2023 DRAFT: Mavs take Lively, OMP, sign Mike Miles to 2-way, sign Jordan Walker

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

Also makes a difference whether you draft the next Giannis or the next Shane Larkin.

Doesn´t make much of a difference whether you spend the MLE on the next Reggie Bullock, Delon Wright or Josh Richardson, when your team is in desperate need of more high end talent. When you have no assets the only way is the draft.

The only reason to trade down is that you are 100% convinced that your BPA will be available 4-5 spots later and you can extract extra value from a trade down. Doing it to gain some short-term financial flexibility is once again atrocious short-sighted decision-making.

True.

There's a scenario the Mavs can get a pick like Jake LaRavia, get some rotation help like Theis and also shed a contract like McGee's in one fell swoop.
But a missed opportunity of having a player on a rookie contract like Jalen Williams is going to sting.

Hendricks is playing a position of need for the Mavs. That alone should be reason enough to keep him.
The same goes for Walker.
Black is a playmaker in a wing's body -- also positions of need. But that type of talent he has, is unmistakable. You don't pass on him or trade down from him. Period.

Mavs should NOT approach the draft with the mind set of "what could we get for 10 in exchange", but rather, be open to keep the pick if the pick is a perfect fit or the level of talent is too obvious. 

It's just me, but my gut feeling is that the Mavs (Cuban most likely), already predetermined they'd trade down/trade out regardless who's available unless the guy available is a consensus top 5.