DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have the last pick in the 2024 NBA Draft at No. 58. Typically, there's 60 total picks, but the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns were forced to forfeit their second round picks due to free agency violations.
Now, while most of the "premier" talent will be taken prior to the Mavericks pick, who's to say they can't find a hidden gem when they select this year's "Mr. Irrelevant."
These gems can definitely be far and few in between when it comes to the last pick, but every now and then, a player like two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas may fall into your hands.
So, lets take a look at the last picks in the NBA Draft over the last five years:
- 2023: Chris Livingston | Milwaukee Bucks at No. 58
- Livingston played in 21 regular-season games for the Bucks this year, averaging 1.2 points per game. He also appeared in two playoff games.
- 2022: Hugo Besson | Indiana Pacers at No. 58
- Besson was drafted by the Pacers, but was then immediately traded to the Bucks. The French basketball player only appeared in two stints in the NBA Summer League.
- 2021: Georgios Kalaitzakis | Indiana Pacers at No. 60
- Kalaitzakis had his draft rights traded to the Bucks. However, he only appeared in 9 games, averaging 1.8 points per game. He was then traded to the Thunder, where he played in four games, averaging 17.5 points per game. He has not played in the NBA since the 2021-2022 season.
- 2020: Sam Merrill | New Orleans Pelicans at No. 60
- Merrill was drafted by the Pelicans and just a few days later, he was traded to the Bucks where he appeared in eight games in the 2020-2021 season, averaging under one point per game. Merrill was the traded to Memphis in 2022, where he played in six games and averaged 4.2 points per game. Currently, Merrill plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he has since broken the franchise record for most bench three-pointers.
- 2019: Vanja Marinkovic | Sacramento Kings at No. 60
- Marinkovic was drafted by the Kings, but then traded to the Clippers in 2022, then the Grizzlies and lastly the Nets in 2024. He has yet to appear in an NBA Game.
So, as you can see -- some of these players weren't ever able to get into the groove of the NBA, which could've been due to a multitude of reasons. However, some have been able to become contributors despite their lackluster status.
One of the most notable last picks in the NBA Draft, as mentioned previously, is Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was the No. 60 pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2011 NBA Draft.
He played three seasons with the Kings, where he appeared in 216 games, averaging 15.3 points per game.
Thomas had a stint with the Suns in the 2014-2015 season before being traded to the Boston Celtics. He spent three seasons in Boston, averaging 24.7 points per game and amassing two NBA All-Star selections.
So, it's not totally improbable that the Mavs could come across a player that might be able to contribute to the team as they look to make another run at a championship in the 2024-2025 season. However, it's important to be realistic about how this draft will go.
The 2024 NBA Draft starts on Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. on WFAA (ABC). The Mavs will make their pick on Day 2, which will begin Thursday, June 27 at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
Also on WFAA.com:
