Mock Draft: Dallas Mavericks Add Lengthy Guard

The Dallas Mavericks have quickly become one of the top storylines of the 2024-25 NBA season.

In a still-bewildering move, they offloaded Luka Doncic in favor of Lakers superstar Anthony Davis, who’s now sidelined due to injury. While front office and player alike have asserted the goal is still a championship, the on-court play doesn’t scream the same picture.

As it stands now, the team has the thirteenth-best odds at the 2025 NBA Draft, good for a lottery pick. The Mavericks will likely have a few options: draft a project player who could become the star they lost down the line, or more win-now role players to help the core of Kyrie Irving and Davis.

In a recent mock draft posted by NBA Draft on SI, the Mavericks leaned the former, adding lengthy project guard Egor Demin, of BYU.

At 6-foot-9, Demin has offered one of the more polarizing prospects in the entire cycle. For some, the five-star is a moldable prospect that could pay massive dividends down the line. And for others, a player simply not ready for the NBA just yet.

Across 26 games with BYU, Demin has averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 42% overall and 28% from beyond the arc. He’s shown off a ridiculous 35% assist percentage while showing the capabilities to legitimately play guard.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Demin: “Again, although he’s the size of a wing, the guard skills are evident. In fact, there’s reason to believe Demin could play guard minutes at the next levels and lead an offense for long stretches. It’s still unclear what his full-time position projects to be in the NBA, but that’s okay because versatility is a good thing. The upside as a primary creator and facilitator is certainly there if it's needed wherever he lands.”

With this selection, the Mavericks would be taking a massive gamble that Demin would pan out down the line, but one that could certainly work in their favor in the form of a useable 6-foot-9 point guard. Demin, of course, won’t supplant the production lost in Doncic, but there’s certainly some overlap in his ability to distribute with size.

For now, the Mavericks will continue to trudge through what’s been a wild 2024-25 season.