The Dallas Mavericks have choices to make at the No. 9 pick. They could trade up or move down, but one thing they can't control is what other teams decide to do, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are now a threat to the Mavericks' pick at No. 9.
ESPN's Marc J. Spears says the Thunder are looking to move up in the NBA Draft. The 2025 champions currently hold the No. 12 and No. 17 picks, respectively. The Thunder already have 12 first-round picks and 13 second-round picks over the next five years. They can use those picks to move up in the draft, and they have every reason to do so.
While it doesn't look like Thunder general manager Sam Presti will do a deal with the Mavericks directly, he can move his team up in the top 10 and get one of the best guards this class has to offer.
The Thunder moving up in the draft would not be good for the Mavericks
The Thunder are already in contention for years to come, and now, if they trade up, they can draft Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, or Keaton Wagler. A team like the Thunder getting one of the best guards in arguably the best freshman class of all-time is trouble for the Mavericks.
This is also a preview of what will happen for years to come. The Thunder already have their team set, and while some pieces like Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, or Andrew Wiggins may be lined up to leave, the Thunder can use their draft capital to turn into an even more explosive team.
A team can have up to 18 players, with a maximum of 15 on standard contracts and three on two-way contracts. Presti will have to give up some of that draft capital in due time, and it looks like he's already trying to make something work in his favor this summer. Presti has tons of weapons to use for the next few years, and the rest of the NBA is just going to have to live with it.
The Mavericks are looking to draft a guard next to Cooper Flagg to make for an elite guard/forward combo for years to come. There are rumors that the Mavs have been giving Tennessee forward Nate Ament a look, and while he's a versatile scorer, he needs to get stronger defending in the paint.
The Thunder moving up would wreck the whole league, but of course, that means the Mavs too.
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