A year after the “Miracle of May 12th”, when Dallas defied a 1.8% chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Mavericks will pick ninth in the 2026 NBA Draft, one spot lower than their pre-lottery position of eighth.
Dallas had a 29% chance to move into the top four and a 6.7% chance to select No. 1 for the second consecutive season.
Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz told reporters at the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago that he is confident Dallas will still select a rotation player at No. 9.
“I think we want someone who can bring a variety of different skills and bring a mentality that we’re looking for,” Schmitz said. “But we’re really confident we can get a rotation-level player and we’re gonna do everything we can.”
Schmitz also said the Mavericks have not narrowed down a position they want to target.
“I think we’re looking for someone who can fit our culture, have an impact at a high level for many years to come, and I think that’s the beauty of this class,” Schmitz said. “It’s very deep, there’s a wide variety of players at different positions that bring different skill sets and so we’re gonna bring those guys in and really vet the market and get a really good player.”
Fortunately for the Mavericks, they selected Cooper Flagg, who won Rookie of the Year, with the No. 1 pick last season. They hold one of the best young assets in the NBA and have an opportunity to pair him with another foundational piece.
The Mavericks have selected franchise legends Dirk Nowitzki (1998) and Rolando Blackman (1981) with the ninth pick, along with Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017. The following year, the team traded up to select Luka Doncic.
Shawn Marion, Amar’e Stoudemire, Andre Iguodala, DeMar DeRozan and Tracy McGrady are among the players selected ninth overall throughout NBA history.
This is the second straight season Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri has pick ninth overall. He and the Toronto Raptors selected Collin Murray-Boyles, who was one of the breakout starts on the playoffs.
Dallas owns the ninth, 30th and 48th picks in the draft.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23 (Round 1) and June 24 (Round 2).