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The Dallas Mavericks traded up to the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft to select Melvin Ajinça, a potential 3&D wing from France.

Dallas traded the 58th overall pick and cash to the Knicks to get the deal done. Ajinça is the nephew of Alexis Ajinça, a member of the 2011 Mavericks that won the NBA Finals.

While it’s still uncertain if Ajinça will stay overseas or join the Mavericks for the 2024-25 season, a few people were high on the selection, while others are unsure about his future in basketball.

Here are a few grades and reactions of Dallas’s selection of Ajinça.

“Yes, yes, another Frenchman off the board. Ajinça had a productive season in the LNB Pro A this past year and brings good size and defensive versatility to the table.

He needs to improve his offense and become more consistent as a shooter to stick in the NBA.”

“Ajinca is a draft-and-stash player out of France but showed promising upside during the LNP Pro A playoffs last month, averaging 11.5 points per game.”

“Melvin Ajinça has the makings of a quality, athletic three-and-D wing.

There aren’t a lot of avenues for him to grow out of that role, but that’s fine at the 51st pick, especially when that archetype is exactly what Dallas wants to put around Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić.

“Ajinça needs to be impactful in these specific areas, then.

While it looks like his movement shooting will translate to the NBA, the outlook on his defense isn’t as clear.

He does his job on the ball, but he hasn’t sparked a lot of disruption.”