Unbelievably, Dallas experienced the ultimate lucky break of drawing the No. 1 pick and consensus top selection Cooper Flagg of Duke. This marked the first time in 17 draft lottery attempts that the Mavericks vaulted to a higher pick than the odds projected.

The Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA in February when they traded five-time All-NBA first teamer Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. The move sparked an open rebellion among Mavericks fans, who started a movement to fire Dallas general manager Nico Harrison.