Dallas Mavericks draft picks 2026-2032

[Dahlsim]

Stashing this here for reference. 
As of December 30, 2025, the **Dallas Mavericks**' draft picks over the next 7 NBA drafts (2026 through 2032) are as follows, based on current obligations from past trades (including the Kyrie Irving trade to Brooklyn in 2023 and others). 

### First-Round Picks

1. - **2026** — Own (unprotected)
   
2. - **2027** — Likely owed to Charlotte Hornets (protected 1-2; extremely unlikely to be protected)
   
3. - **2028** — Own, but Oklahoma City has the right to swap (OKC can take the better of their own or Dallas')
   
4. - **2029** — Likely owed in a complex swap involving Houston/Brooklyn/Phoenix (Dallas' pick is part of a group where Houston gets the best two, Brooklyn the worst); **plus** incoming unprotected from Los Angeles Lakers (from the Luka Dončić trade)
   
5. - **2030** — Involved in swap with San Antonio (complicated; Dallas may end up with the worse of their own or San Antonio's in some scenarios)
   
6. - **2031** — Own (unprotected)
   
7. - **2032** — Own (unprotected)
   

### Second-Round Picks
- **2026** — Owed out (to OKC, Phoenix, or Washington, depending on favorability)
- **2027** — Owed out (to Washington or Detroit)
- **2028** — Owed to Indiana
- **2029** — Owed to Brooklyn
- **2030** — Owed to Brooklyn; **plus** incoming from Philadelphia
- **2031** — Owed to Detroit
- **2032** — Own

In summary, the Mavericks fully control their own first-round picks in **2026**, **2031**, and **2032**, with an extra first in **2029** (Lakers). They face significant outgoing obligations or swap risks in **2027–2030**, and limited second-round assets in most years. This reflects aggressive win-now trades in recent years.

Where do they stand?  
Off the top, the Mavs roster as it stands was built on a "win-now" plan. The fill-out of veteran players is actually pretty solid if you think about a roster supporting your star players to make a run which is still the NBA way to compete for a ring. Injuries have severely impacted the post-Luka era of course but mostly this a THREE STAR team with only the rookie star Cooper having been consistently available. 

When AD actually plays along with Cooper its clear to see how much more competitive this roster can be, and that is despite the significant Lively loss and the elephant in the room, Kyrie Irving.  

• If the team stays the course its rolling the dice on AD's ability to stay on the court + Kyrie's unknown post-injury level. 
  
• If the Mavs switch timelines from aggressive win-now plan to 19 year old baby coop build it has to find at least one and preferably two NBA all-star caliber or capable to get back on track with the post-Luka intention.  
  

In terms of draft picks, Mavs are not "pickless" but they got very close given what the NBA rules would allow to emptying the cupboard. 
Dallas Mavericks and fans can be thankful for the Ted Stepien Rule because the short term thinking GM/ownership would have been quite likely to dump the 1st round of the draft as badly as they did the 2nd round.  Nico flatly stated that he simply didn't think much past 2 or 3 years at all.