2025 NBA Draft Lottery: Mavericks Stun the League, Win #1 Pick!
The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery has concluded, and the Dallas Mavericks have defied the odds, securing the coveted #1 overall pick! In a stunning turn of events, the Mavericks, who had only a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, jumped to the top, sending shockwaves throughout the league. The lottery took place this afternoon at 4:00 PM PST / 7:00 PM EST on ESPN.
This unexpected victory has ignited speculation about who the Mavericks will select, with many pointing to consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg as the likely choice. Flagg, a highly touted forward known for his all-around game and leadership skills, could be the perfect complement to the Mavericks' existing core.
Here's a breakdown of the complete draft order and the lottery odds:
2025 NBA Draft Lottery Results
Here is the official draft order for the 2025 NBA Draft:
| Pick | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 4 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 5 | Utah Jazz |
| 6 | Washington Wizards |
| 7 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 8 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 9 | Toronto Raptors |
| 10 | Houston Rockets (via Phoenix Suns) |
| 11 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 12 | Chicago Bulls |
| 13 | Atlanta Hawks (via Sacramento Kings) |
| 14 | San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta Hawks) |
Lottery Odds Before the Drawing
Here's a look at the lottery odds each team faced prior to the drawing, according to Reddit:
| Team | Lottery Odds | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | 14.0% | 17-65 | .207 |
| Washington Wizards | 14.0% | 18-64 | .220 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 14.0% | 19-63 | .232 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 12.5% | 21-61 | .256 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 10.5% | 24-58 | .293 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 9.0% | 26-56 | .317 |
| Toronto Raptors | 7.5% | 30-52 | .366 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 6.0% | 34-48 | .415 |
| Houston Rockets (via PHX) | 3.8% | 36-46 | .439 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 3.7% | 36-46 | .439 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 1.8% | 39-43 | .476 |
| Chicago Bulls | 1.7% | 39-43 | .476 |
| Sacramento Kings | 0.8% | 40-42 | .488 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 0.7% | 40-42 | .488 |
Note: Philadelphia's 2025 1st is protected for picks 1-6. If it falls out of that range, it conveys to OKC. Sacramento's 2025 1st is protected for picks 1-12. If it falls out of that range, it conveys to ATL.
Team Reactions and Analysis
The reactions to the lottery results have been varied, with excitement in Dallas and disappointment in other lottery teams. Here's a glimpse of what fans and analysts are saying:
- Dallas Mavericks: "We can't believe it! Cooper Flagg in Dallas? This is a dream come true!" - via r/UrinatingTree. Some fans are already envisioning Flagg as a potential replacement for Luka Doncic, pairing him with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
- Charlotte Hornets: As seen on r/CharlotteHornets, the team sent Jeff Peterson & Charles Lee to represent them at the lottery. Landing at pick #4, they still have a high chance to draft a franchise-altering player.
- Houston Rockets: Despite having a small chance, the Rockets landed at #10. The fans over at r/rockets are already overreacting and discussing who they should draft.
- San Antonio Spurs: With two picks in the lottery, the Spurs are in a great position to add even more talent to their young core alongside Victor Wembanyama.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Despite decent odds, the Pelicans landed the 7th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The news was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the team.
Videos and Highlights
You can watch the official NBA Draft Lottery ball drawing here:
The Portland Trail Blazers also released a hype video leading up to the lottery:
One Washington Wizards fan shared his reaction to the lottery results. Spoiler alert: it involves pain:
When Was The Last Time Each Team Selected 1st Overall?
According to Reddit, here's a look at the last time each team selected 1st overall:
- Utah never selected 1st overall as an NBA team, but selected Jim McDaniels 1st overall in the 1971 ABA draft.
- Washington selected 1st overall four times, as the Chicago Packers and Zephyrs they took Walt Bellamy in 1961 and Bill McGill in 1962, then as the Wizards they took Kwame Brown in 2001 and John Wall in 2010.
- Charlotte selected 1st overall once, Larry Johnson in 1991.
- New Orleans selected 1st overall twice, Anthony Davis in 2012 and Zion Williamson in 2019.
- Philadelphia selected 1st overall four times, Doug Collins in 1973, Allen Iverson in 1996, Ben Simmons in 2016, and Markelle Fultz in 2017.
- Brooklyn selected 1st overall twice, Derrick Coleman in 1990 and Kenyon Martin in 2000. As the New York Nets of the ABA they also selected Lew Alcindor 1st overall in 1969 and Bob Lanier in 1970.
- Toronto selected 1st overall once