In an incredible result that few saw coming, the Dallas Mavericks pulled off a lottery miracle, winning the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With a tiny 1.8% chance heading into the night, the Mavericks surged 10 spots – the biggest jump in draft lottery history.
The top pick gives Dallas the opportunity to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, widely considered the top prospect of this year’s class.
The win comes just months after the team stunned fans by trading franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I am so happy for Mavericks fans,” said Rick Welts, Dallas’ CEO. “In February, 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.”
A 6ft 9in forward, Flagg has been the consensus No.1 prospect since August 2023, when he announced he’d reclassify to enter college early.
Despite the lofty expectations, he surpassed them all in his freshman season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, while leading Duke to a Final Four appearance and sweeping major player of the year awards.
“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong,” Welts added. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”
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📰 Table Of Contents
Spurs, 76ers, Hornets Complete Top Four
After the Mavs, the San Antonio Spurs earned the second pick, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.
The Spurs, who have recently developed rising stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, are similarly pleased after shooting up the order.
“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,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.
Teams with the three worst records – Utah Jazz (17-65), Washington Wizards (18-64), and the Hornets (19-63) – entered the night with the best lottery odds at 14%.
However, none landed in the top three, with Utah and Washington dropping to fifth and sixth respectively.
This continues a trend under the NBA’s 2019 draft lottery reform, which flattened the odds to deter tanking. Notably, the team with the worst regular-season record has still never won the top pick under this system.
The full 2025 NBA draft Lottery results ⭐
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A Lottery Full of Surprises
The Mavs’ improbable win places them among a small group of franchises that beat steep odds to grab the No.1 pick:
1993 Orlando Magic – 1.52%
2014 Cleveland Cavaliers – 1.7%
2008 Chicago Bulls – 1.7%
2025 Dallas Mavericks – 1.8%
Other draft prospects
Beyond Flagg, the next tier of elite prospects features Rutgers duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, both projected top-three selections.
Harper, a 6ft 6in point guard, not only shattered Rutgers’ freshman scoring record but ranked fifth in the Big Ten in points per game.
Other highly regarded names include VJ Edgecombe (Baylor), Tre Johnson (Texas), Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), and Khaman Maluach (Duke), each vying for early selections in what’s seen as a deep and talent-rich first round.
The 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25–26 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
