The NBA world is reeling after the Dallas Mavericks pulled off a stunning victory in the NBA Draft Lottery, securing the chance to draft Duke sensation Cooper Flagg at the end of the month. The improbable leap from the 11th spot to the coveted first overall pick, with just a 1.8% chance, has sparked widespread speculation and controversy, especially following the Mavericks’ shocking trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Mavericks’ rollercoaster season saw them trade Doncic, a 25-year-old megastar fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, in a move that left fans and analysts dumbfounded. After losing in the final game of the Play-In Tournament, Dallas seemed destined for mediocrity. However, their lottery win has provided a lifeline, positioning them to select Flagg, who recently played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio, where his Duke Blue Devils fell to the Houston Cougars.
While the NBA Draft Lottery is designed to be impossible and illegal to rig, the unlikely sequence of events has fueled rampant suspicion. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green added fuel to the fire during a recent appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. When asked about the Doncic trade, Green revealed his shock, initially mistaking the news for a rumored Kevin Durant trade that Warriors owner Joe Lacob had hinted at.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Green told Kimmel. “Superstars at 25 don’t get traded. Luka’s a megastar, just coming off the NBA Finals. You just don’t see that in the NBA. I immediately wondered, ‘I have to be next if Luka’s being traded.’”
Draymond Green talks about Luka Dončić trade on @JimmyKimmelLive pic.twitter.com/ryMHRjN668
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) June 6, 2025
The conversation took a spicier turn when Kimmel pressed Green about the Mavericks’ lottery win and whether it seemed suspicious. Green, known for his candidness, didn’t hold back entirely. “Although he suspends me often and fines me often, I still consider Adam Silver a friend, so I’m not gonna do him like that,” Green said with a smirk. “But it may be a little suspicious. Just a tad.”
Green’s comments have ignited a firestorm of debate, with fans and pundits questioning whether the Mavericks’ lottery triumph was too good to be true. The win offers Dallas a much-needed reset after the self-inflicted wound of trading Doncic, but it also raises eyebrows about the integrity of the lottery process. As the NBA prepares for the draft, all eyes will be on the Mavericks—and the league—to see how this saga unfolds.