Mavs grab Wallace at No. 10, send him to OKC with Bertans for No. 12 pick
With the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks took top-tier defending guard Cason Wallace out of Kentucky and will ship him to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Davis Bertans.
In return, the Mavericks will receive the No. 12 pick and a traded player exception.
There's always a need for versatile guards who can play on both ends of the floor in today's NBA, and no player fits that profile better than Wallace. As a freshman, Wallace used his length and speed to cause havoc on defense, and he also flashed a growing offensive repertoire.
Though not a knockdown shooter or a pure point guard, Wallace has shown flashes of being effective on that end. Should he smooth the rough edges of his game, he projects as an excellent piece to fit alongside ball-dominant scorers on a contending team.
Bio
Position: Guard
School: Kentucky
College Experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-9
Max Vertical: 36 inches
2022-23 stats with Kentucky
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 44.6 | 34.6 | 75.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 11.7 |
Strengths
- Giant arms and good instincts make him a lockdown guard defender.
- Uses size and angles for strong finishes around the rim.
- Good passing ability and vision while driving.
- Racks up steals with timing and anticipation off the ball.
Weaknesses
- Struggles to shoot consistently, including an 0-for-16 stretch this season.
- Relatively thin for his size, impacting his drives against bigger guards.
- Not a true point guard, but lacks the elite height of a 2-guard.
- Doesn't slot in as a high-octane scoring option.
NBA comparable: Jrue Holiday. Before Holiday became a staple of the perennially contending Bucks, he was perceived as a tweener guard with defensive chops and a growing offensive game - a description that fits Wallace to a tee.