Everyone who paid the slightest attention to college basketball knew that Duke superstar Cooper Flagg was going to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Dra

Flagg is fresh off a consensus National Player of the Year campaign where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over 37 games, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Drafting Flagg would position him alongside veterans Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis on a roster that reached the NBA Finals in 2024.

The Dallas Mavericks have officially won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery in the latest stunning turn of events for the franchise after trading superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers just three months ago.

Unbelievably, Dallas experienced the ultimate lucky break of drawing the No. 1 pick and consensus top selection Cooper Flagg of Duke. This marked the first time in 17 draft lottery attempts that the Mavericks vaulted to a higher pick than the odds projected.

The organization that inexplicably gave away Luka Doncic in a trade deadline deal entered Monday night with a 1.8% chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery — and they got it. The Dallas Mavericks have the No. 1 pick, an ending to the lottery that will provide years of fuel for the conspiracy theorists around the league.

Cooper Flagg is starting to settle into his new reality. The former Duke star has been considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in next month's NBA draft for some time and now knows that pick is held by the Dallas Mavericks — winners of the draft lottery earlier this week.

The Dallas Mavericks, four months after trading superstar Luka Dončić, leapt up from a 1.8 percent chance to win the first overall pick and the right to select Cooper Flagg.

“We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the building,” said Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Welts, who on Jan. 1 succeeded the retired Cynt Marshall as CEO. During his 47-year career, Welts also has overseen business operations of the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.