The Dallas Mavericks now have new leadership in place; next up is the NBA Draft. NBA insiders have conducted mock drafts where the Mavs select either Houston guard Kingston Flemings or Arizona guard Brayden Burries, both of whom reached the Sweet 16 in their lone season in college basketball. There’s also the prospect of pairing former Michigan head coach Dusty May with one of his former collegiate athletes. There’s 24-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg, 7-footer Aday Mara, and fellow big man Morez Johnson, Jr. That trio helped the program win its first NCAA championship since 1989, as well as the first by any Big Ten school since Michigan State in 2000. YAXEL LENDEBORG Lendeborg played three years in junior college before moving on to the University of Alabama-Birmingham and then Michigan. Lendeborg had six total games of multiple threes in two years at UAB and was a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year at UAB, where he was a rebounding machine. He just had 20 such games at Michigan. He went from 37 total threes in two seasons to making 67 on 37.2 percent shooting from deep at Michigan with an 82.4 free throw percentage. Between attacking the rim and stepping beyond the arc, and combined with his defense and rebounding, Lendeborg is the two-way player winning teams will want. Lendebord would be one of the oldest players taken in the lottery, but he’s 6-foot-9 and 241 pounds with an even larger wingspan. The Consensus All-American has shown growth and continued development throughout his unique path to get here. Aday Mara Mara was a massive presence in Michigan’s huge lineup that carried the Wolverines to their first NCAA championship since 1989. He’s now a lottery prospect in the NBA draft. The 7-foot-3, 260-pound center is the headliner among the big men, a position group with a shorter line of top prospects compared to the guards and forwards. The junior from Spain projects as a defensive force, leading all players measured at the combine in standing reach (9-9) and ranking second in wingspan (7-6). Mara’s massive wingspan and size give him the ability to cover for teammates’ defensive mistakes. Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while ranking sixth nationally in blocks (2.6) in 23.4 minutes. He shot 66.8% overall, with Synergy charting post-ups as making up 34.8% of his possession usage. He had steady work as the roller in pick-and-roll scenarios and as a cutter, and predictably earned an “Excellent” rating from Synergy for finishing at the rim (97th percentile). Mara stood out in a Final Four romp against fellow No. 1 seed Arizona with a career-best 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting with nine rebounds and two blocks. Mara must improve at the line (56.4%). It’s unclear what type of offense he’ll offer outside of finishing in the paint, though he did make 3 of 10 3-pointers last season in his first foray beyond the arc. Morez Johnson, Jr. other prospects to watch for And then there is Johnson, another player with size and the ability to play a complementary role just with his mere presence inside. The 6-9, 251-pound sophomore is a versatile player with physicality, and a strong frame could even have him see time as a small-ball 5-man. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. He has a better than 7-3 wingspan and thrived as a cutter, in post-ups, and in finishing at the rim. As far as the non-Michigan prospects, Kingston Flemings (guard, Houston) is a 6-3, 183-pound freshman who was a third-team AP All-American as a lead guard capable of being disruptive defensively. Flemings was an efficient shooter (47.6% overall, 38.7% on 3s, 84.5% on free throws) capable of pressuring teams in transition or off the dribble. He finished with a nearly 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio and posted a Cougars freshman record 42 points in a loss to Texas Tech. Brayden Burries (G, Arizona) was an older 20-year-old freshman who did it all for Arizona as a strong 6-foot-4 combo guard at 215 pounds who can get downhill and can help on both sides of the ball. The Mavs need to nail this pick to build around Cooper Flagg. Adding Burries brings even more two-way impact. Outside the lottery, Tarris Reed Jr. turned heads during the NCAA tournament en route to an appearance in the national championship game, recording four double-doubles during March Madness. The 6-10, 264-pound senior was an interior force in UConn’s run to the NCAA final. He had career-high averages of 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks — including 31 points and 27 rebounds in the first-round NCAA win against Furman to become the first player since Houston’s Elvin Hayes in 1968 to post a 30/25 game in March Madness. The late first-round prospect has a better than 7-4 wingspan. Zuby Ejiofor (forward, St. John’s) is a 6-8, 245-pound physical frontcourt presence with a high motor and a sturdy frame offering defensive potential, both with his ability to tussle in the paint and in moving his feet to handle switches. The senior was a physical presence in St. John’s run to the Sweet 16. Ejiofor has a high motor, with 15.4% of his possession usage coming on offensive-rebound putbacks, according to Synergy. The late first-round prospect made 18 of 59 3s (30.5%) to offer at least some potential to step outside. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less