DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2023 NBA Draft with many options at their disposal. They could either stay put and make a pick for their future, or use the pick as trade ammo for a veteran.
Listen to The Get Right's break down of the Mavs draft night moves below starting at 31:45
On Thursday night, it turned out to be a little bit of both, with the Mavs trading the No. 10 overall pick, plus veteran Davis Bertans in exchange for the No. 12 pick.
And with that pick, the Mavs selected Duke big man Dereck Lively, and a young key piece for the future rotation.
The Mavs selected Cason Wallace for Oklahoma City as part of the deal.
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At Duke, Lively wasn't wildly productive, but possesses the tools that the Mavs coveted, averaging 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
As a result of the trade, the Mavericks not only move of off the $17 million contract of Bertans, but also acquired a trade exception, creating extensive flexibility for summer roster building.
With the pick now in, and Lively secured, the Mavs future looks that much brighter... and as a result, Luka Doncic is likely that much happier as well.
In other words, a win-win-win for the Mavs.