The Dallas Mavericks are technically on the clock after winning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It's widely expected for the front office to select Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg with that pick. Many fans cried foul, however, after Dallas won the first pick overall. On Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver set the record straight on how it all went down.

During a guest appearance on “Breakfast Ball” on Fox Sports 1, Silver shut down any notions of the NBA Lottery being rigged. He claims the Mavericks were trying to win after trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis; however, injuries to Davis and Kyrie Irving, as well as Dereck Lively II, hindered Dallas' playoff chances, and the team ended up joining the lottery.

“They were trying to win. Then Kyrie [Irving] got injured, then Anthony Davis got injured. So then they found themselves in the lottery. Odds are odds, and that's how it turned out.”

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The injuries that plagued the Mavericks after the trade deadline are something general manager Nico Harrison has mentioned amidst the criticism. While Mavericks fans were ultimately, and rightly, upset with the Doncic trade, the organization seemingly believes that if the roster remained healthy with Davis, Irving, and Lively, Dallas could have gone on a deep playoff run this postseason.

Instead, the Mavericks were eliminated from playoff contention after suffering a 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. Had Dallas pulled off a win in that contest, they never would have had the chance to enter the lottery and win the No. 1 pick overall in the NBA Draft.

The first round of the draft kicks off on Wednesday, June 25, at 8 p.m. EST. It's said to be a deep draft class, which is good news for nearly every team in the league. The No. 1 pick is the only selection the Mavericks have in the entire draft.