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Who did Mavericks select after tanking to keep Knicks from getting draft pick?

By Jordanna Clark

Jan 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in attendance during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in attendance during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Well, it turns out that the Mavericks didn’t use their No. 10 pick to select a player after all. Instead, Dallas traded Davis Bertans and the pick to Oklahoma City for the No. 12 pick, where the Mavericks selected Dereck Lively out of Duke. If only the New York Knicks would’ve been lucky enough to be awarded the No. 11 or No. 12 pick at the draft lottery.

Dallas managed to get off the $17 million that Bertans is owed next season while gaining the full midlevel exception and trade exception in the process. The Mavericks are doing what they can to try to clear up cap space to hopefully sign Kyrie Irving in free agency this offseason.

By doing so, Dallas boosted its interior presence by drafting Lively. In his freshman season as a Blue Devil, he averaged 5.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 34 games. Knicks fans might not like to hear this, but the Mavericks did what they were hoping to do and made a great selection. The Luka Doncic-Lively pick-and-roll is going to be something, that’s for sure.

Mavericks trade back, select Dereck Lively with No. 12 pick after keeping Knicks out of 2023 NBA Draft

Because Knicks fans were all over Twitter saying it, if New York would’ve had the No. 11 or No. 12 pick in the draft, the organization could’ve added another Villanova player in Cam Whitmore. The 18-year-old has fallen down draft boards due to health concerns, although it hasn’t been specified what those health concerns are. However, Knicks fans know to always bet on the Villanova guy.

Don’t spend too much time dwelling on who New York could’ve selected if Dallas would’ve prioritized making it to the play-in tournament rather than finishing with the 10th-worst regular season record. Mark Cuban is going to Mark Cuban.

Here’s something that fans can think about instead — at least the Knicks have Jalen Brunson. Never let the Mavericks forget that they let the star point guard walk for nothing in free agency. He’s worth more than a 2023 NBA Draft lottery pick.

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