The Dallas Mavericks have been struggling since the deadline, especially after their main superstar, Kyrie Irving, tore his ACL and was declared out for the season. He will probably also miss most of the next season, so the Mavericks need to find a guard to replace him.
For the Mavs, they might not have to look no further than the upcoming NBA Draft. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman predicts that the Mavs will draft Kasparas Jakucionis, a 6’6” guard out of Illinois University.
“Regardless, for a 6’6″ 18-year-old, his production, lead-guard creativity, off-ball versatility and late-game execution have scouts agreeing on a top-10 projection,” Wasserman wrote. “Too much recent evidence suggests skill and IQ can outweigh athletic limitations for a ball-handler, particularly for a plus shooter. And despite a recent slump from behind the arc, there are years of promising shotmaking data/tape for scouts to go back to from Jakucionis’ time with Barcelona and Lithuania.”
For the Illini, Jakucionis was averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He was also shooting 44% from the floor, and 31.8% from the arc.
Jakucionis could fit into the Mavs’ rotation pretty well. He would be a starter while Irving is out, and would be his backup when he returns. This would give Jakucionis a ton of time to develop, and come playoff time, he would have enough experience to competently fill in for Irving while he’s on the bench.
Hopefully Jakucionis falls to Dallas, as he could be the first step into fixing the disaster that hit the Mavericks at this year’s trade deadline.
MORE DALLAS MAVERICKS NEWS
NBA insider reveals stunning details of former Maverick-turned-All-Star’s departure from franchise
Mavericks $47 million playoff hero surprisingly predicted to be a trade candidate this offseason