Is the NBA Draft Lottery rigged? A small majority of fans seem to think so after the Dallas Mavericks became the beneficiaries of an improbable number one pick, and Heat legend Dwyane Wade has chimed in with his take.
Is the NBA Draft Lottery Rigged?
Just three months after sanctioning one of the NBA’s most lopsided trades in history, the Dallas Mavericks now have the chance to replace Luka Doncic with the number one overall draft pick, for the first time in franchise history.
Barring any more controversial surprises from heavily-scrutinised GM Nico Harrison, Duke’s one-and-done prospect Cooper Flagg is expected to usher in a new era when he lands in Dallas.
Despite holding just a mere 1.8 percent chance, the Mavericks won the NBA Draft Lottery thanks to a huge slice of luck — or did they?
The aftermath has seen a raft of claims from fans suggesting the lottery was rigged, with skeptics saying Luka’s bombshell trade was put together with the knowledge that Dallas would get the first pick, therefore completing the “perfect script” for the season, as one fan on social media calls it.
Lowest Odds to Win NBA Draft Lottery
5. 2011 Cleveland Cavaliers: 2.8%
4. 2025 Dallas Mavericks: 1.8%
=2. 2008 Chicago Bulls: 1.7%
=2.2014 Cleveland Cavaliers: 1.7%
1. 1993 Orlando Magic: 1.5%
Dwyane Wayne Doesn’t Deny the NBA Draft Lottery is Rigged
Most teams will no doubt feel bereft after seeing an abnormally low odds win, but among those who were potentially preparing for a franchise-defining pick were the Utah Jazz.
Having finished the season with the worst overall record in the NBA, the Jazz slid to the fifth overall pick, despite having the best lottery odds at 14 percent.
Although the name ‘lottery’ suggests that even the lowest chance scenarios can become reality, Jazz co-owner and former NBA legend Dwayne Wade has stirred controversy in the media.
His comments in an interview with USA Today hint at the lottery being rigged, with Wade suggesting it is “just business”.
“It’s a business. I’m not saying anyone is doing anything because I’m not a witness in it. But this is a business that we are a part of.
“And I think people forget that in the competition of sports and what we love, because we grow up playing sports, and it’s not a business when we grow up.
“But when you’re in the NBA, it’s a business. And the business has to do its best job to make sure that…You know. It’s taken care of.
“I’m just saying I think it was 2008 when I thought we [Miami Heat] were gonna get the No. 1 pick. We ended up getting the No. 2 pick…But the Chicago Bulls, just like Dallas they had a small percentage and ended up jumping into the top four.
“And in my mind, I said, ‘Derrick Rose is the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Bulls are going to get first.’ And the Bulls did so, maybe that’s a coincidence.”
