The Dallas Mavericks haven’t been able to escape national sports headlines all year, but this time, the wind seems to have shifted in Dallas’s favor.
The results for the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes are finally in, and they have shocked the world.
Mark Cuban Makes Feelings Clear On Dallas Mavericks Winning Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes
The Mavericks were a play-in team this season after acquiring Anthony Davis and Max Christie in a blockbuster trade that put generational talent Luka Dončić in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. The official 2025 NBA Draft Lottery odds had the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets tied all at 14% of capturing the Flagg, with Dallas near the bottom of the list at just 1.8%.
But it seems that Lady Luck was finally on the Mavericks’ side after a season filled with ill-timed injuries and highly questionable front-office decisions. Against all odds, they secured the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Former principle owner and now minority owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban reacted to the news.
“Unreal,” Cuban posted. “OMFG Let’s Go Mavs”
“Oh my f****** God !!!” he added.
Unreal
OMFG
Let's Go Mavs
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban)
“Unreal. I’m still shaking,” Cuban said. “First time we have ever moved up. I was screaming the whole time with my son.”
Cuban sold the team for a staggering $3.5 billion in December of 2023 but remains an integral part of the organization and an endearing figure in the Mavs fanbase. His reaction was surely similar to that of the entire Dallas faithful.
MORE: 2025 Post-Lottery NBA Mock Draft
The Mavs’ odds-defying rise in the NBA Draft Lottery was even more dramatic given the circumstances. Dallas and Chicago finished with identical records, but a coin flip determined who would have the 11th and 12th spots in the draft order. Chicago lost the toss, received the 12th pick, and remained there after the lottery.
Meanwhile, Dallas jumped from 11th to first — the highest leap in NBA Draft Lottery history. It was the first time the Mavericks have ever moved up in the lottery.
This unexpected turn of events could not have come at a better time for Dallas, a franchise trying so hard to establish a new, defensive identity after sending away their franchise star in Dončić. Flagg, widely considered one of the most promising prospects in years, has the potential to become the transformative player for the Mavericks, who need a new cornerstone player.
The Mavs have been on a rollercoaster all year, but as the dust settles from the NBA Draft Lottery, Dallas finds itself on a thrilling high, with yet another potential generational talent falling into their lap to reshape their future. Let’s just hope Nico Harrison doesn’t trade him away this time around.
