After winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Dallas Mavericks should shock the world and trade the No. 1 overall pick.
In what ended up being one of the bigger surprises in recent NBA Draft Lottery history, the Dallas Mavericks earned the No. 1 pick while only having a 1.8 percent chance to do so. While many are penciling in the Mavs to select Cooper Flagg with the pick, which should not be surprising at all, I'd argue there's another path Dallas might be willing to consider. It's not selecting a different prospect. Instead, it's the idea of trading the pick.
As outlandish as it may seem, there's a strong argument to be made that it would make more sense for the Mavs to trade the pick than it would be to take Flagg on draft night. It may not be as popular as some of the other post-lottery takes across the league, but there is at least some credence to the idea.
Why it makes sense for the Mavs to trade the No. 1 pick
The biggest reason why it would make sense for the Mavs to trade the No. 1 overall pick is the fact that their roster lends more to the idea of adding a veteran star or superstar player rather than adding an unproven rookie. Flagg is not going to be your average rookie. In fact, there's a chance he's a star as soon as he steps on an NBA floor. But it's also not a guarantee.
Dallas' core is an older one. Kyrie Irving is 33, Anthony Davis is 32, and Klay Thompson is 35. As much as I love Flagg as a prospect, I don't expect him to make the level of impact to the extent that catapults the Mavs to championship contender status in the Western Conference. That's not happening.
Instead, it would make more sense, especially for this core, that the Mavs use the No. 1 overall pick to acquire a superstar that could help push this team over the top. Giannis Antetokounmpo is probably unattainable because of the lack of other assets the Mavs have on their roster, but there has to be another veteran star out there the Mavs could lure with the No. 1 overall pick as trade compensation.
Unless, of course, the Mavs are going to pivot their entire team build. If Dallas is going to explore the idea of trading AD and perhaps not give Kyrie the big extension he's in line for this summer, then everything could change. And maybe that's the plan heading into the offseason. In many ways, the Mavs have to figure out what the plan is going to be moving forward.
I'm not saying it has to be Flagg or their current build, but making that type of decision would help make the future moves all the easier heading into the offseason. There's no question the NBA Draft Lottery has completely altered the future of the Mavs. The question is, by how much? I'd argue, significantly.