CHICAGO - It's the kind of stunning turn of events that gives birth to conspiracy theories.
With a slim 1.8 percent chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery in New York on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time), the Dallas Mavericks leapt 10 slots to grab the No. 1 selection which they can use to pick Cooper Flagg.
And while the odds were truly improbable, it wasn't unprecedented.
COLUMN: Any Miami Heat rebuild should start with Antetokounmpo deal
In the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery on May 12, 1985, the New York Knicks beat seven other non-playoffs teams of the previous year to grab No.1 pick Patrick Ewing, then the 7-foot star out of Georgetown who went on to become Rookie of the Year and an 11-time All-Star.
In 2008, with a similarly scant 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, the Chicago Bulls won the Derrick Rose derby.
That's why they call it a lottery, folks.
AGONY AND ECSTASY.
Former majority team owner Mark Cuban could hardly believe the great fortune and bared his emotions on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, saying "Oh my f... God."
And just like that, the Mavericks are set to acquire another generational talent after shockingly trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last February.
Flagg averaged 19.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game at Duke last season, shot 48.1 percent from the field, and is a credible threat from 3 with a 38.5 percent clip from long distance.
The 18-year old forward joins a Western Conference powerhouse loaded with three future Hall-of-Fame players -- Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.
It's too early to tell if Flagg will end up in the pantheon of legends that have graced the NBA through generations. But he certainly has the size and the tools.
What an amazing roller-coaster of emotions for a Dallas fan base that is now suddenly rejoicing after plowing through the grief ofLuka's unforeseen exit.
After letting go of Doncic, there's really no way of knowing how the front office handles this newfound asset. Which has birthed theories that the Mavericks may put together a deal that would potentially send Flagg to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo,
IT'S FAR-FETCHED BUT NOT DOWNRIGHT CRAZY.
Given the advancing age of Thompson (35), Irving (33) and Davis (32), dealing for Giannis appears plausible if the team wants to win now.
But it makes more sense to build around Flagg and prosper for 12 to 15 years assuming he stays healthy.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, who were heavily favored to retain their NBA championship this June, are on the verge of elimination after losing Game Four to the Knicks, 121-113, and falling behind 3-1 in their East Conference semifinals series.
Sadly, the Celtics' woes extend beyond this postseason.
With what is believed to be a devastating Achilles injury that an MRI will soon confirm, Jayson Tatum is expected to be out for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.
Talk about a championship window closing fast.
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