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Three months after gifting Luka Dončić to the Lakers in what many are calling a historic robbery, the Dallas Mavericks somehow won the lottery. With the No. 1 pick, Duke sensation Cooper Flagg is now expected to land in Dallas, unless GM Nico Harrison entertains another surprising trade.
Against all odds—1.8%, to be exact—the Dallas Mavericks emerged as the winners of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. But was it sheer luck—or something more? Dallas’ improbable lottery win has sparked speculation among NBA fans, with some suggesting the draft may have been rigged.
Dwyane WadeJasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Jazz fans are among the most frustrated, having endured the league’s worst season only to drop to the No. 5 pick despite holding the best odds. To make matters worse, co-owner Dwyane Wade stirred controversy by hinting at a possible rigging in an interview with USA TODAY.
"It's a business," Wade responded when asked whether he believed the lottery was rigged. "I'm not saying anyone is doing anything because I'm not a witness in it. But this is a business that we are a part of. And I think people forget that in the competition of sports and what we love, because we grow up playing sports, and it's not a business when we grow up. But when you're in the NBA, it's a business. And the business has to do its best job to make sure that...You know. It's taken care of.
"So I don't know," the three-time NBA champion continued. "I'm just saying I think it was 2008 when I thought we (Miami Heat) were gonna get the No. 1 pick. We ended up getting the No. 2 pick...But the Chicago Bulls, just like Dallas they had a small percentage and ended up jumping into the top four. And in my mind, I said, 'Derrick Rose is the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Bulls are going to get first.' And the Bulls did so, maybe that's a coincidence."
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Against all odds—1.8%, to be exact—the Dallas Mavericks emerged as the winners of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. But was it sheer luck—or something more? Dallas’ improbable lottery win has sparked speculation among NBA fans, with some suggesting the draft may have been rigged.
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Dwyane WadeJasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Jazz fans are among the most frustrated, having endured the league’s worst season only to drop to the No. 5 pick despite holding the best odds. To make matters worse, co-owner Dwyane Wade stirred controversy by hinting at a possible rigging in an interview with USA TODAY.
"It's a business," Wade responded when asked whether he believed the lottery was rigged. "I'm not saying anyone is doing anything because I'm not a witness in it. But this is a business that we are a part of. And I think people forget that in the competition of sports and what we love, because we grow up playing sports, and it's not a business when we grow up. But when you're in the NBA, it's a business. And the business has to do its best job to make sure that...You know. It's taken care of.
"So I don't know," the three-time NBA champion continued. "I'm just saying I think it was 2008 when I thought we (Miami Heat) were gonna get the No. 1 pick. We ended up getting the No. 2 pick...But the Chicago Bulls, just like Dallas they had a small percentage and ended up jumping into the top four. And in my mind, I said, 'Derrick Rose is the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Bulls are going to get first.' And the Bulls did so, maybe that's a coincidence."
Related: Heat Are the Biggest Losers Of the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes
Related: Dwyane Wade's Message on NBA Being 'Rigged' After Draft Lottery
Related: Dwyane Wade's Message on NBA Being 'Rigged' After Draft Lottery
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