Keaton Wagler to Mavericks is no longer a long shot after Clippers showed their hand

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Keaton Wagler to Mavericks is no longer a long shot after Clippers showed their hand originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dallas Mavericks have a ton of choices for their No. 9 draft pick. Throughout most of the pre-draft cycle, selecting Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler at their most important No. 9 seemed unrealistic.

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The 19-year-old Illinois Fighting Illini guard, who won the Jerry West Award, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and NCAA South Region Most Outstanding Player, was widely projected as a top-five selection. 

Most analysts expected the Los Angeles Clippers to draft him at No. 5, putting him out of Dallas's range. However, the situation changed when the Clippers' preferences became clearer.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Clippers staffers have been "very impressed" with Arizona guard Brayden Burries during his pre-draft visit and that Burries is "very much under consideration for the fifth pick." Since the Clippers were already reportedly uninterested in Wagler, this shift creates a realistic path for the Mavs to land their dream pick.

If the Clippers select Burries at No. 5, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., and Kingston Flemings will likely fill picks 6 through 8. This scenario leaves Wagler available for Dallas at No. 9. In his recent mock draft for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie also predicted Burries would go to the Mavericks, which matched general expectations before the Clippers' interest became public.

He fits well alongside Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 39.7% from three-point range at Illinois. He is an effective playmaker who can immediately run options with Flagg and provide outside shooting. Additionally, his 12.4% turnover rate is unusually low for a freshman guard with high possession numbers.

A source close to Armchair Illini reports that Wagler expects to be drafted between the fifth and ninth picks. Ujiri needs to keep his fingers crossed if he and his front office have only Wagler in mind for their pick on June 26 because he is a guard who has enough of a resume to be selected much higher than No. 9.

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