The Basketball Gods reconvene on Monday night to determine who will finally Capture The Flagg and win the 2025 NBA Lottery.
For as much hype as there is around Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg, this draft class is both top-loaded and deep, so these results will impact franchises more than, say, last year’s disastrous draft.
To determine who really deserves to win the lottery, I ranked each team on a 1-5 scale with 1 is least deserving, you screwed everything up and everyone hates you, and five being “you poor souls, you have acted righteously and deserve the basketball gods’ grace.” I ranked them on three factors.
- Fans: How much each fan base has suffered
- Organization: If the organization has done things right in the recent past
- Basketball: How much fun would it be to see talent like Cooper Flag, Dylan Harper, or VJ Edgecombe play there.
1. Washington Wizards — 5 for fans, 4 for organization, 4 for basketball
Wizards fans’ high point of the last 20 years was the John Wall-Bradley Beal era. Their organization focused on player development, brought in veterans at the deadline and have a long-term vision. And honestly, Flagg with Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George would be very fun. Same with any of the top talents.
2. Portland Trail Blazers — 5 for fans, 4 for organization, 3 for basketball
I don’t know what a Shaedon Sharpe/Toumani Camera/Cooper Flagg team looks like, but I know it can defend. The Blazers held their ground against the Heat’s leverage campaign and while the fans had a lot of playoff appearances in the 2010s with Dame, they also had to watch him leave and haven’t had a real contender since the 90s.
3. San Antonio Spurs — 1 for fans, 5 for organization, 5 for basketball
The fans already got Wemby after getting Robinson and then Duncan. I cry no tears for them. But the organization remains elite, and the narrative of them winning as Pop steps down as coach is tremendous.
4. Chicago Bulls — 5 for fans, 3 for organization, 3 for basketball
An iconic player on an iconic team is always good. The organization, I do think, has earned some karma for not outright tanking, and this team makes a lot more sense if it’s built around a player like Flagg or Harper.
5. New Orleans Pelicans — 5 for fans, 2 for organization, 4 for basketball
I know, they’ve won it so many times already. But every time they do, it all goes wrong. They landed two of the best but most injury prone stars in the league over the past 12 years. You get two No.1 picks you deserve to have ONE year where you’re an elite team, and they’ve never had it. Their fans deserve better. Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Flagg/Harper/Edgecombe? Yes, please.
6. Sacramento Kings — 5 for fans, 2 for organization, 2 for basketball
The Kings keep this if it’s inside the top 12; otherwise, it goes to Atlanta. Kings fans deserve the best, they’ve gone through so much together. But the organization just fired a good coach this season, then fired their GM after he made the playoffs for the first time in 18 years, then rebuilt the 2020’s Bulls. That’s the other thing; I have no interest in watching young stars stand by as DeMar DeRozan dribbles.
7. Utah Jazz — 2 for fans, 4 for organization, 2 for basketball
The fans haven’t won a title, but at least the team has been a consistently good playoff team. The organization is well run and didn’t run things too long with the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era. I just don’t know what a Flagg-Markkanen-Kessler team looks like. So to speak.
8. Charlotte Hornets — 5 for fans, 2 for organization, 2 for basketball
The fans absolutely deserve a team good enough to root for; it’s a surprisingly iconic team for being newer. The organization I think is moving in the right direction, but their decision to retain Miles Bridges weighs here. I’m not sure where a new star fits in with Brandon Miller and especially LaMelo Ball.
9. Houston Rockets — 1 for fans, 3 for organization, 5 for basketball
The fans have a. won titles and b. competed for titles with a superstar in the Harden era. They are not starving for success. The organization has developed talent well but has also lingered on some decisions. Adding a(nother) premier young talent to this team would be pretty sick. Would they trade it?
10. Toronto Raptors — 1 for fans, 2 for organization, 5 for basketball
They won the title in 2019, and didn’t even really want to rebuild. The organization has done baffling things like the Jakob Poeltl trade and extension, and the Brandon Ingram trade. But Flagg or one of the super athletes next to Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett would be pretty sick.
11. Dallas Mavericks — 5 for fans, 1 for organization, 2 for basketball
I mean, they lost Luka. I want good things for Mavs fans. Their organization does not deserve this kind of gift. And who knows if the kid they draft plays if Nico Harrison decides he doesn’t have the Mamba Mentality or whatever.
12. Brooklyn Nets — 3 for fans, 1 for organization, 1 for basketball
The fans deserve good things, but they also landed KD and Kyrie in a summer. They’ve made the playoffs though the last 25 years. The organization is apparently trying to shortcut its way through free agency again and had to be bailed out from having traded all its pick by Houston’s leverage play against Phoenix. And if they don’t get another star, the basketball here would be rough for a few years.
13. Philadelphia 76ers — 1 for fans, 1 for organization, 3 for basketball
They’ve won titles (albeit 40 years ago), had the Iverson era, and have this process era. Yes, it’s been agonizing, but it’s also what they wanted. The organization had no intention of being this bad, and while the main culprit is injuries, they knew the deal going in. Slotting in Flagg next to their stars, though, would be pretty fun. What if it’s not No.1, and they have to choose between one of the guards/wings and Maxey vs. McCain vs. Grimes?
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NBA news roundup
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly “open-minded” about leaving Milwaukee. This should be considered a soft launch of a trade request. The countdown begins, and I’m absolutely sick for Bucks fans.
- The Nuggets had a wild weekend, beating the Thunder in overtime to take a 2-1 lead and being crowned clutch gods for 35 hours until OKC got even on short rest behind some clutch adjustments from Mark Daigneault to break Denver’s zone with Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins.
- The Cavs thought they were back, but it turns out that was a mirage, as the Pacers demolished them in Game 4 and Donovan Mitchell suffered an ankle injury (MRI pending).
- The Garden was HYPED on Saturday, but the Celtics decided to make threes and that was all she wrote as the Knicks try to get even on Monday.
- Warriors vs. Wolves is a basketball abomination for which we should all look down in shame at what has become of our sport. Wolves lead 2-1.