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Mavericks NBA Draft Lottery Win Sparks 'Rigged' Claims From Fans
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.
The ghost of David Stern watching Adam Silver blatantly rig the lottery. pic.twitter.com/guNYK5NLJ2
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) May 12, 2025
Adam Silver - “Let’s just hope there’s no outcome that fans can say is rigged”
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) May 12, 2025
Every fan after that outcome - pic.twitter.com/CeTEYb3WWs
The NBA is definitely not beating the ‘Draft is rigged’ allegations after that 😭 pic.twitter.com/6YuEDe7LN0
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 12, 2025
This isn't even subtle rigging tbh.
— Barry (@BarryOnHere) May 12, 2025
Adam Silver: we need to rig the draft but make it believable.
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) May 12, 2025
The NBA Script writers: pic.twitter.com/I9CAkI9HxR
Better not hear a soul ever tell me this league not rigged lol
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) May 12, 2025
Mavs had to sacrifice to get LAL a new star post-Bron and get rewarded with the #1 pick. pic.twitter.com/ZT7NnQqElN
Adam Silver, after rigging the lottery so hard that no one will notice what his refs do now pic.twitter.com/ukTxt5cHA7
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 12, 2025
We all know the lottery is rigged but this is on a different level. Did the NBA promise them the 1st pick to get Luka to LA?? pic.twitter.com/Zmvh0N0vGH
— Bryson Wright (@BrysonWright3) May 12, 2025
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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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.