Like Virginia Tech men's basketball , the Dallas Mavericks have undergone a plethora of roster turnover. Last February, Luka Doncic was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade involving Anthony Davis and Max Christie among others. Davis himself was dealt to Washington this season, which netted the Mavericks Khris Middleton and others.
One of the players that will be contending for a roster spot on the Mavericks' 2026-27 squad is former Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal. The 6-foot-7.25 forward (listed as 6-foot-8 on Virginia Tech's site, new measurement taken from NBA Combine results) played two seasons for the Hokies and two before that at VCU with current Virginia Tech assistant coach J.D. Byers part of both staffs.
Lawal's intrigue as a second-round draft pick arrives from the potential and high athletic upside that he can bring to a roster. As a change-of-pace forward off the bench, Lawal can carve out a reserve role in the NBA if all breaks right. In his senior year of college, Lawal averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game, though he missed nine games with an ankle injury that required surgery.
Lawal will presumably not be a facilitator at the next level, though he should be a factor on the rebounding front. NBA Summer League games don't often allot too much information about the top prospects, but for the players fighting for the final roster spots, it's a critical juncture for them to prove their mettle.
Lawal is a rangy athletic forward that should be able to carve out a role, whether it be with the Mavericks, elsewhere or overseas. At the NBA Draft Combine, he recorded a 40-inch standing vertical jump and a 45.5-inch vertical.
His best tools come around the rim, specifically with his footwork and pick-and-roll plays for lobs. However, Lawal was a 31% 3-point shooter in college.
Lawal's selection is one that is a high-upside, high-floor kind of pick, as is typical of mid- to late-second-round picks. The frontcourt itself is crammed, with Cooper Flagg , Khris Middleton, P,J. Washington, Daniel Gafford , Dwight Powell and Dereck Lively II all factoring in.
Koa Peat, the No. 30 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, also briefly factored into that equation; the third-team All-Big 12 nod was dealt to Phoenix in exchange for three second-round picks and cash considerations.
I think Lawal has the tools to carve out a spot on an NBA roster. His athletic upside and motor are traits that translate well to the professional level, particularly in today's game where teams place a premium on switchable forwards who can impact the game as off-ball option.
That said, earning meaningful minutes with the Mavericks is a much steeper challenge. As aforementioned, Dallas already has established players ahead of him in the rotation, and as an undrafted rookie, Lawal will likely need time to prove himself at the NBA level.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as What Does Former Virginia Tech Forward Tobi Lawal Bring to The Dallas Mavericks? .
