What the Dallas Mavericks should do if they keep their pick
With the draft lottery now under a month away, teams will be nervously waiting to see whether or not the ping pong balls will fall in their favour.
One of the most intriguing lottery selections is that of the Dallas Mavericks. As many know, the Mavs used their fifth pick to acquire Trae Young in last year's NBA Draft, and then traded for Luka Doncic on draft night last season along with sending a top 5 protected future round 1 pick to the Atlanta Hawks.
After winning a few too many games towards the tail end of the season, Dallas slipped to the 9th best odds in this year's draft lottery. They will have a 6% chance of stealing the #1 pick, with a 26.2% chance of finding themselves in the top four, which would allow them to keep their pick.
Otherwise, the odds show it will most likely be a pick between 9th and 11th which will be sent to Atlanta. So here are the options Dallas should consider taking if they do end up at any of the top 4 spots.
Pick #1: Take Zion Williamson
This is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who finds themselves lucky enough to secure the number one pick in the draft in this lottery. Zion Williamson is, without a doubt, the most hyped up one-and-done player in the history of the NBA and any front office that refuses to take him will most likely be fired within a year.
Zion is exciting, athletic and a freak of nature. At 6'8, 225 pounds, Zion Williamson has the potential to become one of the greats of the NBA, and even though fellow Duke teammate RJ Barrett was the consensus number one pick going into this college season, there is now no question that it should be Zion.
With a 6% chance of landing the number one pick, taking Zion would leave Dallas with a young superstar core of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Zion Williamson. That will also give them the cap room to sign another star to a max deal this off season, leaving them in potentially the best position the franchise has ever been in, outside the prime Dirk era.