Mavericks' Jason Kidd thanks the 'basketball gods' for Cooper Flagg, Paige Bueckers

How the two franchises came to get their first overall picks was entirely different, though. The Dallas Wings were coming off a 9-31 season, the second-worst record in the WNBA, and were tied for the second-worst record over the two prior season, which is what the WNBA bases lottery odds off of. Tha gave the Wings a 22.7% chance of winning the first pick, and that's what happened.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals in 2024 and were projected to be one of the best teams in the NBA in the 2024-25 season, They started out strong before a calf injury to Luka Doncic and a back injury to Kyrie Irving started a fall down the standings, and the abysmal trade where Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis continued that freefall.

Injuries continued to haunt the Mavs, as Irving tore his ACL, Davis missed extended time with an adductor strain, and plenty of other players missed time. That forced a team that had title hopes to miss the playoffs entirely. They still only had a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, but that's exactly what happened.

Jason Kidd's Plan for Cooper Flagg

Coach Kidd has seen Cooper Flagg as a Grant Hill type of player, a bigger wing who can thrive with the ball in his hands. They tested that theory out at the NBA Summer League is Las Vegas, and while the first game brought mixed results, his 31-point outing against the San Antonio Spurs in the second game was a great omen.

With Kyrie Irving out for at least the first half of the season, expect the Mavericks to give FLagg every opportunity as a point forward. D'Angelo Russell isn't the same downhill creator he used to be, so the team's ceiling will depend on Flagg's playmaking.