Dallas Mavs Win NBA Draft Lottery in Spot that Would've Belonged to Miami Heat

The Miami Heat got a stiff slap in the face in the NBA Lottery when the Dallas Mavericks, seeded 11th in the slot the team vacated by winning the play-in tournament and reaching the playoffs, ended up with the rights to the No. 1 overall pick.

Dallas had just a 1.8 percent chance to emerge with the top selection. Fate could've been different if Miami had lost to either the Hawks or Bulls and had their shot at hearing their ping-pong ball combination called first, but this will now always sting as a footnote when the Mavericks' good fortune is discussed. 

Duke standout Cooper Flagg is expected to be Dallas' selection, easing the loss of franchise star Luka Doncic and fueling conspiracy theories everywhere. 

The Heat have had nothing but horrible luck where this draft is concerned, ultimately ending up with Golden State's pick. The Warriors lost a pair of coin flips to wind up being the No. 20 selection when the draft choice conveyed to Miami in the Jimmy Butler trade could’ve been as high as No. 18. 

Miami should still get a nice player if they stay in their slot since this draft is considered one of the deepest in years by experts, but those wondering what might have happened had the Heat had a chance at their first lottery pick since drafting Tyler Herro No. 13 in 2019 were absolutely sick at Monday’s developments.

Players who could be available when Miami selects at No. 20 include Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., Georgetown center Thomas Sorber and Arizona forward Carter Bryant.

The Heat can always cling to the reality that nothing was guaranteed to them at the No. 11 spot in the lottery, but the organization and their fans can now monitor Flagg's career going forward and wonder what might have been.

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Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com