Mavs draft Vandy guard

DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks selected Vanderbilt guard Shan Foster with the 51st pick of the NBA draft in hopes of adding depth to their backcourt.

The Mavericks were without a first-round draft pick for the fifth time since 2001. Dallas sent its first-rounder to the New Jersey Nets in February as part of the package to acquire Jason Kidd.

This was the lone pick the Mavericks made Thursday night in their first draft with new head coach Rick Carlisle, who joined the franchise following the Mavericks' playoff exit and the subsequent firing of Avery Johnson.

"It was a long wait, but we are very happy with what we got," Carlisle said.

Foster, who finished as Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer, had 2,011 points in his four collegiate seasons. The 6-foot-6 guard was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year his senior season after averaging 20.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Foster also hit 134 3-pointers in a season.

"Coach Carlisle felt like shooting was the hole in this team and wanted to get a shooter to put around Jason," Mavericks president of team operations Donnie Nelson said. "We feel very fortunate Shan fell to us this late."

The Mavericks went 51-31 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Dallas was not able to trade up to acquire another team's first-rounder. Nelson said the right deal didn't present itself.

"We were trying to be active at the end of the first round," Nelson said. "But we didn't feel the price was right."

In the Kidd trade, the Mavericks sent what turned out to be the 21st overall pick to New Jersey. The Nets used this to take forward Ryan Anderson from California.

The Mavericks last had a first-round pick in 2006 when they selected Michigan State guard Maurice Ager, who was also dealt to the Nets as part of the Kidd trade.

Foster will have a good chance to make the Mavericks roster. Dallas only has eight players under contract and they have a maxed out salary cap.

Two of the team's secondround picks from last season, Reyshawn Terry and Renaldas Seibutis, played in Europe last season and Nelson said they will have a chance to make the team next season.