Mavericks narrowly avoided a new lottery rule that would've changed everything

The Dallas Mavericks don't own their own first-round pick again after this season until 2031, and they're lucky that the new lottery rules aren't in play for this month's lottery. Dallas has the eighth-best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick for the second year in a row, but if the new rules were in play, the Mavericks would have no shot at securing the first pick this year.

Why Dallas nearly had no path to the first pick

The proposed lottery rules will prevent teams from landing the top pick in back-to-back seasons, but thankfully for the Mavs, this won't be happening until next year at the earliest. They still have a 6.7 percent chance to secure the top pick in this summer's draft, and this would change everything for them.

It all comes down to the May 10 NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago, and Mavericks fans' eyes will be glued to their televisions on this Sunday afternoon. Dallas did the impossible by winning the lottery and later drafting Cooper Flagg after having just a 1.8 percent chance last year, and they'll be hoping to do the same thing this season.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer sit atop the 2026 NBA Draft class, and having their pick here would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Boozer looks like he'll be an excellent role player, while Peterson has the potential to develop into one of the best two-way guards in the NBA, but Dybantsa is the clear best prospect this year.

AJ Dybantsa is exactly who Cooper Flagg needs

He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field as a freshman at BYU, and he'd be the obvious best option if the Mavericks win the lottery again. Pairing Dybantsa with Flagg on the wing would give Dallas one of the best young duos in the NBA, and they'd be in a position to contend for titles for years to come.

This type of opportunity doesn't come around every day, especially for a team like the Mavericks that has a rich history, and the final year of having the chance to land the No. 1 pick in consecutive seasons couldn't have come at a better time. The Mavericks are desperate to find a co-star for Flagg, and this year's draft class is as loaded as they come.

Dallas basketball would change forever if they land the top pick in the draft again, and Dybantsa or whoever they select would be welcomed to the city with open arms. Cooper Flagg helped make the Mavericks exciting again, but bringing in someone like AJ Dybantsa and picking first would turn DFW into even more of a hoops mecca.

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