Dirk Nowitzki reveals Mavericks considered drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013
Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo proved to be arguably the 2013 NBA draft's biggest steal after falling all the way to pick No. 15. However, according to Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, his former squad nearly selected Antetokounmpo a couple of picks earlier.
The 2013 draft was widely considered an all-time weak draft with no consensus top picks. The Cleveland Cavaliers infamously selected UNLV forward Anthony Bennett No. 1, who garnered a reputation as one of the biggest draft busts in league history.
Conversely, Milwaukee struck gold by taking a chance on Antetokounmpo, a then-raw, skinny athletic prospect out of Greece at No. 15. After a few years of development, he established himself as one of the NBA's premier two-way players.
"The Greek Freak" later won back-to-back MVP awards (2019 and 2020), leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship. However, according to Nowitzki, things almost played out differently.
On the "Thanalysis Show" on Friday, the Hall of Famer recounted Dallas considering drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo with its No. 13 pick. The franchise was two years removed from its 2011 title and looking to improve upon its middling 41-41 record. However, Nowitzki noted that he was skeptical of Antetokounmpo, as he was a relatively unknown prospect.
"It's actually a funny story. I was in the draft room when Giannis was in the draft," Nowitzki said. "So, we had a pretty high pick because we didn't have a great season, and one of our GMs is like, 'We need to draft Giannis.' He puts on the video, and it was this grainy footage from second division in Greece. I'm like, 'What? This kid is this skinny.' I'm like, 'That is hilarious.'"
Nowitzki added that Antetokounmpo's unexpected rise to prominence is a prime example of basketball's worldwide growth.
"That just shows how far the game has come and the scouts seeing everybody now, and so, yeah, he's been an incredible talent in our league," Nowitzki said.
Mavericks failed to land high-impact player after passing on Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013 NBA draft
As for the direction Dallas went with its 2013 No. 13 pick after passing on drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo, it made a series of draft trades.
After selecting Gonzaga big man Kelly Olynyk at No. 13, the Mavericks shipped him to the Boston Celtics for the 16th pick and two 2014 second-round picks. They later swapped No. 16 (Lucas Nogueira) to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that netted them the 18th pick, Miami guard Shane Larkin.
Larkin lasted only one season with Dallas, averaging 2.8 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, shooting 38.0% over 48 games. The undersized (5-foot-11) guard ultimately played four NBA seasons before transitioning to playing overseas.
So, in hindsight, most would probably agree that the Mavericks struck out big time on the 2013 draft.
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