Image Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

NBA Draft Lottery Conspiracy Theory- Wild Previous Records Show Teams Involved in Blockbuster Trades Landed Overall First Pick in Lottery!

Several theories have time and again questioned the authenticity of NBA Draft Lottery.

Image Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks once again found themselves in hot waters. However, this time, they weren’t alone, they had the entire NBA with them. After landing the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery 2025, fans and pundits have been continuously questioning the legitimacy of the system. This was for the first time that the Mavericks found the m selves winning the lottery. But this wasn’t the actual problem. The issue is that the Mavericks had only 1.8% chances of winning the lottery.

Moreover, the team with the worst record and highest favorable odds, hasn’t landed the No. 1 pick since 2019. There have been several conspiracy theories that have time and again questioned the authenticity and fairness in the system. One of them is that the teams that traded their biggest players have ended up winning the draft lottery in the next edition. There are multiple examples to support this theory.

In 2010, LeBron James became an unrestricted free agent, and ended up signing with the Miami Heat. In the next season, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who signed James as the overall first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, won the lottery despite having 2.8% odds of winning. They drafted Kyrie Irving in their roster as the first pick.

After making big trades just months before the NBA draft lottery, these teams ended up winning it 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9Ta0d7PXmc
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2025

In 2011, Chris Paul was involved in a blockbuster trade, which was filled with controversies. Paul, who was initially expected to move to the LA Lakers, ended up with the LA Clippers. In return, the New Orleans Hornets got Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected first-round pick in the 2012 draft. Later in 2012, the Pelicans ended up winning the lottery and they signed Anthony Davis. They had 13.7% chances of winning the lottery.

Another such example is Anthony Davis’ trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. The big man was traded from the Pelicans to the Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round draft picks. His trade was followed by the Pelicans winning the lottery for the following season, and signing Zion Williamson, despite having only 6.0% odds.

The latest example includes the trade of Luka Doncic that left the entire NBA world stunned. Midway during the 2024-25 season, the Dallas Mavericks announced trading Doncic to the Lakers, and signed Anthony Davis. The franchise is now a winner of the NBA Draft Lottery 2025, and are expected to sign Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg in the forthcoming drafts.

Also Read: NBA Analyst Rightfully Points Out the Biggest Problem With the NBA Draft Lottery!

How Have The First Picks Performed For Their Debut Teams in NBA?

Kyrie Irving, who was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first pick, ended up winning his first NBA championship with the franchise in 2016 NBA Finals. The team faced the Golden State Warriors in the summit series and took them down 4-3 despite trailing the series 3-1 after the first four games.

On the other hand, Anthony Davis, who made his NBA debut with the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), spent seven seasons with the franchise. However, he couldn’t win any championship with the side. In fact, his first NBA title came in 2020, the first season following his trade to the LA Lakers. The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals to secure their 17th championship.

Talking about Zion Williamson, the 24-year-old was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 as the first pick. Having spent six seasons with the franchise, Williamson’s career has been marred by injuries and he hasn’t been able to win any championship so far.

Luka Doncic, the latest addition to the LA Lakers, had a memorable debut season with the team. The Slovenian, who aimed to win his first title alongside LeBron James, failed to do so as the team was eliminated from the 2025 playoffs in the first round following a 4-1 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Also Read: Was the NBA Draft Lottery Rigged for Dallas Mavericks? Explaining Everything Amid ‘Rigged’ Claims on Social Media

Dallas Mavericks

NBA Draft Lottery

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.