DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - We're just a week away from the NBA Draft and the Mavericks' No. 18 and No. 31 selections.
Who are the experts leaning towards the end of the pre-draft process? We went ahead and compiled several mock drafts to see who they think Dallas will select with their first-round pick.
Jonathan Givony, ESPN: Kira Lewis, Guard, Alabama
Lewis, 19, is a 6'3" point guard from Alabama. Giovony says he has "impressive speed and plus-shooting indicators" and he is "capable of playing on or off the ball."
Lewis averaged 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game for the Crimson Tide last season. He earned All-SEC First-Team honors in 2020.
Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report: Tyrese Maxey, Guard, Kentucky
Maxey, 20, is a 6'3" shooting guard from Dallas. He was a McDonald's All-American at South Garland High School in 2019. He earned All-SEC Second-Team honors in 2020.
Maxey averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and nearly a steal a game for the Wildcats last season.
Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer: Aaron Nesmith, Forward, Vanderbilt
Nesmith, 21, is a 6'6" small forward Charleston, South Carolina. He only appeared in 14 games last season for the Commodores, averaging 23 points, 4.9 rebounds, and nearly one assist and one block per game.
According to O'Connor, Nesmith "possesses a flamethrower jump shot; he projects easily as a high-end role player, though he flashes raw ability off the dribble."
Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports: R.J. Hampton, Guard, USA
Hampton, 19, is a 6''5" guard from Dallas. Hampton was a five-star recruit while staring at Little Elm High School. Hampton was heavily recruited by the top college basketball programs in the nation, but he elected to go pro and signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL in Australia.
Hampton struggled in the NBL but he remains "one of the more polarizing prospects in the draft," Ward-Henninger writes.
He averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 15 games played last season.
Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: Josh Green, Guard, Arizona
Green, 19, is a 6'6" shooting guard from Sydney, Australia. He was named a McDonald's All-American while playing for IMG Academy in Florida in 2019.
Green averaged 12 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 30 games played for the Wildcats last season.
According to O'Donnell, "Green is the definition of an elite athlete on the wing while also offering projectable spot-up shooting."
Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld: Jalen Smith, Forward/Center, Maryland
Smith, 20, is a 6'10" forward/center from Virginia. He averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game 31 games played for the Terps last season.
Johnson says Smith is "athletic and works hard on both ends of the floor." He shot pretty well for a big-man, shooting 36.8% from three and 53.8% from the field.