The Dallas Mavericks have pulled a stunner after winning the draft lottery months after trading superstar Luka Dončić. Now they eye Cooper Flagg.
With just a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, the Dallas Mavericks have secured the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft three months after losing superstar Luka Dončić.
They become the fourth team in history with the lowest odds to win a draft lottery.
The Mavs now eye the Duke sensation and projected No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg in the 2025 draft class.
Mavs GM Nico Harrison has been under the radar since the trade that send Luka Doncic, a future Hall of Famer to the Lakers. After winning the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks front office went crazy.
As he clutched the winning envelope, Dallas CEO Rick Welts, who joined the company in January, was clearly emotional.
“We broke the internet on February 1 with the Doncic trade,” he said. “And today, I can’t imagine a better day for Mavericks fans. This is going to be something special.”
Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, helped the Duke men’s basketball team reach the Final Four and won almost all of the national player of the year awards. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
The San Antonio Spurs – with back-to-back rookies of the year in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle – will pick second, the Philadelphia 76ers will pick third, and the Charlotte Hornets will pick fourth.
“When you jump into the top four again, you put yourself as an organisation in a place to make a really big acquisition with a really good player, and that’s what we’re going to look forward to doing.” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
