NBA Draft 2018: 5 best fits for Deandre Ayton

2. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks made the smart decision to let Dennis Smith Jr. learn on the job as the team’s point guard last season. That positions him to have a much better sophomore season. The addition of DeAndre Ayton to the Mavs lineup could allow him to explode into a borderline All-Star next year.

With all due respect to Maxi Kleber and Dirk Nowitzki, neither is a long-term answer for Dallas a the center position. Nowitzki is likely in the last year of his NBA career and Kleber is nothing more than serviceable. Adding a talent like Ayton in the middle would be a massive upgrade for Rick Carlisle’s team.

The idea of putting him in the pick and roll with Smith multiple times a game should be an exciting notion for Mavs fans. Ayton isn’t the greatest rim runner in the draft, but he’s athletic enough to add that to his game. His jump shot is already good enough to be an above-average “pop” man at the next level. Smith Jr. and Ayton could develop into an offensive juggernaut for years to come.

The Mavericks, of course, also face a serious challenge in moving up far enough to take Ayton. They’d likely need to blow the Suns away to move all the way up to No. 1. That would likely be cost prohibitive. Finding enough assets to move up to No. 2 or No. 3 if Ayton drops is a distinct possibility for Dallas though. They’re a team to keep an eye on as the draft approaches.