2017 NBA Draft: 5 best fits for De’Aaron Fox

4. Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has a long and difficult history with point guards in Dallas. He forced both Rondo and Collison out of town, and has stuck with JJ Barea long past the point at which most coaches would have given up. It’s not that he necessarily expects a barrage of points or dominant defense every night; mostly he just wants intelligent basketball within the system he’s created. In short, just don’t screw it up, and elevate your teammates.

It’s hard to tell how Fox would fit with Carlisle. We don’t know much about the temperament of college players until they join the NBA. Nothing has happened to alter our belief that Fox is a good guy, but it’s a guess at this point. However, he would definitely fit with the Mavericks on the court.

Over the past few seasons, Dallas has quietly assembled a legitimate young core– one that Fox fits perfectly. Nerlens Noel, a restricted free agent this summer, will hopefully man the middle for many great Mavericks teams to come. Harrison Barnes has developed into a wonderful isolation player in addition to the good 3-and-D player he already was in Golden State. Dirk and Wes Matthews fill out the edges, and young role players dot the rest of the roster.

This has the makings of a great pick-and-roll team, and that means a more modern team than the past couple Dallas teams, and that probably means a more competitive one as well. Put Fox at the point of attack, in a rotation with Barea, and good things can happen. Fox will be able to make the smart pass, and his effort on defense was a constant at Kentucky. I’m liking this one more and more.