Every NBA team needs a direction. The Dallas Mavericks may have found theirs. The organization just hired Masai Ujiri as its team president. This is a big deal. Ujiri is not your average NBA executive. He has distinct preferences that can shape a team’s identity.
Specifically, Ujiri values length, size, and defense. He wants as many rangy players on his roster as possible. If you have plus positional size, Ujiri will be interested in adding you to his squad.
This could provide some clarity on the Mavericks’ direction in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Dallas Mavericks Could Draft a Jumbo Playmaker at No. 9
Dallas slipped from 8th to 9th odds in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and will pick 9th overall. By the time their selection comes around, the top tier — AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and likely Caleb Wilson — should be off the board.
After that, the board opens up.
Some pundits would slot Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. in around the 5-7 range. To be sure, he’d be one of the most dynamic offensive players available. That said, his diminutive size makes him a potential defensive liability. That’s never been Ujiri’s style — and the Mavericks won’t be picking that high to take him anyway.
By contrast, Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. fits the Ujiri bill perfectly, and he’s realistically in play at 9.
That’s not to say he’s a perfect prospect. Brown Jr. shot a solid-but-unexceptional 34.4% from 3 this year. His 4.7 assists against 3.1 turnovers per game is a concerning ratio for a primary ball handler. A lingering back injury also limited him to 21 games at Louisville. Still, his upside is too tantalizing to ignore.
Brown Jr. is a 6-foot-5 point guard with a 6-foot-7.5 wingspan. He flashed tremendous creativity in his drive-and-kick game, even if the decision-making didn’t always pay off. If his game can be properly cultivated, Brown Jr. could be a star.
Are the Mavericks the organization to cultivate it?
Dallas Mavericks Should Be Open-Minded in the 2026 NBA Draft
Brown Jr. is not the perfect fit next to Cooper Flagg. Preferably, one of them would be a better shooter. They’re both ball-dominant playmakers. Yet an imperfect fit can still be viable.
Flagg has off-ball value as a cutter. Moreover, 34.4% isn’t a bad percentage. If Brown Jr. can bump that figure up a couple of percentage points, the Mavericks would be fine.
They’d also have an identity to lean on. With a 6-foot-5 point guard, Dallas could build a roster with plus-size players at every position. That’s always been Ujiri’s preference. He may begin acting on it in the upcoming draft by taking Brown Jr.
That would give the Mavericks a direction.
