CHICAGO — The Dallas Mavericks — with only a 1.8% probability on the prime decide — received the NBA draft lottery Monday evening, incomes the possibility to pick out projected No. 1 decide Cooper Flagg subsequent month.
The San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets will decide second, third and fourth.
With the entire order now identified, the 13 lottery groups are shifting gears towards the 2025 NBA draft, to be held June 25 and 26 (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+) at New York’s Barclays Heart.
NBA followers need to know the state of those 13 groups getting into the draft. Will touchdown the No. 1 decide push the Mavs to contemplate roster strikes with their present stars?
Our ESPN NBA specialists take a complete take a look at these questions and extra for the lottery groups as we await the draft six weeks from now.
Leap to a workforce:
ATL | CHA | CHI | DAL
HOU | NO | PHI
POR | SAS | TOR | UTAH | WAS
As basic supervisor Nico Harrison’s observe report has proven, the Mavericks’ roster that completed the 2024-25 season might look completely different from the one in October. How, and in what methods, will the Mavs’ first-round decide play into their future?
The Mavericks did not have to attend lengthy to land one other younger franchise cornerstone. Months after the stunning resolution to commerce Luka Doncic, Dallas moved up within the lottery for the primary time in franchise historical past, cashing in on the 1.8% probability to finish up with the No. 1 decide.
The widespread assumption is that the Mavs will choose Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who is taken into account a generational expertise.
Harrison firmly believes that protection wins championship, and the 6-foot-9 Flagg positively suits that profile. — Tim MacMahon
2:48
Shams: Spurs’ lottery bounce might impression Giannis sweepstakes
Shams Charania breaks down the choices for the San Antonio Spurs after they transfer up within the lottery to assert the second decide within the 2025 NBA draft.
With two lottery picks, are the Spurs leaning towards discovering a wing at No. 2 to assist regular their younger roster and house the ground for his or her stars?
Completely. San Antonio’s entrance workplace has carried out its lengthy rebuild by stocking up on versatile gamers who finally discover a area of interest throughout the system. However the workforce now has three gamers to construct round in Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Citadel, which doubtless provides San Antonio an inclination to take a extra focused strategy than it has within the current previous to amass gamers complementary to what’s already in place.
The Spurs will enter the draft with three main wants: depth at heart, supplemental taking pictures and a reserve combo guard — after shedding Zach Collins and Tre Jones in February through commerce.
With the Spurs proudly owning the second decide, the pure thought can be they may take a look at transferring it in a possible deal to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. However the two-time MVP is 30 years outdated, which does not match San Antonio’s present timeline, and he does not present the supplemental taking pictures this workforce sorely wants. — Michael C. Wright
With a top-three decide and the participant choices of Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Gordon enjoying a job in what flexibility Philadelphia has going ahead, how essential is it for the Sixers to get this decide proper?
We’ve got stated all alongside that the evening of the lottery will dictate the 76ers’ offseason.
Because the Sixers are top-heavy in wage — 77% of their wage is tied up in Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid — their choices have been restricted if they didn’t retain their first-rounder.
By maintaining the decide (it will have gone to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder if it fell exterior of the highest six), Philadelphia will now have choices to maintain and add to a roster that already contains plenty of expertise.
One choice to not dismiss is 76ers president Daryl Morey exploring a transfer again within the draft for added draft belongings or taking a swing if the subsequent All-NBA participant turns into out there in a commerce. Philadelphia now has 4 tradeable firsts, together with the third decide in June and an unprotected 2029 first from the LA Clippers.
Nevertheless, Morey harassed on the season-ending information convention that the objective is to infuse youth to the present roster.
“If every part units up effectively, we’ll have a youthful, extra dynamic roster round a wholesome Joel, Tyrese and Paul,” Morey stated. — Bobby Marks
What sort of participant would finest match subsequent to the Hornets’ core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams?
While you win 19 video games and haven’t reached the postseason since 2016, finest match goes out the window, even with a roster that features Ball, Miller and final yr’s lottery decide, Tidjane Salaun.
Additionally consider that there’s a restricted physique of labor to judge with Ball, Miller and Bridges on the court docket this season. The Hornets ranked second in missed video games, utilizing 36 completely different lineups. Ball, Miller, Bridges and Williams shared the court docket for less than 3% of possessions.
The most effective out there strategy doubtless has Charlotte staring down a bunch of guards that features VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears, Tre Johnson and Ace Bailey.
The Hornets have been a poor taking pictures workforce from the perimeter final season, rating final in efficient area objective share. — Marks
Utah might have over $70 million in salary-cap house in 2026, that means the Jazz will be aggressive. What are the expectations for the Jazz to remake and add to their roster?
The Jazz landed with the fifth total decide, which was the worst-case however probably situation after ending with the league’s worst report. Utah will doubtless find yourself with comparable odds in subsequent yr’s lottery.
The Jazz are planning for a affected person rebuild. It seems that Utah must wait at the least another yr so as to add the type of franchise-centerpiece expertise the Jazz so desperately want. — MacMahon
For a second straight yr, Washington has a top-six first and a decide within the teenagers. How excessive is the ceiling for the Wizards?
The final two months of the season are a very good template for Washington’s 2025-26. At a time of yr through which most lottery groups have been sinking in pursuit of higher lottery odds, the Wizards really improved to 9-19 after the All-Star break, matching their pre-break win complete in 25 fewer video games.
That modest success mirrored a mix of Washington’s 2024 first-round picks progressing over their rookie campaigns and the additions of veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Sensible in deadline offers that additionally introduced the Wizards future draft picks (together with No. 18 total from the Grizzlies).
Given how younger Washington’s rotation will probably be with one other pair of first-round rookies added to final yr’s 4 — the three they drafted plus AJ Johnson, acquired from the Bucks with Middleton, all of them youngsters at first of the season — competing for the postseason is not practical but. However so long as the Wizards take a step towards competitiveness, their younger core will give followers within the DMV space extra motive for optimism than at any level since Washington’s final above-.500 end in 2017-18. — Kevin Pelton
The Pelicans are choosing within the prime seven of the draft for the primary time since Zion Williamson was picked No. 1 in 2019. How a lot of the Pels’ future rests with this decide?
Falling again from No. 4 to No. 7 is a deflating second in New Orleans, particularly after a season that was marred by accidents.
The Pelicans are, nonetheless, nonetheless in place so as to add an impression participant with the seventh decide to a roster that already contains Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III and final yr’s first-round decide, Yves Missi.
The query will proceed to hover round the way forward for Williamson and whether or not the brand new entrance workplace, led by Joe Dumars, can construct the roster round him
Williamson has performed in simply 46% of regular-season video games since coming into the league and has by no means appeared within the playoffs. — Marks
The Nets have 4 first-round picks, essentially the most cap house within the league and plenty of future draft capital. What ought to their strategy be this offseason?
The Nets have been unfortunate on Monday evening, falling to No. 8 because the Spurs and the Mavericks jumped them within the draft order. Brooklyn remains to be a workforce to observe rigorously over the subsequent few months, with the pliability to speed up their timeline and enhance the roster but additionally with actual incentive to play the lottery another yr. This yr’s free agent class is not loaded, the 2026 draft seems to be promising on the prime and the Nets owe swap rights on their very own 2027 first to the Rockets. That creates a logical technique to remain affected person, protect their cap flexibility, deal with drafting effectively and creating internally — then angling to flip the change towards competing a yr from now.
In fact, the supply of a star participant on the commerce market might all the time change the calculus and switch the Nets into acquirers. For instance, the prospect of a Giannis Antetokounmpo commerce would certainly pique Brooklyn’s curiosity. Nonetheless, contemplating the Nets do not have a lot confirmed expertise on their roster, the price and advantage of such an enormous transfer (and no matter subsequent ones to observe) would wish to strongly enchantment for Brooklyn to make that transfer now. The best path is perhaps to remain the course earlier than shifting gears subsequent summer season. — Jeremy Woo
The Raptors will add a lottery decide to hitch final yr’s four-man rookie class, and that participant additionally will workforce up with veteran Brandon Ingram. What’s going to it take for Toronto to get again into the playoff combine?
The Raptors have collected younger expertise round Scottie Barnes, however there is a query of match transferring ahead, with Ingram becoming a member of a mixture that additionally contains RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick. Toronto has plenty of gamers who like to attain, however on paper, there is a want for extra linked workforce members to facilitate sharing the ball.
The participant Toronto selects at this spot will not clear up every part, however discovering depth up entrance, shoring up the protection and determining the offensive stability with Ingram are all gadgets the Raptors want to contemplate. Prospects comparable to Collin Murray-Boyles and Derik Queen doubtless will obtain lengthy seems to be right here given the dearth of a real energy ahead on the roster. — Woo
1:32
‘NBA Countdown’ crew in shock after Mavericks lottery win
Malika Andrews, Brian Windhorst and Chiney Ogwumike react to the Mavericks profitable the lottery.
After a first-round loss within the playoffs, what’s the Rockets’ offseason plan and can one in all their priorities be to discover a massive to enhance Alperen Sengun?
The Rockets contemplate continuity with their younger core to be an interesting path, however they’ll weigh doable pursuits of a confirmed celebrity within the commerce market. As basic supervisor Rafael Stone not too long ago instructed ESPN, there’s a “excessive bar” that should be cleared for the Rockets to make a core-altering deal. Houston’s decision-makers must be assured {that a} commerce will vault them into the tier of official contenders to surrender core gamers and dip into their deep bag of draft belongings.
The Rockets have been agency that rising star Amen Thompson is off-limits in any potential commerce discussions.
So far as an enormous man goes, the Rockets are curious about re-signing Steven Adams after he carried out effectively whereas his minutes have been rigorously managed in the course of the common season and was a serious motive Houston prolonged its first-round collection towards the Warriors to seven video games. — MacMahon
Among the many massive points over the summer season for Portland is the very fact it has 4 veterans — Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III and Deandre Ayton — getting into the final yr of their contracts. How will this draft decide play into the Blazers’ roster development?
The upside of the Blazers’ sturdy second half of 2024-25 is that they do not should draft for want at this decide. Portland has a powerful ahead duo in Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, its finest gamers final season; two creating guards in Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe; and a middle of the long run in Donovan Clingan.
That group of younger expertise, slightly than this yr’s decide, makes the Blazers comfy buying and selling some or all of their veterans this offseason. I would really contemplate ahead Jerami Grant the likeliest commerce candidate this summer season. Grant performed simply two video games after the top of February, avoiding an ungainly resolution for Chauncey Billups about whether or not to start out Grant — who final got here off the bench in 2020 — as an alternative of one of many workforce’s youthful gamers.
Portland may choose to attend till the deadline to maneuver gamers on expiring contracts. Given the everyday dearth of groups seeking to commerce away expertise on the deadline, Ayton and Thybulle might have extra worth to established contenders by then, whereas Williams can show to groups his means to remain on the court docket. And the Blazers will know higher whether or not their younger guards can efficiently change Simons. — Pelton
The Bulls ranked twenty third in defensive effectivity and final in factors allowed within the paint, however are they pondering draft for want or finest match? The entrance workplace prioritized a play-in event look over rising its draft lottery odds; will that repay?
When the Bulls traded Zach LaVine earlier than the Feb. 6 commerce deadline, that they had a 26% probability at a top-four decide and including the type of franchise-changing expertise wanted to raise a workforce that has misplaced within the play-in event in three straight seasons. As a substitute, administration prioritized expertise for the younger expertise already on the roster whereas groups comparable to Philadelphia, Toronto and Brooklyn gained higher lottery odds.
Chicago completed 15-6 down the stretch however obtained trounced by Miami in a house play-in sport as its odds plummeted to 1.7% for the highest decide and to eight% for a top-four choice. As a workforce that has completed with an equivalent 39-43 report the previous two seasons, the Bulls must discover a approach so as to add celebrity expertise to raise themselves from the center of the pack. — Jamal Collier
The Hawks have repositioned themselves with a younger roster and added monetary flexibility. How ought to Trae Younger match into the way forward for this workforce?
Atlanta has spent the previous seven seasons making an attempt to place the right combination of expertise round Younger, whose means as a scorer and playmaker has dictated the workforce’s type of play beneath a number of coaches to combined outcomes. The Hawks are nonetheless trying to find a prime government to steer basketball operations, and for what to do with Younger, who’s up for an extension, as is NBA Most Improved Participant winner Dyson Daniels.
As Atlanta lays out the imaginative and prescient transferring ahead, it has to contemplate how a big monetary dedication to Younger impacts its flexibility. If the Hawks determine it is time to go a unique course, that is doubtless the window to maneuver him, earlier than he will get dearer and tougher to commerce. Nevertheless, the marketplace for Younger has not been particularly sizzling over the previous couple of seasons, and the Hawks’ means and willingness to maneuver him may additionally hinge on the place they draw the road on his commerce worth.
The distinction now is perhaps that the emergence of Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Daniels has given the Hawks rather more stability constructing out the roster ought to they deal their star guard. — Woo
No. 14: San Antonio Spurs (through Atlanta Hawks)
Although Victor Wembanyama is one-of-one, the Spurs might want to discover somebody who can defend the rim when he’s on the bench. What are the choices?
San Antonio traded backup heart Zach Collins in February, and on the identical day that transfer was made official, new main reserve heart Charles Bassey suffered a knee damage that saved him out of 31 of the workforce’s final 35 video games. Bassey’s earlier two seasons ended on account of knee accidents, and he hasn’t performed greater than 36 video games all through any of his 4 years within the NBA. Given Bassey’s historical past, and the truth that he is about to hit free company, it is time for the Spurs to prioritize depth behind Wembanyama.
However San Antonio will not attempt to pressure a match within the draft the place there is not one. It seems extra doubtless the membership will attempt to add a reserve heart in free company, the place the potential confirmed choices are extra plentiful and able to contribute instantly. The Spurs do not have time to attend for a younger heart to develop. — Wright
