This year’s NBA Draft Lottery resulted in scandal and intrigue, with the Dallas Mavericks claiming the rights to future superstar, Cooper Flagg.  The Mavericks came into the draft lottery with 1.8% chance of securing the number one pick compared to other teams like the Utah Jazz, the Washington Wizards, and the Charlotte Hornets, who all had 14% chance each.  The Pelicans had 12.5%, and the 76ers had 10.5%, as the remaining of the worst 5 teams in the league.

The San Antonio Spurs secured the second pick, projected to be Dylan Harper from Rutgers University.  Following closely behind was the 76ers, who are projected to pick Ace Bailey, also from Rutgers.

Conspiracy theorists are saying that the Mavericks are being rewarded by the NBA for sending superstar Luca Doncic to the LA Lakers, thus ensuring the Lakers continue to have an established superstar presence on the team with the NBA’s biggest and most prestigious franchise.  Theories like this are even favored by statistics, as there is less than a 1 in 50 chance that the Mavericks should have secured the number one draft pick.  Many raised their eyebrows at the shocking midseason Luca Doncic trade, and some suggest that this turn of events is the answer to the questions that arose during that period.

A lot of insiders are claiming that this draft has potential to be a deep draft, meaning there will be many impact players even through the first ten picks.  This means that hopefully the next season will be more competitive than ever and will allow some of the teams to hone their growing skills with new talent.