What’s the Dallas Mavericks’ history when having a Top 10 draft selection?

The Dallas Mavericks possess the 10th selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, the 17th time in franchise history the Mavs have selected tenth or higher.

Here’s a look at the last 10 players the Mavs drafted with a Top 10 pick.

2018 NBA Draft: PG Trae Young

Young was drafted and immediately traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with a 2019 first-round draft pick for Luka Doncic.

This selection was obviously a slam dunk, Doncic has been selected first-team All-NBA four times since he was drafted and was the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year. Doncic is regarded as one of the top players in the NBA and finished eighth in MVP voting in the 2023 season.

2017 NBA Draft: PG Dennis Smith

Smith was the ninth selection in the draft and was an uber-athletic guard who had Russell Westbrook and John Wall comparisons coming out of North Carolina State.

Smith would be a 2018 NBA All-Rookie Second-Team selection and would be traded by the Mavs to the Knicks in the following season as a piece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Smith currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets.

1998 NBA Draft: F/C Robert Traylor

Traylor was another player drafted by the Mavs who was traded on draft day. Traylor was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki is the most decorated player in Mavs history with an MVP, finals MVP and multiple All-NBA selections.

1996 NBA Draft: PF Samaki Walker

Walker was the ninth pick and never had major success as a member of the Mavs and left in 1999 to play for the San Antonio Spurs. Walker would go on to win a championship in 2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In Walker’s best season with the Mavs, he averaged 8.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

1994 NBA Draft: PG Jason Kidd

Selected with the second pick in the draft Kidd is one of the greatest point guards of all time. He was also co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill in 1995.

Kidd was traded to the Suns in 1996 but returned to the Mavs in 2008 and was a key piece of the Mavs’ 2011 championship roster.

1993 NBA Draft: F Jamal Mashburn

Mashburn was the fourth pick of the draft and averaged 22.2 points over his three seasons with the Mavs. Mashburn was a first-team NBA all-rookie selection and joined Jim Jackson and Jason Kidd for a young core known as the Three J’s.

The two highest-scoring seasons of Mashburn’s career came with the Mavs.

1992 NBA Draft: PG Jim Jackson

Jackson was another member of the Three J’s and was selected with the fourth pick. Jackson played on the Mavs from 1992-1997. Jackson would be traded for Shawn Bradley, Ed O’Bannon, Robert Pack, and Khalid Reeves.

Jackson had perhaps the best season of his career in 1995 when he averaged 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

1991 NBA Draft: F Doug Smith

Smith was the sixth overall pick and played for the Mavs from 1991-1995 and played briefly with the Celtics before falling out of the NBA after the 1996 season.

1989 NBA Draft: PF Randy White

The eighth pick of his draft, White played his entire five-year career with the Mavs before going abroad to play with Maccabi Tel Aviv among other overseas teams.

1986 NBA Draft: PF Roy Tarpley

Tarpley was the seventh pick and had an immediate success for the Mavs. Tarpley was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection and the NBA’s sixth Man of the Year in 1988.

Tarpley’s career was derailed by problems with alcohol including multiple DWI arrests. Alcohol issues would cause Tarpley would be suspended from the NBA for three seasons in 1991 and then banned for life in 1995 after being reinstated in 1994.