The Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA draft lottery Monday night despite only having a 1.8% chance at landing the No. 1 pick. Immediately fans began claiming the process had been rigged.
For months, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been under fire after he traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2. In that deal, Harrison received Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. As a result of that trade and some key injuries, Dallas missed the playoffs and ended up in the lottery.
After the Mavericks won the top pick and the chance to land a franchise-changing star in Duke’s Cooper Flagg, NBA fans immediately claimed the process was rigged.
The ghost of David Stern watching Adam Silver blatantly rig the lottery. pic.twitter.com/guNYK5NLJ2
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) May 12, 2025
Adam Silver – “Let’s just hope there’s no outcome that fans can say is rigged”
Every fan after that outcome – pic.twitter.com/CeTEYb3WWs
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) May 12, 2025
The NBA is definitely not beating the ‘Draft is rigged’ allegations after that 😭 pic.twitter.com/6YuEDe7LN0
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 12, 2025
This isn’t even subtle rigging tbh.
— Barry (@BarryOnHere) May 12, 2025
Adam Silver: we need to rig the draft but make it believable.
The NBA Script writers: pic.twitter.com/I9CAkI9HxR
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) May 12, 2025
Better not hear a soul ever tell me this league not rigged lol
Mavs had to sacrifice to get LAL a new star post-Bron and get rewarded with the #1 pick. pic.twitter.com/ZT7NnQqElN
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) May 12, 2025
Adam Silver, after rigging the lottery so hard that no one will notice what his refs do now pic.twitter.com/ukTxt5cHA7
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 12, 2025
We all know the lottery is rigged but this is on a different level. Did the NBA promise them the 1st pick to get Luka to LA?? pic.twitter.com/Zmvh0N0vGH
— Bryson Wright (@BrysonWright3) May 12, 2025
Assuming the lottery wasn’t actually rigged, it still marks one of the more remarkable turnarounds in NBA history. It looks like Harrison stumbled his way into an incredible situation. He’ll now be able to build around Flagg, Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Kyrie Irving when he returns from a torn ACL.
