It took less than five minutes for the conspiracy theories to start flying. When the Dallas Mavericks jumped from a 1.8% chance to the No. 1 overall pick in Monday night’s NBA Draft Lottery, fans didn’t celebrate. They speculated. Social media lit up with everything from “rigged” memes to jokes about how GM Nico Harrisonmight be working magic behind the scenes.
And to be fair, the timing is surreal.
Just three months ago, Dallas traded away Luka Doncic to the Lakers in a move that sent shockwaves through the league. It was a pivot few saw coming. Now, with the team holding the top pick and a clear path to selecting Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, fans can’t help but raise eyebrows.
“I’ve been through this before”: Rick Welts breaks silence on conspiracy Talk
Enter Rick Welts, Mavericks CEO-and a man who’s been here before, quite literally. Back in 1985, Welts was in charge of the very first NBA Draft Lottery, the same one where the Knicks landed Patrick Ewing and set the gold standard for lottery-related conspiracies. Now, forty years later, he’s watching the same narrative unfold, this time with his own team in the spotlight.
“I’m the only person who was in this room and the room 40 years ago,” Welts told The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver. “I was in charge of the NBA draft lottery 40 years ago when Patrick Ewing won. I’ve been doing conspiracy theory stories ever since. This is very surreal, personally.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also stepped in to defend the league’s process, reiterating that independent auditors and strict procedures ensure integrity every year. Similar statements were made after the controversial 2023 Spurs win, when they selected Victor Wembanyama.
But let’s be real: no amount of protocol is going to stop fans from questioning a lottery system that always seems to deliver drama.
Whether you’re buying the conspiracy or just enjoying the chaos, one thing’s clear: the Mavericks are suddenly sitting in a powerful position. If they take Flagg, as nearly every draft expert-including ESPN’s Jonathan Givony-predicts, Dallas may have found its next franchise cornerstone. And if that happens? The noise probably won’t stop anytime soon.
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