The Dallas Mavericks are going to have a busy next seven days, hiring a head coach (hopefully before the NBA Draft) and picking at No. 9. Lots of noise about who that could be, including Arizona guard Brayden Burries and Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.
However, there is one dark horse candidate that Mavs fans have heard before, and that's New Zealand Breakers international forward, Karim Lopez. This is the second time that Lopez has been linked to the Mavs, and honestly, that's no accident. Could he be the steal of the lottery that no one expected?
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports seems to think so in his latest mock draft. A Lopez pick would be for two reasons. One: The Mavericks' main options are taken up. Two: His archetype may remind fans of someone they know. Someone named Luka Doncic.
"(Lopez) checks a lot of boxes with his excellent physical tools, a hard-nosed approach, a well-rounded ability to defend multiple positions and handle the ball, and a blossoming shot," O'Connor says. "But he's thus far more of a jack-of-all-trades since his jumper runs hot and cold and he lacks the burst to blow by defenders off the bounce."
Mavericks linked to Mexican prospect Karim Lopez for the No. 9 pick
Lopez is a 6-foot-8 forward at 225 pounds, and if he's a physical forward who can get inside the paint with ease and defend multiple positions, Lopez may be the definition of a steal. As someone who became a pro in his mid-teens and has been playing at that level for five years, Lopez has a story just like Doncic.
At 14 years old, Lopez left Mexico to play professionally in Barcelona. For the past two years, he's been playing with the New Zealand Breakers. His physique, skill and body type have made him an increasing attraction in the NBA Draft. Lopez has a 7'1" wingspan, and for comparison, that's the same wingspan as the potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dyabantsa.
"Lopez is the best basketball prospect Mexico has ever produced," O'Connor said.
Saying the best prospect a country has ever produced is one thing, but he already has the tools to be next to a star. For some critics who say the Mavs need a true guard and not another body type like Flagg, both he and Lopez could make for a deadly combo on both sides of the ball. They can easily play as the three and/or the four.
Burries has been picked as the consensus favorite to be picked by the Mavs, but he could also slip out of the top 10. Does Dallas want to risk missing out on a potential steal?
No one is saying Lopez is going to be the next Donovan Mitchell or Tyler Herro, who were overlooked in their respective draft classes, but Lopez is a rising prospect, and if the Mavs pick him, fans should be psyched.
Even if Brown Jr. or Burries are still on the board, Lopez deserves a hard, long look.
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