The Dallas Mavericks officially won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery and received the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Mavericks entered the lottery with just a 1.8% chance to land the top overall selection, with Dallas jumping above 10 other teams to receive the pick.
Dallas had historically struggled in the NBA Draft Lottery leading into this year’s event, with the team previously moving back from its initial pick in 12 of its 17 chances.
However, the tides have turned in the Mavericks’ favor, and the franchise will now have the chance to draft one of the most highly touted collegiate prospects in recent memory.
The Mavericks are widely expected to use this selection to draft Duke forward Cooper Flagg, who is viewed as the best prospect in the draft class and a player who can immediately contribute to a successful team.
Flagg played just one season with the Blue Devils before declaring for the NBA Draft, putting up an average of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to an appearance in the Final Four.
These performances helped Flagg win the Player of the Year award from six different organizations while also winning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and being named to the All-ACC First Team, ACC All-Defensive Team, and ACC All-Rookie Team.
Rolando Blackman, the Mavericks’ former ninth overall selection in the 1981 draft, served as the team’s representative at the lottery and said this draft means “the Mavericks can live again.”
“The Mavericks can exude positivity and growth and development not only for our fans, but also for our business community, and also for our team and our staff. I think this is just a wonderful opportunity to know that great things can happen once again,” he explained, according to Mavs.com.
Blackman said winning the lottery is a special moment for Mavericks fans, adding that he could not stop “thinking about the positivity that they now can exude.”
“They can now be part of a positive future and really have the opportunity to put themselves in a place where they can feel good about this franchise again and really have an opportunity to tie into a future that they can be a part of,” he said, per Mavs.com.
Dallas will now spend the next month evaluating all possible options with the first overall selection, scheduled for the NBA Draft on June 25.