NBA Draft Lottery delivered one of the most shocking outcomes in recent memory, as the Dallas Mavericks — who held just a 1.8% chance of winning — secured the No. 1 overall pick.

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.

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.