For many, it’s hard to imagine how the Dallas Mavericks secured the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The odds were against them, and with just a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick, the unthinkable happened during the draft lottery. And now, Cooper Flagg might be heading to the Mavericks after the franchise got derailed following the Luka Dončić trade.
However, some concerns regarding the lottery following Dallas’s rise to the top spot exist. Many believe the NBA rigged the lottery to give the Mavericks a priceless advantage. NBA analyst Chris Mannix, who witnessed the draft lottery in person, spoke about the process and said that there was “nothing suspect” in the events that transpired on Monday.
NBA Analyst Details the Draft Lottery Process Following Mavericks Landing No. 1 Pick
Mannix joined Ryen Russillo’s eponymous podcast on Tuesday to discuss the draft lottery. “It is impossible to rig the NBA Draft lottery,” he said. “The NBA goes to such great pains to ensure that there is no appearance of impropriety.”
“It is impossible to rig the NBA draft lottery.”
After witnessing the drawing firsthand, @SIChrisMannix joined @ryenarussillo to debunk the “NBA draft lottery is rigged” allegations. pic.twitter.com/XCtc0FCVpC
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 13, 2025
Usually, the draft lottery proceeds as follows: First, the organizers place 14 balls in the lottery machine and mix them for 20 seconds. Then, they remove the first ball. The rest of the balls get jumbled in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. This cycle goes on until four balls are drawn and the results are determined.
If the same team arises more than once, the result is discarded, and another four-ball combination is drawn. A timekeeper monitors the time taken for the mixing process, and he faces away from the machine. Following the allotted time, the timekeeper signals the machine operator to stop.
SEE MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft — Shocking Lottery Results Shake Up Top of the First Round
Mannix spoke about how the process takes place and said, “The guy that is telling the ping pong ball selector when to draw from the bucket, he has his back turned to the whole proceeding. Like he is standing there with his back to the drawing and has a stopwatch in his hand, and every 10 seconds he will raise his hand, and that’s when a ball is drawn.”
“It would take a Houdini-esque act to be able to rig the NBA draft lottery,” the analyst told Russillo. “There’s nothing suspect about what the lottery is.”
