Since the beginning of the 2026 calendar year, Illinois Fighting Illini freshman guard Keaton Wagler has been one of the hottest names in college basketball, and that will stick around as an almost certain lottery pick for the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Dallas Mavericks will have the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft. Not bad, but they could've moved up in the lottery to get Wagler, a name that's been floated as the perfect guard to work with Cooper Flagg. Now, it looks like a long shot to get a guy who's been compared to Tyrese Haliburton.
Per Tankathon, the Mavs are projected to pick point guard Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville, a highly skilled shooter with elite court vision. Again, not a bad pick, but the new team president, Masai Ujiri, already has his first tough assignment with Wagler slowly out of the Mavericks' hands.
Mavs will need to trade up if they want Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
It's not out of the realm of possibilities if the Mavs want to trade up to No. 5 or No. 6 and trade their No. 30 pick to get Wagler. Some fans may be against it, but to be fair, this is one of the most talented freshman classes in NBA history. With Flagg ready to break the NBA soon, he needs a true guard who's ready to seize the moment.
Wagler says he's the best guard in the draft because he's "super versatile." Of course, these are only words, but will it be enough confidence to show that the Mavericks pull the trigger and trade up?
Wagler also added the Mavs would be a "really good fit for him" (h/t Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban).
Keaton Wagler has met with the Mavericks. Says Dallas would be a “really good fit” for him.
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 13, 2026
“Being able to learn from Kyrie…Being able to play alongside Cooper Flagg, who’s one of the best players in the NBA…”
Says he tries to model his game around a few players, and… pic.twitter.com/HHPZkMtmJX
Wagler is the perfect young player who can eventually take the torch and learn from Kyrie Irving, one of the best dribblers in history. With Irving suffering an ACL tear last season, we still need to see if he can be the same explosive athlete he once was, and Wagler is a perfect excuse to develop a monster young combo with Flagg.
With Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford suffering injury after injury, the Mavs may need to look at a big man at No. 30 and keep that pick, but Ujiri can figure it out later if they do decide to trade up.
Arizona guard Brayden Burries is a name the Mavs may pick if they stick around at No. 9. Burries has been put into a tough spot with this loaded freshman class. If he were to get drafted next year, he would be a clear top-five pick, but he doesn't have the explosive dribble-driving abilities and deep-range shooting as Wagler does.
We don't want to make it seem like Mavs fans should panic if they can't get Wagler, but his archetype makes it obvious that the Mavs would be the perfect team for him. It may be a long shot now, but they have a clear solution. It's to trade up to get the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
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