29. Dallas Mavericks: 4 points
- 2003: Josh Howard: 1.5 (1x all-star, 1.5x multiplier for pick outside of lottery)
- 2004: Devin Harris: 1 (1x all-star)
- 2012: Jae Crowder: 0.5
- 2018: Luka Doncic: 1 (1x all-star)
The Dallas Mavericks history over the last two decades shows that they’ve never had a real interest in building through the draft, instead opting for a more aggressive approach of trades and free-agent signings – and you can’t really argue with the results.
They’ve been to two NBA Finals since the start of the century, winning one (2011), and they have the second-most wins of any team during that span. Their new mission is similar to their last one – surround Doncic with the same kind of weapons they did for Dirk in his prime.
Picking up Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for a couple likely late first-round picks and a salary dump is a good start, and they have the owner and resources to pull it off. In an era where the popular method for improvement is tanking, it’s nice to see a team succeed who does things a little differently.