The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, otherwise known as the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, took place at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois Monday evening at 7p.m. ET on ESPN, with the teams that had the worst 14 records of the 2024-25 season in the mix for an opportunity to change their franchises short term and long-term outlook and a shot at the coveted No. 1 overall pick.
This year, the consensus No. 1 pick is 18-year-old Duke prospect Cooper Flagg by way of Maine, who led the Blue Devils to the Final Four in the 2025 NCAA men’s March Madness basketball tournament before getting ousted by coach Calvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars, 70-67.
The bottom-14 finishers in the regular season are eligible for the draft lottery and are given odds for the No. 1 overall pick. The trio of teams with the worst regular-season records, the Utah Jazz (17-65), Washington Wizards (18-64) and Charlotte Hornets (19-63), have the best odds at getting their hands on and securing the No. 1 overall pick at 14%.
Once the top five have been determined through the lottery process, the rest of the draft order for the first round will be determined by the reverse order of the remaining teams’ regular-season records. The entire draft order for Round 2 is determined by reverse order of each team’s regular-season record.
This is the 40th annual draft lottery. The New York Knicks were the winners of the inaugural lottery in 1985 and selected Georgetown’s’ Patrick Ewing, who went on to play 15 seasons with the organization.
Here is the breakdown of the results:
The Dallas Mavericks fans and front office can breathe a sigh of relief. They have locked in the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft! They have captured the Flagg!
The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off the trade of star Luka Doncic a little over three months ago, have officially won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
Embed from Getty Images1. Dallas Mavericks (1.8% pre-lottery chance to win the pick!)
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia Sixers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Houston Rockets
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks
14. San Antonio Spurs
As stated previously, the shocking win for the Mavericks comes three months after the franchise made the stunning and controversial decision to trade franchise superstar and cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Flagg now joins Davis on a Dallas team looking to compete for a championship right away next season.
Now, for one out of the 30 teams, at least, the next six weeks will be a breeze. The Mavericks are on the clock, and they can sit and wait until June 25, the first night of the draft.
