The 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner, and the Dallas Mavericks own picks No. 9 and 30 in the first round. Speculation is growing that the club could be in line for one of the top prospects in this year's class to help improve the backcourt, and rumors are that famed agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports is doing his best to ensure it happens.
Director of Basketball Scouting for CBS Sports, Adam Finkelstein, believes that former Arizona Wildcats star Brayden Burries and his representatives want to play in Dallas. Finklestein explains why he thinks Paul, who represents Burries, is trying to get his client teamed up with Cooper Flagg.
“It sounds to me, or at least there's growing evidence that [Dallas] is where Brayden Burries and his representatives want to be,” said Finkelstein… “I think there is a lot of traction here, especially when you talk about a player who's got interest from teams higher up in the draft and working him out, but has yet to go to many of those workouts.”
Kevin O'Connor, an NBA insider for Yahoo Sports, supports Finkelstein's claims, stating that he is hearing similar rumbles in the rumor mill about Burries and the Mavericks. O'Connor explains how Rich Paul steered center Derrick Lively to the Mavericks in the 2023 draft, and could seemingly be doing the same thing with Brayden Burries.
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“Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports reported that Burries hasn't taken many workouts, and there is speculation that he's trying to angle his way to Dallas. I also have heard that same chatter,” wrote O'Connor. “To add some more color to that reporting: Burries is represented by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who steered Dereck Lively to the Mavericks with the 12th pick in the 2023 draft, even though some teams picking higher wanted to select Lively.”
Brayden Burries, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft after playing one year at Arizona, is projected to go No. 11 overall to the Golden State Warriors in Brett Siegel's latest NBA mock Draft. Siegel claims Burries has risen draft boards throughout the draft process due to his high basketball IQ, impressive defensive skills, and his versatility as a teammate.
Burries looked like a star during his one season with the Wildcats. He led the Big 12 in games played with 39, averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 49.1% from the floor and hitting 39.1% of his three-point attempts.
The 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner, and the Dallas Mavericks own picks No. 9 and 30 in the first round. Speculation is growing that the club could be in line for one of the top prospects in this year's class to help improve the backcourt, and rumors are that famed agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports is doing his best to ensure it happens.