Flagg has been the obvious No. 1 pick all season, but Harrison's decision to trade the 25-year-old Dončić for a 31-year-old Anthony Davis suggested that Dallas was all-in on the present. Had that been the case, Dallas could have offered Flagg for a number of veteran All-Stars, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo should he become available.

The Dallas Mavericks win the 2025 NBA draft lottery and the chance to pick Duke's Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall. The ping-pong balls have spoken: Cooper Flagg might be headed to Dallas to start his NBA career and a fan base that lost Luka Doncic this season might have a new star to cheer for.

In 2021, the Pistons won the NBA Draft Lottery after a 20-52 record and took Cunningham No. 1 overall in that year's draft. After the Dallas Mavericks defied the odds and won the lottery with just a 1.8% chance, Pistons forward Tobias Harris delivered a message.