Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green delivered a blunt message to NBA teams after the Dallas Mavericks’ shocking lottery victory. The four-time champion’s direct warning comes after Dallas defied 1.8% odds to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
The Mavericks’ win puts them in position to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick. Jumping from a 1.8% chance to the top spot is one of recent NBA history’s most improbable lottery outcomes.
What Did Draymond Green Say About the Mavericks’ Lottery Win?
During the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” Green spoke about Dallas’s lottery success while discussing tanking strategies. When asked what message the Mavericks’ surprise win sends to teams that try to tank, Green didn’t hold back.
“That shit don’t work anyway. Anytime you trying to lose, that ain’t never worked in your favor. Stop,” Green said during the podcast. The Warriors forward’s comments highlighted just how unlikely Dallas’s lottery luck was compared to higher-odds teams.
Dallas’s jump from 10th to first in the lottery left higher-odds teams like the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards empty-handed. Both those teams had 14% chances, but neither cracked the top four.
Green specifically mentioned Dallas’s situation when delivering his anti-tanking message. The Mavericks traded away superstar Luka Dončić earlier this season, a move that drew criticism from fans and analysts alike. But the unexpected lottery result flipped the narrative entirely, giving Dallas a chance to rebuild around a generational prospect.
What Does This Mean for the NBA’s Draft System?
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has expressed similar feelings about tanking. Lacob stated via ESPN, “You don’t get better by trying to lose. Our entire organization is about winning. And we will win. Some bumps in the road, perhaps. But we will never accept losing.”
Green’s comments came as the NBA readies for a draft headlined by Cooper Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds ,and 4.2 assists as a freshman at Duke. Flagg earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors and is widely viewed as the top prospect since LeBron James’s 2003 draft class.
The Mavericks ended the season 39-43 after the Dončić trade, good for 10th in the Western Conference. Their unexpected lottery luck now gives them a shot to grab a player who could change the future of their franchise.
Green’s message wasn’t aimed at the Mavericks specifically. Instead, it was directed at any team that might see Dallas’s success as proof that tanking works. The Warriors star made it clear that trying to lose doesn’t guarantee results, especially in a lottery system that can be this unpredictable.
