2025 NBA draft lottery: Mavericks, Spurs and 76ers big winners
The Mavericks secure the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft lottery despite a 1.8% chance
A Dallas Mavericks franchise that seemed headed to oblivion beat all odds and landed the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, which seems certain to be Duke small forward Cooper Flagg.
Dallas had a 1.8% chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a heavy chance of ending up at No. 11, but with franchise legend Rolando Blackman lending his presence to Monday’s lottery, a franchise that at times has seemed cursed landed on top.
Flagg won’t become a Maverick until the draft on June 25.
Cooper Flagg Mavericks jersey
There won’t be an official jersey until after the draft, but a photo-shopped image of Flagg in a No. 2 Mavericks jersey went viral after ESPN’s Adam Schefter put it on X.
For fans who don’t want to wait, the site Fanatics.com offers customized jerseys with whatever name and number someone willing to pay $100 wants. Flagg is probably going to end up with the No. 2 he wore at Duke. No current Maverick has that number.
Note that after the Mavs pick him, they will likely present him at the draft with a No. 1 Mavericks jersey, denoting the first pick in the draft.
The Mavericks had a 1.8% chance of landing the No. 1 pick.
Kyrie Irvin
The Mavs’ star guard is rehabbing from an ACL tear suffered in March. His earliest return would be sometime in January.
Nico Harrison
The most hated man in Dallas, general manager Nico Harrison, the man who engineered the Luka Doncic trade, may have saved his job, assuming he drafts Flagg.
Of note, a “Fire Nico” jersey actually signed by Doncic (there is no indication whether or not the “Fire Nico” slogan on the back of the jersey was there when Doncic signed the jersey) is being auctioned off and as of Tuesday afternoon the bid was up to $2,670. The auction ends May 31.