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.

The Dallas Mavericks had only a 1.8 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, but that was not the unlikeliest jump in lottery history.

The Mavs’ 1.8% odds will now go down as the fourth-lowest for obtaining the top pick since the lottery was implemented in 1985.