The NBA's predraft season is in full swing as the league held its draft lottery Monday, with the Dallas Mavericks winning the No. 1 pick, and the chance to select projected top pick Cooper Flagg -- an opportunity a source told ESPN Tuesday that the Mavericks intend to see through during the draft on June 25-26 in Brooklyn, New York.

Heading into the NBA Draft Lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers front office were already full of stress. This tension increased as a result of a massive mistake by ESPN announcer Kevin Negandhi during the lottery broadcast.

Another reason why conspiracy theorists say the NBA Draft Lottery is rigged is because the actual drawing of the ping-pong balls is no longer shown on live TV as it was in the past. However, the league invites select media members to attend the ball drawing, which takes place in a separate room in the venue right before the national TV broadcast.

When LeBron James chose the Miami Heat on July 8, 2010. When Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2016. When Kobe Bryant dropped 60 points in the final game of his career on April 13, 2016. When Luka Doncic joined the Los Angeles Lakers just this Feb. 2 certainly meets the criteria, too.

The NFL Draft is, for the most part, a cut-and-dry process. The team with the worst record picks first, and the team that wins the Super Bowl picks last in the first round. Other sports leagues, like the NBA and the NHL,

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter suggests the league should adopt an NBA Draft-style lottery to prevent teams from tanking for players like Arch Manning.

The 2025 NBA predraft process officially kicks off Saturday, with an expected 120 players, including Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Derik Queen, Walter Clayton Jr ., and others, congregating in Chicago for the NBA draft combine, G League Elite Camp, and agency pro days.