NBA Draft rumors: Mavs don’t want Dick, Heat working out sleeper, Cason Wallace lottery promise?

NBA Draft rumors: Mavericks don’t want Gradey Dick

Projected lottery pick Gradey Dick worked out for the Dallas Mavericks early in the week, but according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, we shouldn’t expect anything to come of it.

The Mavs’ new front office is reportedly focused on “athleticism and physicality” more than the former regime, which was more preferential toward skilled players — sometimes at the expense of athleticism.

Dick is the No. 13 prospect on the FanSided big board. At 6-foot-8, he’s one of the best shooters in the draft. It’s not difficult to imagine a productive fit next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the offensive end, with Dick flying around screens and stretching the defense thin with his shooting gravity. He’s also a talented connective playmaker who can beat closeouts with dribble pull-ups or get some hang time for finishes around the rim.

That being said, Dick does profile as a mild athlete who lacks the physicality Dallas desperately needs on the defensive end. It wouldn’t even be fair to call Dick a poor defender — he’s very intelligent and frequently disruptive off the ball — but he’s skinny at the point of attack and prone to blow-bys in the face of quicker, twitcher guards.

The Mavs shouldn’t rule out Dick completely depending on how the board falls, but Dallas does feel like a team that should prioritize athleticism and defensive edge in the frontcourt. Dick will probably find his NBA home elsewhere.

NBA Draft rumors: Heat working out sleeper Nick Smith Jr.

Nick Smith Jr. entered his freshman season at Arkansas as a projected top-5 pick. In the months since, his stock has fluctuated significantly after a rocky, largely ineffective stint with the Razorbacks. Now Smith could come off the board anywhere from the mid-lottery to the late-teens, as reflected by his workout schedule.

The Wizards own the No. 8 pick and are widely expected to consider guard options to pair with Bradley Beal in the backcourt. Meanwhile, the Heat don’t pick until No. 18 — giving Smith quite the range of potential outcomes.

Smith is currently the No. 8 prospect on the FanSided big board. While his inconsistency at Arkansas was not ideal, Smith missed significant time to injuries and was clearly not operating at maximum levels of strength and comfort. More off-guard than point guard, the 6-foot-5 Smith’s baseline appeal lies in his feather-soft touch and evasive handles.

There aren’t many guards better equipped to complement an elite playmaking engine than Smith. Be it Beal in Washington, Jimmy Butler in Miami, or someone and somewhere in between, Smith’s feel for cutting and relocation is advanced for a 19-year-old. He’s very difficult to stay in front of moving downhill, deploying hesitation moves and ever-shifting momentum to keep his defender off balance. Once he gets to his spot, Smith has a deep bag of mid-range pull-ups, floaters, and touch shots he can lean on. If he can get more consistent from 3-point range and create more for teammates, Smith will be one of the best scorers from the class of 2023.

NBA Draft rumors: Cason Wallace might have lottery promise

Cason Wallace could be gaining favor in NBA front offices. The Kentucky freshman was originally scheduled for a group workout with the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Atlanta has the No. 15 pick and would obviously have interest in Wallace’s 3-point shooting, defense, and complementary playmaking next to Trae Young in the backcourt.

Wallace, however, has other plans.

There could be any number of reasons for Wallace’s decision to drop out — health, scheduling, travel, and so forth. But naturally, such a sudden change of plans has led many to speculate that Wallace might have a promise higher than No. 15 on draft night. He most recently worked out for the Washington Wizards, who own the No. 8 pick.

It will be worth monitoring Wallace’s activity between now and the NBA Draft on June 22. If he doesn’t attend any more workouts, that could be an indicator that he has a promise he’s happy with. The No. 10-ranked prospect on the FanSided board, Wallace will have no shortage of interested suitors due to his defensive toughness and high basketball I.Q.

Wallace is easy to plug into any NBA roster. He defends bigger than his height and he should immediately impact the game in a positive way on that end of the floor. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but he’s endlessly clever and intelligent, with quick hands and a real nose for the ball. Offensively, he’s an above-average shooter who doesn’t make many mistakes handling the rock. Even if he doesn’t score in bunches, Wallace should make teammates better and elevate his squad on both ends.