The Dallas Mavericks land the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with 1.8% odds, the 4th-lowest to win the drawing since it was instituted in 1985.

The NBA draft lottery once again produced straight-up drama and intrigue this week, with the Dallas Mavericks defying astronomical odds to land the No. 1 overall pick. That got us thinking about the NFL’s draft system that simply rewards the league’s worst teams without any wrinkles.

The lottery system is how the NBA determines the draft order for the teams that don’t make the playoffs. It only determines the first 14 picks of the draft and has no impact on the second round. The first four picks are determined by the lottery, and picks 5-14 are determined by the reverse standings of whoever is left.