How NBA Draft Lottery Affects Brayden Burries

Burries’ Stats Last Season

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard was Arizona’s best offensive player last season, averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game as a freshman, knocking down another team-best 70 three-pointers at a 39 percent rate. Burries’ scoring helped Arizona get to the Final Four for the first time in decades, and helped the program have one of its best seasons in the Tommy Lloyd era. 

As such, it’s no wonder he’s been getting consideration to be selected in the lottery. His stock has risen from a potential first-round pick to essentially a lock to be chosen in the lottery since the beginning of last season. He’ll likely join a long list of players to suit up for Arizona that were selected in the lottery, such as DeAndre Ayton (1st overall, 2018), Benedict Mathurin (6th overall, 2022), Aaron Gordon (4th overall, 2014), and, most recently, Carter Bryant (14th overall, 2025). 

Which Team Makes the Most Sense 

Of all the teams picking in Burries’ projected range, the team that makes the most sense is the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is still reeling from the effects of the dramatic Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap from January 2025, and is beginning a new era under new leadership next season. 

Obviously, Brayden Burries is not anywhere close to Luka Doncic, but pairing him with Cooper Flagg — last year’s first-overall pick — gives the Mavericks a solid young duo to build around for the future. Burries brings a versatile game to the next level, as he’s shown he's more than just a scorer. His ability to rebound at a high level, and commit to the defensive side of the floor is why scouts believe he has as much upside as he’s been advertised to have. 

Burries could help the Mavericks turn things around alongside Flagg in a hurry. The team managed just a 26-56 record in the 2025-26 NBA season, but could be in for a better season next year with Flagg improving and by bringing in a player of Burries’ caliber to run alongside him.