In a stunning twist of fate, the Dallas Mavericks have secured the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite entering Monday’s lottery with just a 1.8% chance of landing the top selection. The result hands Dallas a golden opportunity to kickstart a new era, with top college prospect Cooper Flagg widely expected to be their pick.
The win comes just months after the Mavericks shocked the basketball world by trading away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic in February. The franchise is now positioned to rebuild around a fresh face — and Flagg, a standout freshman from Duke University, could be the ideal centerpiece.
“It’s been a rough year for us as we all know,” said Dallas legend and four-time All-Star Rolando Blackman, who represented the Mavericks at the draft lottery event in Chicago. “But the important part of the whole thing is that we’ll get a chance to move our franchise forward.”
Flagg, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward, declared for the draft after an exceptional single season at Duke, where he was named national player of the year. His averages — 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game — highlight his all-around impact on both ends of the court.
“His highlights, his statistics, the ways he impacted the game on both ends of the floor, really in every category, was off the charts,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said last month.
Blackman was equally enthusiastic about the 18-year-old’s potential: “Well, the main factor is that he can hoop. He can play. There are a lot of great players in that draft class, and the important thing is that we’ll see how the guys get together and make the team better.”
Flagg, for his part, remains grounded amid the rising hype. Speaking to ESPN, he said, “I didn’t try and think about it too much. I feel like it’s kind of out of my control. So I’m just going through the process like everybody else and trying to enjoy every single moment.”
In other lottery results, the San Antonio Spurs earned the second pick, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers in third. The Charlotte Hornets will select fourth, while the Utah Jazz — despite finishing with the worst record in the NBA — will pick fifth.
With the top pick secured, all eyes now turn to Dallas and how they’ll use it to shape the future.
