Cooper Flagg Responds to Wild Conspiracy Theory About His No. 1 NBA Draft Selection…
Top NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg has broken his silence following a swirl of conspiracy theories suggesting the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery was rigged to land him with the Dallas Mavericks.
The speculation gained traction after the Mavericks, who held just a 1.8% chance of securing the top pick, stunned fans by leapfrogging to No. 1—and then used that selection to draft the 6’9″ phenom from Duke.
Flagg, 18, who has been widely regarded as one of the most complete high school-to-college prospects in recent memory, was asked about the rumors during his post-draft press conference on Tuesday night.
“I don’t know what to say about that,” Flagg said with a slight smile. “I have no insider information if that’s what people are looking for. I’m just blessed to be in this position. I’m ready to get to work and help this team win.”
Theories about the lottery being “rigged” began surfacing almost immediately after the results were revealed last month. Some fans and media personalities pointed out the timing—just weeks after Dallas traded superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster move—as suspicious. The idea, however unproven, was that the NBA might have “rewarded” the Mavericks for their cooperation in rebalancing star power across the league.
Among the voices fueling speculation were Shaquille O’Neal, who hinted at the idea of “hot or cold” envelopes during an interview, and former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, who implied on the All the Smoke podcast that the league prefers to place marquee players in favorable markets.
Even NFL analyst Robert Griffin III added fuel to the fire on social media, writing: “The NBA had to make it up to the Mavs somehow after letting Luka go to LA.”
Despite the noise, the NBA has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the controversy earlier this week, saying, “The draft lottery is conducted with independent auditors and full transparency. Any suggestion of tampering is completely false.”
Flagg, for his part, seems unfazed by the outside chatter. Instead, he’s focused on fitting in with a Mavericks team in transition and ready to begin the next chapter of his career.
“I grew up dreaming of this moment,” Flagg said. “Now it’s here. What happened with the lottery—I can’t control any of that. What I can control is how hard I work and how I represent this franchise.”
Whether coincidence or controversy, Cooper Flagg’s arrival in Dallas is already one of the biggest stories of the offseason. But if his measured response is any indication, the young star isn’t interested in drama—he’s ready to let his game do the talking.
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