Dallas Makes Draft History as Mavericks, Wings Secure No. 1 Picks in Same Year

Dallas basketball is having a moment unlike any other.

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA world by winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. Holding just a 1.8% chance at the top selection, the Mavericks vaulted from the 11th-best odds to secure the No. 1 overall pick for the first time in franchise history. The victory sets up the team to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, widely viewed as the top prospect in the 2025 draft class.

Remarkably, the Mavericks’ win comes just weeks after the Dallas Wings drafted UConn star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, marking a historic and unprecedented moment for the city.

This is only the second time in basketball history that one city has won the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA and WNBA lotteries in the same year. The only other instance occurred in 2003, when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James and the Cleveland Rockers took LaToya Thomas.

“It’s an incredible experience to be here, to have this opportunity,” Flagg said following the lottery. “It’s what I dreamed of since I was a little kid… I’m just going through the process like everybody else and trying to enjoy every single moment — because you only get to do this once.”

The Mavericks, who finished 39-43 and fell short in the Play-In Tournament, benefited from a tiebreaker coin flip over the Chicago Bulls to earn the 11th-best lottery odds. The leap to No. 1 gives Dallas the top pick for the first time since drafting Mark Aguirre in 1981 — and marks the first time in franchise history they’ve moved up in the lottery.

Flagg, an 18-year-old two-way standout, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks during his freshman season at Duke while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year.

“Being a two-way player is something I’ve done since I was a little kid,” Flagg said. “I’m just going to keep doing that to the best of my ability.”

While most No. 1 picks join rebuilding rosters, Flagg could be an outlier. Before potential roster changes, the Mavericks already boast a formidable frontcourt, including Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington. That infrastructure could allow Flagg to compete immediately despite Kyrie Irving recovering from a torn ACL.

A Historic Lottery Run for Dallas Basketball

The city’s recent lottery luck has united its basketball identity around two transcendent stars. Bueckers, who will make her WNBA regular season debut this week, is already embracing her new chapter in Dallas.

In her final college season, Bueckers led UConn to an undefeated 18–0 Big East campaign, a conference tournament title, and the program’s 12th NCAA national championship. She averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks across 38 games, reestablishing herself as one of the sport’s elite talents.

The early returns in Dallas have only heightened expectations. Bueckers delivered a strong preseason with the Wings, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. She scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in her debut against the Las Vegas Aces and followed up with a 15-point, six-assist performance against Japan’s Toyota Antelopes. Her efficiency, vision, and poise have quickly made an impression.

“Dallas is a great sports city,” Bueckers said. “You can feel the love and the support already… I just want to be a part of that and just ready to step under them lights.”

She added, “Dallas becoming a place where everybody wants to play, and everyone who is here wants to stay… that’s what I’m excited to build.”

At Wings media day, Bueckers reflected on the rare moment of both Dallas teams winning the lottery and what it represents for the city’s basketball future:

“Just excited for Dallas itself… great to be in the same city,” she said.

The city’s dual lottery wins have created rare synergy between the NBA and WNBA franchises. With Bueckers and Flagg each poised to become cornerstones of their respective organizations, Dallas suddenly has a front-row seat to the next generation of basketball stardom.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 NBA Draft will occur on June 25–26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN platforms. The unconfirmed expectation remains that the Mavericks will select Cooper Flagg with the first pick, ushering in a new era after a year of transition following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Meanwhile, Bueckers and the Wings open their regular season on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx — a full-circle debut for the Hopkins, Minnesota native, who will face her hometown team on the WNBA stage.

Dallas has made history from the lottery balls to the hardwood, and the future has never looked brighter.