The NBA Draft Lottery has always been a breeding ground for conspiracy theories. But when the 2025 results dropped, things hit a whole new level. With generational prospect Cooper Flagg likely going No. 1, fans immediately raised eyebrows as the Dallas Mavericks jumped from near the bottom to the top spot, despite having less than a 2% chance.
It’s not the first time lottery results have sparked outrage, and it certainly won’t be the last. Let’s revisit seven of the most controversial draft lottery moments ever.
7 Times NBA Fans Questioned If the Draft Lottery Was Fair
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks (Probable) | 2025
The Mavericks weren’t supposed to be at the top of the 2025 NBA Lottery. With just a 1.8% shot at landing the top pick, Dallas leapfrogged more than 10 teams to win the No. 1 overall selection. That pick will most certainly be Flagg, the Duke star already being billed as the NBA’s next franchise face.
This jump came when the Mavs were facing heavy criticism for trading away Luka Dončić. Now, with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis on the roster, Dallas appears to have a new foundation, one that left fans across the league calling the lottery a setup.
Teams like the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards, each with 14% odds, fell behind Dallas, fueling suspicions that the league wanted Flagg in a bigger market to replace lost star power.
Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans | 2019
The 2019 draft lottery brought changes to the system, flattening the odds so the bottom three teams each had a 14% chance at the top pick. In theory, this was to discourage teams from aggressively tanking. In practice, it raised even more eyebrows.
New Orleans, with just a 6% chance, won the rights to draft Zion Williamson. Three of the top four teams moved up by at least six spots. Williamson was the most hyped college player since LeBron James, and many fans believed the NBA pushed him to a market that had just lost Anthony Davis to trade rumors.
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers | 2016
Before the lottery even happened, NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo tweeted congratulations to the Philadelphia 76ers for winning the No. 1 pick. The only problem? The tweet was posted hours before the results were announced.
Mutombo later apologized, claiming he got ahead of himself, but it was too late. Fans were already speculating that the fix was in.
The Sixers had the best odds (26.9%) that year, so their win wasn’t shocking, but the timing of the tweet made it feel suspicious. They went on to draft LSU’s Ben Simmons, the clear-cut top prospect at the time.
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets | 2012
In 2012, the New Orleans Hornets had a 13.7% chance at the No. 1 pick. They won and selected Davis, the Kentucky star. On paper, there was nothing fishy, but the twist is that the NBA owned the team at the time.
Critics cried foul, suggesting the league was propping up a failing franchise by handing it a future superstar in Davis. Many speculated that David Stern wanted to boost the Hornets’ value before selling the team, and giving them the draft’s best prospect was a surefire way to do that.
A coincidence? Some still don’t think so.
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls | 2008
Chicago native Derrick Rose had just led Memphis to the national title game. The Chicago Bulls, with only a 1.7% chance, somehow won the top pick and brought Rose home.
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The odds alone raised questions, but the fact that Rose landed with his hometown team made it feel too scripted. It reignited claims that the league preferred big-market success stories, and nothing was bigger than Chicago resurrecting its legacy with a local hero at the time.
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers | 2003
Now a legend, James was the most hyped high school prospect in NBA history and was from Akron, Ohio. Coincidentally, the Cleveland Cavaliers had the second-worst record and a 22.5% chance at the No. 1 pick. They got it.
Even James has recently questioned the moment. On “The Pat McAfee Show,” he said, “I just don’t think that was… what a coincidence. Let’s keep LeBron home.”
Whether joking or not, his comment echoed what many fans believed back in 2003. That the NBA wanted James in Cleveland to spark a struggling franchise and revive local interest.
Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks | 1985
The very first lottery remains the most infamous. Patrick Ewing was the prize in 1985, and the New York Knicks, a flagship franchise in need of revival, won the pick.
Back then, the lottery involved envelopes being drawn from a glass drum. Conspiracy theories quickly spread. Some believed the Knicks’ envelope had a bent corner. Others thought it was frozen to make it easier to spot. Either way, Ewing went to New York, and a legend was born — but so were decades of lottery suspicion.
