This is emphatically not the situation Cooper Flagg is about to walk into. If everything goes right, the Mavericks -- who improbably won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday night -- could genuinely contend for the 2026 championship.

With just a 1.8% chance of winning the 2025 NBA draft lottery, the Dallas Mavericks miraculously won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Duke phenom Cooper Flagg has long been projected to be the top pick in this year’s draft, especially after solidifying his status during his lone season at Duke.

The Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery on Monday night, giving them the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft — and the first chance to take Flagg, the freshman who led Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season and the consensus player of the year.