The Dallas Mavericks finally had something go right this season, as the ping pong balls bounced their way in the NBA draft lottery Monday night, May 12. The Mavericks now have the top pick in the draft and could use it to select college player of the year Cooper Flagg in June.
Who will likely be the top pick going to Dallas?
The 6-foot-9 18-year-old from Duke will likely be the top pick after completing a dominating freshman season, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He played 37 games in his lone season in Durham, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, winning National Player of the Year honors.
The Mavericks won the lottery for the first time in team history. They had a slim 1.8% chance –– the fourth-lowest odds ever –– to land the top pick. The lottery win is the highlight of a tumultuous season, which saw the front office trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers midseason. That trade shocked the league and upset the fan base. Soon after, center Anthony Davis and guard Kyrie Irving were injured, ruining the season. Now with Flagg possibly joining the fold, the future is much brighter.
Who are the rest of the top 5 teams?
The San Antonio Spurs have the second overall pick, the first of two lottery selections –– they also have the 12th overall pick –– to find players to pair with young center Victor Wembanyama, who was the number one overall pick in 2023. The Philadelphia 76ers finished third in the lottery. Then it’s the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz, both of whom had a 14% chance of winning the lottery but got some terrible luck.
During his season-ending press conference, Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik talked about his young players like Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George and Kyle Filipowski, saying they have the ammunition to make a move if they see a deal that makes sense.
“We do have two firsts this year, and two seconds, so that gives us some flexibility to maybe move around,” Zanik said. “So we do have the capacity to add a couple players through the draft with our roster. You guys can bring out all your rabbit’s foots and lucky charms and see what happens.”
Who else had some tough luck Monday night?
Like the Hornets and Jazz, the Washington Wizards also had a 14% chance but fell to number six. They are still feeling good about the young players who got time on the court this past season. Their pace of play was top five in the league, and adding another young star to their core will only help. However, general manager Will Dawkins recently warned against expecting a complete turnaround, even with a top pick.
“The ability to continue to steady grow,” Dawkins said. “We haven’t put a timeline on when we want to get there. We want to make sure we’re providing the runway for guys to take off and play young players, and I think we did that this year, and we’ll continue to do that next season. And you saw the young lineups, you’ll see a few more next season for sure.”
Who are some of the other prospects available?
A few prospects that could be drafted right after Flagg include Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and his college teammate Ace Bailey. Most mock drafts expect those players to be selected in the top five. Guards V.J. Edgecombe from Baylor and Tre Johnson from Texas will be high picks as well, along with two of Flagg’s Blue Devils teammates, guard Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach.
Now that the league’s draft order is set, expect some trade scenarios to surface. The biggest rumor going in NBA circles right now involves Milwaukee center Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will reportedly entertain offers to play for another team. The NBA draft will be held June 25 in Brooklyn.
