Forty years ago, the league took flack for the idea that the NBA Draft Lottery was rigged for the New York Knicks. As many have spoken about in the past, those initial rumors didn’t set a good precedent going forward.
The NBA Draft Lottery has received a lot of criticism ever since the Knicks took Patrick Ewing in 1985, especially when trades happen and the team that administered the trade receives the top pick.
Coincidence? Maybe. But there’s one too many instances where it looks a bit sketchy.
Fast forward to 2025. The Dallas Mavericks, who completed the Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis trade back in February, were awarded the No. 1 pick. Which raised many eyebrows. The Mavericks qualified for the Play-In Tournament and had extremely low odds at receiving the top pick. However, Dallas was somehow gifted the No. 1 pick.
Now fans and analysts are trying to make sense of it all. With the Mavericks expected to select Cooper Flagg, it seems as if general manager Nico Harrison knew something was up. Is the NBA Draft Lottery rigged? Is the whole system broken?
NBA Analyst Rips the Draft Lottery After Dallas Mavericks Take No. 1 Pick
CBS Sports’ Ashley Nicole Moss seemed genuinely perturbed at the idea of the No. 1 pick going to Dallas. Although the conspiracy theories were out there long before the lottery balls bounced in the Mavericks’ direction, Moss remarked that she had never bought into the swirling controversy.
As Moss continued on, the “Triple Threat” reporter began to dissect why she felt the system was broken and questioned what the lottery is for, especially in situations like these.
thoughts on the Mavs landing the No.1 pick:
"the draft lottery is just absolutely broken (…) the lottery is supposed to help struggling teams to rebuild and we see each and every year the lottery fails to do that (…) so what is it for?"@CBSSports https://t.co/Wq0eOc88JH pic.twitter.com/GurGNcoh4c
— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss)
“The draft lottery is just absolutely broken,” Moss said. “This is not okay … 1.8% chance of landing that pick. The draft lottery is supposed to make teams not want to tank, but the way the CBA is formulated now, it is almost impossible for these teams not to tank.”
“The draft lottery is supposed to reward teams and help teams that are struggling to rebuild or in markets that maybe necessarily don’t land those big free agents, like Utah, like Washington… and we see each and every year the lottery fails to do that… so what is the lottery for?”
Moss has quite the point here. The Jazz tanking and not receiving the first pick is fine, but the Mavericks receiving the top pick doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering they were in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Was the draft lottery rigged for the Mavericks after the completed the Dončić for Davis trade? We’ll never know.
How Will Cooper Flagg Fit With the Mavericks?
With the Mavericks winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, there’s a lot to think about. First, can the Mavericks integrate Flagg into their world quickly?
Flagg — winner of the 2025 Naismith Award at Duke, given to the best college player in the country — is a defensive menace and offensive presence. It stands to reason he should enjoy a seamless transition into the NBA, especially alongside veterans like Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
SEE MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft — Shocking Lottery Results Shake Up Top of the First Round
Flagg could find himself learning many facets of the game under the tutelage of Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, which could unlock different elements of his game going forward. The 2025 NBA Draft is approaching. Flagg is going to be a Maverick. How will his rookie season turn out? Time will tell.
