NBA analyst shuts down rigging rumors after Cooper Flagg lands with Mavericks in shocking draft lottery twist

Some NBA fans called the 2025 draft lottery rigged after the Dallas Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick, which will likely be Cooper Flagg. However, one NBA analyst shut down the conspiracy and explained why the league couldn't cheat the lottery.

Speaking to The Ringer's Ryan Russillo, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated defended the NBA from rigging allegations. Mannix was present during the lottery proceedings, along with other reputed media members. He called it impossible for the league to rig the lottery process because of the lengths they take to ensure its fairness.

"It is impossible to rig the NBA draft lottery," Mannix said. "The NBA goes to such great pains to ensure that there is no appearance of impropriety. The guy that is telling the ping pong ball selector when to draw from the bucket, he has his back turned to the whole proceeding. ... Every 10 seconds, he will raise his hand and that's when a ball is drawn. It would take a Houdini-esque act to be able to rig the NBA draft lottery."

NBA fans couldn't help but wonder how the Dallas Mavericks went from being the laughingstock of the league for trading Luka Doncic to potentially getting Cooper Flagg in a span of less than six months. The Mavericks lost a generational talent and stumbled upon another possible one.

Dallas had a 1.8% chance of landing the first pick, which was the lowest among lottery teams. The league wanted parity and even changed the rules of the lottery odds to prevent teams from tanking. However, it's not surprising that some members of its fanbase can't help but wonder if the NBA had its hands on the results.

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Dallas Mavericks ownership confirms plans to draft Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks ownership confirms plans to draft Cooper Flagg. (Photo: IMAGN)

After the Dallas Mavericks lucked into the No. 1 pick of the draft, rumors began to swirl that they could trade it for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Mavs governor Patrick Dumont has no plans on dealing the selection and his franchise will draft Cooper Flagg.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Dumont considered their luck of the draw as a "gift" to his franchise. He even thought that Flagg is a generational talent, so he'll have the final say in what Nico Harrison can do with the first overall pick.

Flagg is no Luka Doncic, but he's got the skill set and potential to fit with the current roster outside of Kyrie Irving, who is set to miss the majority, if not all, of the upcoming season due to injury.