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Outspoken Ex-Sixers Vet Makes Mavericks Comment After NBA Lottery

Former Sixers veteran Patrick Beverley reacted to the Dallas Mavericks' lottery win.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 18, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison watches warm ups prior to a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Apr 18, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison watches warm ups prior to a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ersDallas Mavericks

The Cooper Flagg sweepstakes will soon be over. Barring any shocking trades ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks will select the Duke superstar. The San Antonio Spurs and the Philadelphia 76ers will follow with the second and third picks.

Former Sixers guard Patrick Beverley took to social media to comment on the results of Monday night’s NBA Draft Lottery. The outspoken veteran took an unpopular stance by congratulating the Mavericks and even showing some defense of their often-criticized General Manager, Nico Harrison.

via @patbev21: that Nico talk about to end real quick. lol congrats Mavs

It’s been a wild year for the Mavericks. After making it to the 2024 NBA Finals, coming up short against the Boston Celtics, the future looked so bright for the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving duo in Dallas.

Over the summer, the Mavs added a dynamic sharpshooter by becoming just the second NBA home to the former Golden State Warriors star, Klay Thompson. It seemed the Mavs were prepared to make another run to repeat as Western Conference Champions, but the franchise went in a shocking direction.

Harrison formed what might go down as the most surprising trades in NBA history. Doncic, the face of the post-Dirk era, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the Mavs got a multi-time All-Star and NBA Champion in return with Anthony Davis, the move was so outrageous at the time that it led to overwhelming daily criticism of Harrison.

Suddenly, Dallas is feeling a lot better. While the loss of Doncic will certainly sting for a while, the idea of getting one of the most exciting draft prospects of this era will help Harrison moving forward.

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You can contact Justin Grasso via e-mail: JustinGrasso32@gmail.com

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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