When the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic at the trade deadline, many people thought they made a massive mistake. However, after winning the draft lottery, the Mavericks’ future looks better than ever.
The Mavericks won the draft lottery with just 1.8 percent odds of winning. They become the fourth team to win the draft lottery with less than two percent odds.
What Happened?
The Mavericks and Bulls both finished with a 39-43 record. To break this tie, the NBA did a coin flip. The Mavericks won this coin flip, giving them the 11th-best odds for the first pick. This coin flip ended up meaning way more than expected, as the Mavericks jumped all the way to the number one pick in the draft lottery.
As stated earlier, the Doncic trade changed the course of the Mavericks’ season. Before the trade, they looked to compete with the best the West had to offer. In 2024, they were able to beat the first-seeded Thunder. However, after the trade, their goal was simply to keep their heads above water. Anthony Davis was hurt when the trade happened. He would not return until March 24.
While the Mavericks were waiting for Davis, Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending injury on March 3. The stretch from March 4 to March 23 was rough on the Mavericks, as they had a two-win and seven-loss record. The Mavericks looked a little better with Davis, with a five-win and six-loss record. However, without Irving, there was basically no hope for winning the play-in tournament.
Cooper Flagg is widely regarded as the projected number one pick. There were rumors that Flagg was considering staying in the NCAA due to the four worst teams being uniquely bad. However, these rumors didn’t end up being true. Flagg ends up in one of the best scenarios a first overall pick could end up in. He joins all-stars and NBA champions Davis and Irving. Also interesting to note that Davis and Irving are both first overall picks as well, with the New Orleans Hornets winning the draft lottery in 2012 and the Cavaliers winning the draft lottery in 2013.
What’s Next?
The Mavericks’ future plans have just changed radically after the draft lottery. Originally, they were likely going to ride out the rest of Irving and Davis’ prime before rebuilding. Now, they will already have a future superstar in Flagg developing next to them. The Mavericks will likely commit to winning with their new “big three”.
It’s pretty clear Flagg is an NBA-ready player. However, the question is how NBA-ready he is. The Mavericks will need him to be pretty close to ready if they wish to compete in Irving and Davis’ window.
It’s important to note that Irving will miss most of the 2025-2026 season with an injury. This means that the Mavericks will likely not be able to compete in Flagg’s rookie season. Even once he comes back, there’s not enough to re-incorporate Irving into the offense. How Irving recovers from this injury will determine the Mavericks’ fate.
What about Everyone else?
The Jazz and Wizards must feel very disappointed with how the draft lottery went. Both of these teams have spent three to four seasons trying to rebuild their rosters. However, poor draft lottery luck has halted both of their rebuilds. In 2023, when everyone was tanking for Victor Wembanyama, the Jazz had a red-hot start to the season that hurt them come draft lottery time. The Wizards got the second pick after the draft lottery last season, but Alexandre Sarr still has a lot of developing to do.
Meanwhile, the Spurs and Sixers are the two biggest winners of the draft lottery outside of the Mavericks. Both of these teams already have multiple all-star-level players on their rosters. Whoever gets drafted to these teams with the second and third overall picks, respectively, will not have to face the brunt of the teams’ defenses. However, they will face pressure to develop quickly so these teams can capitalize on their talented rosters. Never in the draft lottery history have three talented teams been blessed with the top three picks.
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Cover Photo via Deviant Art
