2026 NBA draft thread

[DL2RimRocker]

Someone in the chat yesterday was talking about trading down if you're the Mavs. I get that they need assets, but they also need to really nail this pick. I am of the school that BPA and being right about it does not include reaching - if your genius scout just "knows" that so-and-so is going to be a superstar but everyone else in the league sees him as a project or meh rotation player, you don't take your Giannis-type with the 6th pick if you can get him with the 13th pick. You trade down for a pick in the 10-13 range and get more assets. Moreover, if you find some simp who just has to have Tractor Traylor or Anthony Edwards or similar player (i.e. might be a highly-rated prospect but your genius scout sees through the BS and knows he's going to be a bust), sure, trade down a spot or two.

But if the only way to get the BPA, the guy who is going to help your team the most, is to stay put, that's whatcha gotta do. Especially in this draft. If I have the #1 pick, I'm taking Dybantsa and running. If I have the 2nd pick, then since I don't rate Peterson (flake + injuries) or Boozer (skillset not adapted to winning in the modern NBA), I am willing to trade down to 4 or 5 - unless the teams above were dumb as dirt and picked one of the other guys instead of Dybantsa; then I'm of course using the pick to grab him (cf. the '18 draft). Perhaps the same with #3 trading down to #5 - depends on how much I value either Flemings or Wilson above the other.

The reasoning for trading down in a deep draft would be to have multiple options to hit on a player.

I dont see a huge difference in players 7-25 so to have 2 picks in that range would better our chances at landing a star and potentially getting. 

Also, we don't have many draft picks over the next few years so having 4 in this draft would be nice.

Unless there is the guy you absolutely want is there when we pick, I wouldnt mind trading down.