CHICAGO _ Could Lauri Markkanen have been a Maverick?
As Rick Carlisle said before the Mavericks played Markkanen and the Chicago Bulls Friday, it very much could have happened.
The Mavericks were hot for Dennis Smith Jr., who they eventually got with the No. 9 overall pick.
But Markkanen, who at 7 feet was viewed as a Dirk Nowitzki starter kit because of his outside shooting skills, might very well have been their choice had Smith been gobbled up in the first eight picks and if Markkanen fell to them.
He ended up going seventh and ended up in Chicago as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.
"Both of those guys are gamers," Carlisle said. "They're really physically and mentally well-suited and wired to be professionals.
"We had Markkanen in for a pretty substantial visit. We were looking hard at him. We had a great two days with him. He had a great affinity for Dirk and I think in many ways, he would have loved to have had a chance to be with Dirk for a year or two. But he's got a great situation here."
And the Mavericks are quite happy with what they got in Smith.
For the record, heading into Friday's matchup, Markkanen has averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds while Smith has averaged 14.6 points and 4.8 assists.
