Mavericks Shock NBA with No. 1 Draft Pick Surprise

CHICAGO, IL – The Dallas Mavericks stunned basketball fans by winning the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery held on May 12, 2025. The Mavericks had only a 1.8 percent chance of landing the top pick, which could give them the opportunity to select promising prospect Cooper Flagg.

San Antonio finished second in the lottery, followed by Philadelphia and Charlotte. The rest of the lottery picks include Utah at No. 5, Washington at No. 6, New Orleans at No. 7, and Brooklyn at No. 8, among others. The excitement of the lottery generated plenty of reactions and analysis from fans and commentators alike.

The lottery process involves 14 ping pong balls, with four drawn at a time, leading to 1,001 possible combinations. The Assigned combinations correspond to team records, giving the teams with the worst records the highest probability of winning, specifically 14 percent chance associated with 140 assigned combinations. These details reinforce why teams place so much hope in the lottery.

After the initial drawing, the balls are re-mixed and drawings continue for the second, third, and fourth picks. If an unassigned combination is selected, it is discarded, and a new selection occurs. Once the top four picks are determined, picks five through 14 are assigned in inverse order of regular-season records.

This year’s lottery attracted attention not only for the excitement of the picks but for the opportunities it presents. As the broadcast revealed each team’s fate from 14 down to one, viewers witnessed the thrilling moment a team jumped ahead or fell back in rankings. The drama of these reveals enhances fan engagement throughout the night.

Fans can continue following developments in the NBA Draft, as well as live coverage of Game 3s of the playoffs, including the Celtics vs. Knicks and Warriors vs. Timberwolves, all available on ESPN. The 2025 NBA Draft lottery provided a thrilling experience for basketball fans, full of anticipation and excitement.

The evening’s broadcast will showcase live reactions and discussions among NBA insiders, while fans are encouraged to share their thoughts directly with writers through the platform’s chat features.