The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery altered the courses of many franchises across the league. In a shocking turn of events, none of the teams with top-four odds landed the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, they didn’t end up in the top three either.
The Dallas Mavericks surprised everyone, winning the lottery with the No. 1 overall pick. They will have the pleasure of selecting Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who many regard as a generational prospect who will have an immediate impact on the league. Flagg will join Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis in Dallas.
Many have come up with conspiracy theories as to why the Mavericks received the No. 1 pick. The theory floating around is that the league rigged the lottery after Dallas’ season fell apart following the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade, which destroyed the organization’s reputation.
Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas gave his take on the lottery on All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. He believes the NBA was purposeful in having the Mavericks select Flagg with the top pick.
“NBA is an empire. You want to make sure the right pieces are in the right places.”
Matt & Gil discuss the Mavs winning the Cooper Flagg Draft Lottery.
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“The NBA is an empire,” Arenas said. “You wanna make sure the right pieces are in the right places. You really think Michael Jordan would have pushed the NBA forward if he was in Portland? No. He went to a big market. You want your big stars in the big markets.”
Arenas went on to note that 40 of the top 50 players listed on the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team were in bigger markets. Flagg could end up being the next big talent in the league based on his athleticism, skills, and potential.
It’s certainly an interesting claim from Arenas. The San Antonio Spurs received the second pick, while the Philadelphia 76ers have No. 3. The Charlotte Hornets fell back to the No. 4 pick, along with many other franchises projected to land Flagg.
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