With a mere 1.8 percent chance, the Dallas Mavericks have defied the odds and won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, which was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago on Monday. Dallas will now have the right to select Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick. Rounding out the top five are San Antonio, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Utah in that order.
The miraculous turn of events for the Mavs comes three months after the organization traded its franchise player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, causing the fan base to hold fake funerals for the team, send death threats to general manager Nico Harrison, and repeatedly chant for his firing upon Luka's return to Dallas.
According to ESPN Research, the Mavericks had the biggest move of any team in NBA draft lottery history, jumping 10 spots. According to NBA.com, the Mavs had never won the Draft Lottery before.
Dallas experienced similar luck last year when its WNBA team, the Wings, won the draft lottery and ultimately selected UConn star Paige Bueckers.
The Mavericks' stroke of luck also occurred days after the New York Islanders won the NHL draft lottery with just a 3.5 percent chance.
Given how the odds were stacked against the Mavericks, people were certainly surprised, and maybe even suspicious, especially after LeBron James suggested the NBA lottery is rigged during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
To add the icing on the cake, the Mavericks shared video of how excited Harrison and other members of franchise leadership were when they heard the news of the team landing the No. 1 pick. Peep their reaction below.
“I am so happy for Mavericks fans,” Dallas CEO Rick Welts said, according to NBA.com. "I only got to Dallas Jan. 1 this year. Feb. 1, we broke the internet [with the Doncic trade]. I am just amazed at the depth of emotion and connection that the fan base has with this team. And what happened today, I can't imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It's going to really be something special. I can't wait to get back to Dallas."
He added: "I don't know who we're going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong. Every time he's put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he's succeeded and then some."
The draft, which will consist of two rounds, will happen June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.