries at No. 9 is Nate Ament, the Tennessee forward who goes to Milwaukee at No. 10. Ament is a 6-foot-10 wing with two-way creation upside and injury risk after a difficult freshman season. Dallas choosing Burries over Ament reflects a preference for floor over ceiling — for a player who will contribute reliably from day one rather than one who requires patience through development.

At No. 30, Peat is a fascinating dart throw. The Arizona power forward entered the season as a projected lottery pick, but his inability to shoot from distance pushed him toward the back end of the first round. At 6-foot-8 with 245 pounds of functional strength, rim finishing ability, creative passing for a big man, and defensive versatility, he represents genuine buy-low value. Dallas, with Flagg as its long-term centerpiece forward, needs versatile bigs who can function in modern lineups without demanding the ball or requiring spacing.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Brayden Burries
CBS Sports	Brayden Burries
Tankathon	Brayden Burries
Yahoo Sports	Karim López

CBS Sports projects Burries to Dallas at No. 9 across Finkelstein’s and Parrish’s recent mocks. Tankathon places Burries ninth as well. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor differs, projecting Karim López — the Mexico-born international forward known for his versatility and basketball IQ — to Dallas, citing new Mavericks president Masai Ujiri’s history of favoring jumbo-sized versatile forwards in his drafts from his Toronto days.

Ujiri’s presence in Dallas is worth emphasizing. His track record of building through the draft and adding high-IQ international players — think Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes — suggests the Mavericks will approach these picks with long-term fits in mind rather than short-term hole-filling. Burries checks the competitive-culture box that Ujiri consistently prioritizes, and Peat has the physical tools to develop into a rotation contributor within two seasons if his shot-creation improves.

Taking Burries with a competitive team’s lottery pick and Peat as a low-cost addition at No. 30 gives Dallas a smart night — adding depth that doesn’t disrupt the Flagg-Irving ecosystem while maintaining the athletic, defensive identity Ujiri is trying to instill.