Why do the Dallas Mavericks owe their 2023 draft pick to the Knicks if it is not in the top 10?
Given the firepower that they have on the roster, it’s hard to believe that the Mavericks are where they are and even worse, minus a coveted pick in the next Draft.
It’s fair to say, that the Dallas Mavericks are not the same team that they were before they let Jalen Brunson move to the New York Knicks. Indeed, not even the addition of the enigmatic but clearly talented Kyrie Irving could prevent them from facing the real possibility of failing to make the playoffs.
Mavericks’ struggles compounded by Draft debt with Knicks
Since appearing in last year’s Western Conference finals, the Dallas Mavericks have been in a downward spiral. Now, with three games left in their regular season campaign, the Mavs are desperate to improve a base that is built around the sensational Luka Doncic and the recently arrived Kyrie Irving. The only problem is that in order to do so, it will likely require some complicated moves and quite possibly the acceptance that a Doncic/Irving pairing may not be best for the team. With that in mind, you won’t be surprised to know that reports now indicate that the Mavs are in fact considering pulling the plug on the Doncic/Irving experiment in an effort to keep their first round pick as a bargaining chip in a future trade.
“I’m told that the organization is seriously considering shutting down those guys. They have a top-10 protected pick. So being out of the play-in race, it behooves them not to try to keep their pick,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on Monday. To be clear, Dallas currently owes New York a top-10 protected selection in the next draft as a result of the Kristaps Porzingis trade which occurred back in 2019. Needless to say, any movement around said pick could have serious implications for the Knicks off-season strategy.
How do the Mavs and Knicks work this out?
Following Monday’s l32-130 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Mavericks now sit 11th in the Western Conference on a record of 37-42. With that, there is the very real possibility that they choose to simply tank their remaining games, thereby protecting their No. 10 pick from the Knicks who clinched a playoff spot on Sunday night. It will also increase the chances of the Mavs going up in the lottery. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Knicks would get the short end of the stick as they would be without a first-round selection this year due to the fact that they traded their own pick - a protected top-14 selection - to the Blazers in the Josh Hart trade and it is now guaranteed to go to Portland because of the Knicks above mentioned playoff qualification. Ultimately, the Knicks will almost certainly be hoping that the Mavericks choose to convey their pick this year given the depth of the Draft class which includes the French star, Victor Wembanyama.