The Dallas Mavericks own the No. 9 pick in next month's NBA Draft, and they have plenty of talent to choose from what is perceived to be one of the most loaded classes in recent memory.
The Mavericks missed the playoffs for the second straight year after spiraling to a 26-56 record—their worst finish since the 2017-2018 season.
But if there was a silver lining, it was Cooper Flagg's emergence as the face of the franchise. He lived up to the hype as the No. 1 pick and was named Rookie of the Year. With the Mavericks having a top-10 selection again, they can add more blue-chip talent to help Flagg.
A possible target is Yexel Lendeborg. He led Michigan to the national title and is projected to be plucked in the top 10.
Lendeborg said he has not yet met with the Mavericks, but he believes he could be a good fit, as shared by Mavericks reporter Noah Weber.
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“My favorite player growing up was Kyrie Irving, so I'm a big fan of him. Cooper Flagg is a generational talent. So I feel like playing alongside him would be great. I feel like we complement each other well. We're two bigger guard, wing kind players who can switch and just cause havoc wherever we are. It would be very exciting to play with those two guys,” said Lendeborg.
The do-it-all forward averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks in his lone stint with the Wolverines.
Lendeborg was named Big Ten Player of the Year and earned nods to the Consensus First Team All-American, All-Big Ten First Team, and Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
He would likely play backup to Flagg if he gets picked by the Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks own the No. 9 pick in next month's NBA Draft, and they have plenty of talent to choose from what is perceived to be one of the most loaded classes in recent memory. The Mavericks missed the playoffs for the second straight year after spiraling to a 26-56 record—their worst finish since the 2017-2018 season.