The Mavericks’ draft picks from the last decade played a total of a dozen minutes during Dallas’ brief postseason run this spring.

Rodrigue Beaubois, the 25th overall pick in 2009, played those 12 minutes. Dominique Jones, the 25th overall pick in 2010, was inactive in the series against the Thunder.

And those are the only two Dallas draft picks from the last decade on the Mavs’ roster.

The Dallas front office has often used first-round picks as sweeteners in trade packages to build Dirk Nowitzki’s supporting cast. The Mavs’ first-rounders during the Dirk era have typically been in the 20s, although talent can be found in that range, such as Boston’s Rajon Rondo and Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka, to offer a couple of examples that could be featured in the upcoming Finals.

For the Mavs to build and sustain a contender under the new collective bargaining agreement, they need to use the draft for more than facilitating deals. They have to draft and develop some homegrown rotation pieces, starting with the 17th overall pick next month.

That’s been a pretty good spot in recent history. Philadelphia’s Jrue Holliday, Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger and Atlanta’s Josh Smith are playoff starters who were No. 17 picks over the last eight years.