We’ve become accustomed to ruling out any draft picks by the Mavericks before they even step on the court. That’s been the history of the Mark Cuban Mavericks — youth is for others.

The draft was designed as a tool to promote parity in sports. But it’s been a tool left in the toolbox by the Mavericks. The Cuban Mavericks have subscribed to the philosophy that you build a contender with veteran players through free agency and trades.

Which explains why the Mavericks haven’t developed a draft pick into a contributing member of a contending team in 13 years. Not since Josh Howard in 2003 have the Mavericks hit on one of their draft choices.

The Mavericks found the ACC Player of the Year late in the first round, 29th overall, and Howard went on to become a cornerstone of a perennial contender. He was selected to the All-Star team in 2007 — a season the Mavericks set a franchise record with an NBA-best 67 victories.

But since Howard, the Mavericks have traded many of their picks moments after the crossed the draft stage in New York. The Mavericks drafted nine players from 2009 through 2014 and not a one ever suited up for coach Rick Carlisle.

But with the problems the Mavericks have had of late luring the blue-chip free agents, they are finally starting to take the draft seriously. The tool has come out of the tool box.

I liked the Justin Anderson pick in 2015. My history covering the NFL taught me as you get deeper into drafts, look for big-school players with big-school production. It’s a smaller step for those players to take to the next level.

Anderson was a former ACC sixth man of the year at Virginia whom the Mavericks found with the 21st pick of the 2015 draft. He wound up playing key minutes down the stretch as a rookie and starting in the playoffs. He’s a potential cornerstone piece now in this franchise’s future.

I like the A.J. Hammons pick even more than the Anderson selection. Like Anderson, Hammons was a big school producer (Purdue) from a big-time conference (Big Ten). The Anderson pick brought a talented shooter to the roster. But offense was already the strength of this team. The Hammons pick addresses several areas of need — youth, size, defense and an ability to protect the rim.

By acquiring Andrew Bogut in a trade with the Golden State Warriors, there’s no need to force feed Hammons this winter. He can develop alongside Salah Mejri during his rookie season. But he represents hope for the future.

Like Anderson, Hammons is young, just 24. Chandler Parsons was the youngest starter on the Mavericks last season at 27. Dirk Nowitzki was 37, Zaza Pachulia and Deron Williams 31 and Wesley Matthews 29. That group provided the backbone for a team that finished 42-40 last season. Now Parsons and Pachulia are gone.

If you can’t be good, be young. If you don’t have a present, give yourself a future. You do that with young players like Anderson and Hammons. With youth comes athleticism.

The Mavericks have been sub-par in the defensive end. They ranked 16th in the 30-team league in field goal defense, 19th in rebounding and 23rd in blocked shots. That brings us into Hammons’ wheelhouse.

Hammons provides some much-needed size to the back end. He stands 7-0 and Purdue listed him at 250 pounds. Trust me, he’s heavier than that. And he plays bigger than that. Like Mavericks assistant vice president of basketball operations Michael Finely said on draft night, “you can’t teach size.”

I’ve heard the knock about his inconsistent effort. I believe it’s a fixable flaw because the effort has been there. I’ve seen it. Hammons was selected to the Big Ten’s all-defensive team his final three seasons at Purdue and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

In basketball, the offensive end is about talent. The defensive end is about effort. If a guy can dominate in the defensive end, he’s putting forth effort.

And dominate Hammons did. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a finalist for the Jabbar Award as the nation’s top center. He finished in the Big Ten’s Top 5 in rebounds, blocked shots and field goal percentage — and this was a conference that sent seven teams to the NCAA tournament.

Hammons led the Big Ten in blocked shots in each of his first three seasons and came within three in 2016 of becoming the first player in conference history to lead in blocks a fourth time. In a February game against No. 8-ranked Michigan State, Hammons collected 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots in an overtime victory.

In a head-to-head matchup with Vanderbilt center and first-round NBA draft pick (Golden State) Damian Jones, Hammons collected 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots in another Purdue victory. In his final college game, an NCAA tournament loss to Arkansas-Little Rock, Hammons collected 16 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots.

The Mavericks caught a break in the Howard draft. NBA teams selected 21 international players that year, pushing the quality American college talent down the board. The Mavericks caught that same break this June when a record 26 internationals again pushed the quality college talent down the board. That’s why A.J. Hammons was there at 46. He shouldn’t have been. He’s a better prospect than that.

Maybe the draft has, at long last, become a friend to the Mavericks.

Listen to Rick Gosselin at 10:50 a.m. Tuesdays on Sportsradio 1310 AM/96.7 FM The Ticket with Norm Hitzges and Donovan Lewis, and follow @RickGosselinDMN on Twitter.