The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a historic coup on Monday night, winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery and securing the No. 1 overall pick — a move that comes just months after the franchise controversially traded away superstar Luka Doncic, MySportDab Reports.
Entering the night with only a 1.8% chance, the Mavericks made the biggest jump in NBA lottery history, climbing 10 spots to land the top selection. The stunning turn of events gives Dallas the right to draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg, widely regarded as the consensus No. 1 pick.
Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, has been on NBA radars since high school and bolstered his case with a dominant freshman year at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He also swept nearly every major national player of the year award.
“I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans,” said Dallas CEO Rick Welts. “What happened today is really something special.”
San Antonio will select second, giving the Spurs another top-tier pick to pair with recent rookies of the year Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. Philadelphia picks third, while Charlotte rounds out the top four.
Despite entering the night with the league’s worst records, Utah, Washington, and Charlotte all fell outside the top three. The Jazz will now pick fifth, and the Wizards sixth.
The NBA draft will be held on June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Following Flagg, Rutgers duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are projected to go early, with other top prospects including Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Texas wing Tre Johnson.
The Mavericks’ lottery win continues a trend of long-shot success stories, following Atlanta’s 2024 lottery victory with 3% odds.
