The Dallas Mavericks won the lottery. Entering the day with a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they overcame the odds and earned the right to pick Duke star Cooper Flagg next month, beating out more favored teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets.

CHICAGO (AP) — The town of Newport, Maine, has a population of about 3,200 people. There’s a bowling alley, a popular local diner that serves breakfast all day, a hunting club and it costs only $6 to license your dog. It is a quintessential small New England town. It is not known for developing NBA stars. Cooper Flagg was undeterred.

NBA fans on X chimed in with their reactions to the Flagg-Pippen comparison as it grabbed attention on social media. One user commented that Flagg's ability to take over a game is more reminiscent of LeBron James than Scottie Pippen, while another questioned whether Flagg is the same type of "quick-twitch" athlete Pippen was in his prime.

The Chicago Bulls had a stroke of bad luck when fans learned that the Dallas Mavericks were winners of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.

Last year, Boston president Brad Stevens and his front office picked Baylor Scheierman at No. 30 overall and Anton Watson at No. 54 overall. Scheierman showed flashes near the end of his rookie season and could eventually become a rotation player. Watson was waived from his two-way contract and landed with the Knicks.