Mikel Brown Jr.’s one-and-done season at Louisville didn’t exactly go to plan, but with a 45-point outburst in February before injuries left him sidelined, he secured his place as a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Now, after the lottery was completed on Sunday afternoon, Brown has a bit more clarity about where he could end up this summer.
In Kevin O’Connor’s post-lottery mock draft for Yahoo Sports, the 6-foot-5 former five-star point guard came off the board to the Dallas Mavericks, which, after winning the lottery last spring, fell to the ninth overall pick on Sunday. While Dallas had hopes of picking in the top five, especially with the flattened lottery odds, unsuccessfully implemented by the NBA to curb tanking, the pairing with Brown at No. 9 could be a dream for both sides.
Kevin O’Connor’s post-lottery mock draft has Mikel Brown Jr. No. 9 to the Dallas Mavericks
Brown’s game still needs some refinement, and he needs to improve his physicality on the defensive end of the floor. He’s not a perfect prospect, though his upside as a pull-up shooter and on-ball creator is tremendous. If he’s going to hit that upside, playing alongside last year’s No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and learning from Kyrie Irving would be his best chance.
As O’Connor wrote, “it’s hard to imagine a better situation.”
The 2026 draft class is loaded with star talent. The top four of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson represent one of the best prospect groups at the top of any draft in recent years, and that talent doesn’t fall off through the rest of the top 10.
With the debate at the top of the draft, players like Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., and Brown have become somewhat overlooked. It’s unlikely that a consensus will be reached about that group of lead guards, but most agree they can all be difference-makers.
Wagler and Acuff, particularly, thrived in the NCAA Tournament while Brown was still sidelined with an injury, so that additional exposure has helped to keep them ahead of Brown in most mock drafts. There’s no guarantee, however, that they will stay there by the time the draft comes around on June 23.
Still, even if Brown is the fourth lead guard of that group selected and ends up in Dallas, it could be the best thing for his career.
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