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Ryan Phillips

Mavericks NBA Draft Lottery Win Sparks 'Rigged' Claims From Fans

NBA LA (Organization) Mavericks Adam Silver Nico Harrison Anthony Davis Duke Cooper Flagg Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison poses for a photo during the 2024 Dallas Mavericks media day. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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.

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.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mavericks NBA Draft Lottery Win Sparks 'Rigged' Claims From Fans.

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