The NBA Draft is right around the corner, and everybody is buzzing about who will be Cooper Flagg's running mate for the next few years.
It looks like it's going to be a guard-forward combo with Flagg and whoever. But one report suggests the Dallas Mavericks are still in the hunt for the versatile guard and deadly shooter, Keaton Wagler from Illinois.
Kevin O'Connor from Yahoo Sports says the Los Angeles Clippers aren't idolizing Wagler, as league sources have told him. It gives the Mavs a slim but growing chance to get one of the best shooters in the draft. Here's O'Connor's analysis:
"Inevitably, someone will slip on draft night. And it could be Wagler, since league sources say the Clippers aren’t head over heels in love with him for the fifth pick."
Mavs still have a chance to draft Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
O'Connor adds that he has Wagler going to the Sacramento Kings as the No. 7 pick. It's still not No. 9, but there's still some hope. O'Connor picks Arizona guard Brayden Burries to go to the Mavericks at No. 9, as Burries has been a name buzzing around the Mavs lately.
Wagler might need to put on some size, but other than that, he's the complete package who can drive inside, kick it out and knock it down from deep. He averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range. A lot of those threes have come from NBA range, and he already fits the billing of another Tyrese Haliburton.
One clear solution is the Mavs trading up for Wagler, largely because it's still going to be an uphill battle and some luck for Wagler to land at No. 9. Wagler is going to be a lottery pick no matter what, but his falling all the way to No. 9 will still take a miracle.
It helps that the Clippers may be trading down. The only bump in the road is that the Oklahoma City Thunder have more assets to make an enticing move, and it's possible the 2025 champions could move up.
In any trade, the Mavs will probably have to give their No. 30 overall pick to the Kings, and the Kings may ask for another player in the process. The Kings need a guard with Domantas Sabonis in the picture, but league sources are exploring the possibility of Sabonis getting traded.
It could be a crazy draft night for the Mavericks, but there's at least a glimmer of hope in getting Wagler, their perfect running mate next to Flagg for the next few years.
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