Overview

• The Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery despite having only a 1.8 percent chance, earning the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history.
• The team is widely anticipated to select 18-year-old Cooper Flagg, a highly touted forward from Duke University, at the NBA Draft on June 25–26 in Brooklyn.
• This development follows a controversial February trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that drew heavy criticism from fans and analysts.
• Mavericks CEO Rick Welts celebrated the lottery win as a pivotal moment for the franchise and a morale boost for its supporters after a challenging year.
• The lottery system, designed to discourage tanking, awarded the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers the second and third picks, respectively.