Report: Mavericks Looking To Acquire Pelicans' 2026 First-Round Pick Via Hawks

In recent weeks, reports have emerged about the Dallas Mavericks’ plans to ship away their veteran players like Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson. From the looks of it, the Mavs have their eyes set on a rebuilding phase centered on Cooper Flagg.

Dallas, of course, can accelerate this rebuild with high-quality draft picks. According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, there’s one particular draft selection that the Mavericks are plotting to acquire.

“I can tell you with certainty that the Mavericks have been trying to pry away that New Orleans Pelicans pick away from the Hawks,” Mannix said on SI’s “Open Floor” podcast. “That has been on the mind of the Mavericks’ front office for some time now.”

Mannix is referring to the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2026 first-round pick, which was dealt in a package to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the No. 13 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. This draft night deal led to the Pelicans drafting big man Derik Queen as the penultimate lottery pick of that evening.

Despite the solid play of Queen, the emergence of Trey Murphy III, and flashes of brilliance from oft-injured Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have thus far failed to reverse their fortunes this season, winning just eight of their first 36 games. The lackluster play of New Orleans in the 2025–26 campaign will only boost the value of the draft pick that the Hawks acquired, hence the keen interest from Dallas.

The Mavericks have dealt with their own struggles, as their exciting lineup on paper has not translated into an above-average record. Mavs big men like Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Daniel Gafford II have been hounded by injuries, with Lively undergoing season-ending surgery on his right foot in mid-December.

With Kyrie Irving still recuperating from his ACL injury and Klay Thompson far removed from his All-Star peak, Flagg badly needs a fresh wave of backcourt talent to secure the Mavericks’ future. Given the many shortcomings of this roster, the Mavs front office will need all the top-tier draft picks that they can get for the rest of this decade and beyond.