When the Dallas Mavericks entered the 2018 NBA Draft, they were eager to start a new era. The Mavs drafted Luka Doncic with the third overall pick, and Doncic has been the perfect pick for the Mavs as they found a franchise player to build around. But, the Mavs needed another player to pair with Doncic at the draft.
The Mavericks had the first pick (33rd overall) in the second round of the draft. Teams need excellent value when drafting a second-rounder, and the Mavs drafted Jalen Brunson from Villanova. While some thought the Mavs made a mistake, Brunson would turn into a reliable starter starting in the 2020-21 season.
Brunson silenced his critics with an impressive playoff performance in 2022 when the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Although the Mavs lost Brunson to free agency in 2022 to the New York Knicks, Brunson turned out to be the right pick for the team.
Mark Cuban dives into the journey to draft Jalen Brunson
Mark Cuban made an appearance on the “Roommates Show” with Josh Hart, Matt Hillman and Brunson. Hart asked Cuban why he drafted Brunson in 2018.
Cuban revealed Mavericks scouts were pressuring him to make Brunson the pick with him being a winner and champion at Villanova, and scouts claimed “you can’t put a value on that.” But, some people in the Mavs organization wanted to make sure the team was able to keep Yogi Ferrell, who was part of the 2017 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and averaged 10.2 points per game in the 2017-18 season.
There were two different directions that Cuban could have gone, and it couldn’t have been easy to make a decision either way as there is always pressure when making a draft pick.
Even with the question wondering what happens to Ferrell if the Mavs take Brunson in the draft, the Mavs made the decision to select Brunson. Just weeks after the draft, Ferrell would then leave Dallas and sign with the Sacramento Kings. Ferrell signing with the Kings put heavy faith in making sure Brunson would help them win.
But, time would be the biggest determining factor whether the Mavs made the right pick. Ferrell would only play in the NBA for the next three seasons with the Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, and never averaged more than six points a game in any of the three seasons.
“We actually offered to bring him back anyways, you know, because as a rookie you just never know what it’s going to turn out,” Cuban said. “But, the rest is history.”
Brunson also revealed that the Mavs were his first meeting at the NBA Combine in Chicago. Brunson said his Mavs interview was a “mind (expletive)” when the Mavs asked him where he went to school, his role and how he played.
In the end, drafting Brunson and letting Ferrell leave turned out to be the right decision as Brunson has turned into a playoff performer, and Ferrell is out of the NBA. This up-and-down story shows everything that goes into making a draft pick, and Brunson had a great start to his career in Dallas.
Finding value in the second round can be difficult, but the Mavs were able to find good value with Brunson as no other player drafted after him has made an All-Star appearance.
