Pistons Veteran’s Social Media Message After Mavs Win NBA Lottery

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The Dallas Mavericks are the winners of the NBA’s 2025 Draft Lottery. Heading into the night, the Mavs had a less than two percent chance of getting the first-overall pick. The chances of them getting a top-four selection were set at just under nine percent.
The Detroit Pistons know too well that having the highest odds of winning the No. 1 overall pick doesn’t guarantee anything. Just last year, the Pistons entered the NBA Lottery coming off a 14-68 season. Not only did they miss out on pick No. 1, but they lost two, three, and four.
This year, the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards found themselves in that position. Although they had the highest odds of winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the Mavericks will soon land the Duke star.
As expected, the NBA social media world was in a frenzy, as the results of Monday’s lottery were unexpected. Pistons forward Tobias Harris took to social media to offer an indirect message.
via @tobias31: This goes to show why faith and always believing are so important folks 😂🤣
This goes to show why faith and always believing are so important folks 😂🤣
— τobias Harris (@tobias31) May 12, 2025
The Mavericks have had quite the year. Coming off of a Western Conference Finals victory last year, Dallas was looking to get back to the NBA Finals in 2024-2025. They ended up shocking the basketball world by trading away their franchise superstar, Luka Doncic.
It seemed the Mavs were taking a massive step back, and getting closer to a rebuild rather than competing for a title. There was some discomfort in Dallas from the fan base, but Monday’s lottery results must ease the pain at least a little.
Harris, whose Pistons weren’t in the lottery for the first time in years, could watch the event unfold worry-free. Since the Pistons made the playoffs this season, their lottery-protected pick went to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, Harris’ team has just one pick, which doesn’t come until the second round.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 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
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