Dallas Mavericks’ 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history

Picking late in the first round of the NBA Draft is still a first-round pick at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the Mavs decided to waste it on Russian center Pavel Podkolzin. Podkolzin played just six games across two seasons putting up 0.7 points per game in the NBA.

Dallas would’ve been better off with the likes of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, defensive ace Tony Allen, or at least Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao. While the Mavericks some great history in drafting European prospects, Podkolzin was not one of them.

9. Sam Perkins – 1984

Sam Perkins was undeniably a reliable starter for the Dallas Mavericks. He was way ahead of his time as a stretch big man but never made an All-Star team. Unfortunately, selecting Perkins led to the Mavericks missing out on a generational talent like Charles Barkley, who was just selected a pick later by the Philadelphia 76ers. Barkley went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

8. Randy White – 1989

Regarded as one of the worst draft night moves, the Mavericks had the eighth overall pick at the 1989 NBA Draft, eventually using it to pick Louisiana Tech star Randy White. The 6-foot-8 forward was relatively a bust, averaging 7.4 points per game in just five seasons. Dallas missed out on better talent, including the likes of Shawn Kemp and Tim Hardaway. Vlade Divac, Dana Barros, or B.J. Armstrong might’ve been better selections as well.

7. Wang Zhizhi – 1999

Selecting in the second round with the 36th overall pick in a draft doesn’t exactly hold a huge risk. But for the Mavericks, it turned out to be a heartbreaker, as they missed out on eventual Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili. Instead of picking Ginobili, Dallas settled with Chinese basketball star Wang Zhizhi, who only played in the NBA for five seasons.

6. Etan Thomas – 2000

The 2000 NBA Draft Class was one of the worst talent-wise. However, that still wasn’t an excuse for Dallas to waste a first-round draft pick, which they used to pick up Syracuse University standout Etan Thomas. The 6-foot-9 center was traded to the Washington Wizards and fell to injury, spiraling into an underwhelming nine-year NBA career.

While it was a horrendous draft class, Dallas still had a chance to select better prospects such as Jamaal Magloire and Michael Redd, both of which turned into All-Stars. Another option could’ve been Hedo Turkoglu.

5. Samaki Walker – 1996

Samaki Walker never lived up to the bill as a Top 10 pick, having career averages of just 5.3 points per game. To add insult to injury, the Mavericks ultimately dropped the ball by missing out on future MVPs Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash to go along with sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic. Fortunately for Dallas, they did manage to acquire the services of Nash and Stojakovic later on, with the latter helping the franchise win a championship in 2011.

4. Byron Mullens – 2009

At the 2009 draft, the Mavs selected Byron Mullens with the 24th pick. While promising, he was only used as a trade asset to acquire Rodrigue Beaubois and a second-round draft pick. Beaubois played in the NBA for four seasons. By selecting Mullens, the Mavs failed to select premiere 3-and-D player Danny Green, who won three NBA championships with three different franchises as a key role player. Dallas might’ve been better as well had they drafted Patrick Beverley or Patty Mills.

3. Kelly Olynyk – 2013

Kelly Olynyk is an impactful player, capable of stretching the floor while possessing size to shore up the frontcourt. However, the Mavs only used him as a trade asset to get 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira and two second-round picks.

It was an underwhelming draft trade haul that saw Dallas miss out on blue-chip prospect Giannis Antetokounmpo, who would become a future two-time NBA MVP. They also forfeited the opportunity to get eventual four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

2. Josh Green – 2020

The Mavericks certainly benefitted from the hustle and energy that Josh Green provided. However, his inconsistency proved to be costly, especially when the Mavs finally reached the 2024 NBA Finals.

Looking back at the 2020 NBA Draft, when Dallas selected with the 18th overall pick in the first round, the team might’ve enjoyed a more impactful player as they missed out on 2024 NBA Most Improved Player and All-Star Tyrese Maxey and 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard. Other notable players missed include Jaden McDaniels and Desmond Bane.

1. Dennis Smith Jr. – 2017

Around this time, the Mavericks were preparing for life after Dirk Nowitzki, who was nearing the end of his career. At the 2017 NBA Draft, the Mavericks selected with the ninth overall pick, using it to draft NC State star Dennis Smith Jr. While his athleticism initially turned some heads, injuries and defenses exposed his limitations.

To make matters worse, drafting Luka Doncic a year later proved that Smith wasn’t a great fit with the franchise. By selecting DSJ, the Mavs gave up the chance to select the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Derrick White, and OG Anunoby, all of whom has had a longer career compared to DSJ as they’re impact players for legitimate playoff contenders.