The Dallas Mavericks had perhaps the craziest year for an NBA team ever in 2025, when their general manager went rogue and traded young franchise centerpiece Luka Don\u010di\u0107, only to be saved by winning the NBA Draft lottery.<\/p>\n
That general manager, Nico Harrison, has since been fired<\/a>. New ownership realized that entrusting him with full autonomy over the organization was a mistake.<\/p>\n But conveniently, the franchise had already been gifted a full reset by lucking into the opportunity to draft Duke\u2019s Cooper Flagg, a generational prospect already setting the league on fire as a 19-year-old rookie<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 180-degree spin from losing to Don\u010di\u0107 to getting Flagg was almost too good to be true.<\/p>\n Indeed, in a recent appearance on the Chapo Trap House podcast<\/a>, investigative podcaster Pablo Torre suggested that some owners in the league believe Dallas\u2019 fortunes in its opportunity to draft Flagg may have been about more than luck.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember I was at an event, and I spoke to two NBA owners. This was the day after the NBA lottery. And those two owners were both like, \u2018This was obviously fixed,’\u201d Torre said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you that I remember I was at an event and I spoke to two NBA owners. This was the day after the NBA lottery. And those two owners were both like, this was obviously fixed.\u201d \u2013 @PabloTorre<\/a> on Dallas winning the draft lottery<\/p>\n Via Chapo Trap House: https:\/\/t.co\/Mskn1D21Jd<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/AGNHOrhwca<\/a><\/p>\n