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Mavericks rumors: The Michigan star getting most love at No. 9 after Dusty May hire
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- Mavericks rumors: The Michigan star getting most love at No. 9 after Dusty May hire
Mavericks rumors: The Michigan star getting most love at No. 9 after Dusty May hire appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
With the Dallas Mavericks preparing for the 2026 NBA Draft, which starts on Tuesday night, the news of the hiring of head coach Dusty May could have changed the player they're targeting with the No. 9 pick. As rumors will surround the Mavericks on who the team will pick, this Michigan Wolverines star is getting some attention.
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May has had immense success at the college basketball level, starting with leading Florida Atlantic University to two straight national tournament appearances, the first to the Final Four, which led to his time at Michigan. Winning a national title this past season, center Aday Mara was a big part, as now ClutchPoints' NBA insider says the Mavericks are looking at Mara with the ninth overall pick in his latest mock draft.
"Immediately after news of Dusty May taking the Mavericks' job broke, sources around the league began pointing to Dallas being a prime landing spot for one of the three Michigan players in this draft class — Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. , or Yaxel Lendeborg ," Siegel wrote. "Mara is the name that has been the most associated with the Mavs, and this makes a lot of sense, seeing as he went from a draft prospect that fell off everyone's radar at UCLA to becoming a sure-thing lottery pick under May at Michigan."
The Mavericks are open to trading around the first round
Siegel would also report that Dallas is "actively shopping" big man Daniel Gafford and the No. 30 pick, with the hopes of moving up. Focusing on the ninth pick, Siegel even expressed that the Mavericks are "open to the possibility of adding two picks inside the top 20 for this No. 9 selection."
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While they would be open to making a potential deal, Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line that Dallas is "more likely than not" to stay at No. 9. Besides Mara, Siegel would say that Tennessee's Nate Ament and Arizona's Brayden Burries are "drawing strong interest" from the Mavericks.
At any rate, it remains to be seen which direction Dallas goes with the first round of the NBA Draft, which happens Tuesday night.
Related: Yaxel Lendeborg sends 'draft me' message to Mavericks' Dusty May before 2026 Draft
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