Dallas Mavericks Fall in 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

Mother's Day was a big moment for the future of the Dallas Mavericks. They're looking for another young star to pair with Cooper Flagg and build the team around, and this may be their last good chance to do so.

It has been well documented that this is the last year that the Mavericks control their first-round pick until 2031. There's a good chance this is their last time in the lottery for the next decade, unless they get lucky on other trades, the Lakers' pick in 2029 jumps, or the swaps they owe the Thunder in 2028 and Spurs in 2030 somehow end up with both teams in the lottery. By then, they hope the team will be good enough around Flagg to not be near the lottery.

They entered Sunday afternoon with the 8th-best odds of winning the lottery. 2025 was the first time they had ever improved their standing in the lottery, and it gifted them Cooper Flagg. But how did the 2026 lottery go? We found out a little bit after 2 p.m. CST.

Dallas Mavericks Fall In Lottery, Will Pick 9th

Rolando Blackman was back on stage to represent the Dallas Mavericks after being on stage last year while they landed the first pick. Matt Riccardi was also back in his role from last year, where he was backstage for the off-camera drawing.

That resulted in the Mavs landing the 9th pick in the lottery this year, getting jumped by the Chicago Bulls. They'll pair that with the 30th pick and the 46th pick, which they received as part of the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards. That will help build out a team with young talent under a new front office with Team President Masai Ujiri and General Manager Mike Schmitz.

The Mavericks had the 9th pick in 2017, which they used on Dennis Smith Jr. They also took Rolando Blackman with the 9th pick in 1981, and Dirk Nowitzki was the 9th overall pick in 1998, whom they acquired in a draft-day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Early Draft Prospects to Know for Mavericks' Lottery Pick

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) celebrates after a play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Now that the Mavericks know they'll be picking 9th, here are a few draft prospects you'll want to get familiar with until the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23rd.

Labaron Philon is a talented guard from Alabama who made a living on the defensive end as a freshman, but broke out as a scorer this year.

Brayden Burries from Arizona is one of the draft's best shooters and was arguably the best player on one of the nation's best teams. Dallas needs shooting from their backcourt, and he could be a good fit.

If they go away from the backcourt, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg and Tennessee's Nate Ament are possible names, as much as fans don't like Ament.

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