Maybe the basketball gods are real. If so, it’s quite possible that they’re not pleased with the Dallas Mavericks front office and their decision to trade Luka Doncic last month.
Anthony Davis could sit out the rest of the season as he rehabs his adductor injury. Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Even Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Jaden Hardy are injured, though they have a chance of suiting up again this season.
2025 NBA Draft Could Be Mavs’ Silver Lining After ‘Curse Of Luka’
As a result of their series of unfortunate events, the Mavs are no longer considered title-contenders. Of course, they could always go on a Cinderella run. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that their 2024-25 campaign has been a failed mission. With that in mind, fans can’t be blamed for their frustrations with or criticisms of Mavs owner Patrick Dumont and Mavs general manager Nico Harrison.
Frankly, Harrison might now be on the hot seat, which could lead to an offseason Hail Mary.
However, there might be a silver lining in all of this. Because Dallas’s season has been so unsuccessful, they’re in position to land a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. In fact, the Mavs are currently projected to select 13th overall, with a 4.8 percent chance of landing a top-four pick and a 1.0 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick.
Cooper Flagg, Anybody?
On the one hand, said pick could be used as a trade chip in a blockbuster deal. To that point, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant is expected to be available in trade talks this offseason. This is particularly notable given the rumors that Dallas has already made calls about Durant.
On the other hand, if the pick lands high enough, they might just keep it. Obviously, Doncic wasn’t the guy they saw leading them into the future. Maybe there’s a prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class’s highly-touted crop that is though.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg might even be good enough to get the heat off Harrison’s back. A multi-faceted forward who has grown more confident as a scorer over the course of the season, he looks like he has All-Star potential. Interestingly, Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes believes the Blue Devils blue blood is ahead of where Durant was in college.
Among the players Steve Forbes has coached against in his career, he puts Duke’s Cooper Flagg on the same level as Kevin Durant at Texas.
“I think they’re different. I think Cooper does more at this point … I’d put those guys in the same breath.” pic.twitter.com/nFN7nE2WPZ
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) March 4, 2025
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“I’d put those two guys in the same breath,” says Forbes.
Lottery Odds
There’s little chance that they would get higher odds for the No. 1 pick than the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, or New Orleans Pelicans, all of whom have fewer than 20 wins. It’s unlikely that they’ll finish with a worse record than the Philadelphia 76ers (21-40), who just shut Joel Embiid down for the remainder of 2024-25.
Still, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Dallas finishes the season with one of the 10 worst records. This significantly increases their chances of getting a top-four pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. For example, if the Mavericks finish the season with the eighth-worst record, they’ll have a 26.3 percent chance of winning a top-four pick and a 6.0 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick.
Even with that, Dallas definitely wouldn’t be a shoo-in to win the Flagg sweepstakes. However, they could get in the conversation.
Dylan Harper to Dallas?
If the Mavs can’t secure the No. 1 pick though, there are other prospects who they might like.
Rutgers forward Ace Bailey has been compared to the likes of Durant. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper has been mentioned in the same breath as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden. Of note, both Durant and Harden have won an NBA MVP award. If Harrison is serious about building a great defensive team, Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe and Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears can’t be ignored. Texas freshman Tre Johnson, a Texas native, is arguably the best scorer in his class.
Of the aforementioned prospects, Harper could be the best fit though. When the Mavericks gave up Doncic, they also sacrificed an offensive engine who did the bulk of his work off-the-dribble. Harper isn’t quite the facilitator that Doncic is. However, at 6-foot-6, he’s another supersized playmaker who can operate as a featured scorer.
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