The Mavericks draw of the No. 1 pick shocked Flag: This draw is a bit crazy!

Cooper Flag may be more concerned about the lottery results than any player about to participate in the 2025 NBA Draft, because the moment NBA vice president Mark Tatum announced the No. 1 pick, he will know where his NBA starting station is, and the final answer is the Dallas Mavericks, which is unexpected to most people.

"I was surprised, like many people." Flag said in an interview today. "This is a bit crazy lottery draw."

How crazy is it? The Mavericks won the No. 1 pick with a 1.8% chance, which is the second lowest chance of winning the No. 1 pick since the NBA launched the lottery system. Looking back at the beginning of the season, as a team that reached the finals last season, the Mavericks were regarded as a favorite to compete for the championship. But before the trading deadline, they traded the team's core Luka Doncic to the Lakers, shocking the whole world. In the second half of the season, the Mavericks, who were full of wounded soldiers, squeezed into the playoffs, but lost to the Grizzlies in the second game and missed the playoffs. They ranked 11th among the 14 lottery teams.

Dallas fans have experienced several straight-up roller coasters this season, and as the team miraculously drew the No. 1 pick, they climbed to a new elevated. According to multiple media reports, the Mavericks do not intend to trade the No. 1 pick, they will choose the undisputed No. 1 pick candidate: Flag.

"This is crazy, it's crazy that the Mavericks got the No. 1 pick." Maryland center Derek Quinn, who is about to participate in the draft like Flagg, sighed that he was predicted to enter the top ten pick. "If I hadn't suffered an injury, the Mavericks might still be playing in the playoffs. We all know that Flag will be the No. 1 pick. If you put him in the current Mavericks team, they will be pleasing to the eye."

Since joining the US Men's Basketball Team last summer and showing off your skills in front of superstars such as Than Brows and James, Flag has booked the No. 1 pick this year early. One season at Duke, Flag failed to realize his dream of winning the championship, but his personal performance was outstanding enough to sweep the major American best player awards. All of these mean that each team participating in the lottery draw is consistent and they want to get Flag.

"I didn't think about where I would go in advance." Flag said, "I know this is not something I can control. I just face the whole process with an open mind. So I just wait for the result with a smile, and I am excited about this opportunity."

Interestingly, Flag quickly liked a photo on social media. The picture shows him wearing the Mavericks' short-sleeved sleeves when he was a child, as if all the script had been written long ago.

(text/Thai Fu)