The Dallas Mavericks just got the biggest second chance in NBA history gifted to them by the basketball gods.
On Monday night, the Mavs entered the NBA Draft Lottery with a 1.8 percent chance to land the top pick.
They left the night with the right to pick Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall after one of the most shocking and ironic outcomes in lottery history.
The basketball gods certainly have a sense of humor.
The NBA world reacted in shock in early February when everyone woke up one morning and learned Luka Doncic had been traded in the dead of night to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and draft assets.
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Dallas GM Nico Harrison was widely trashed. How could he trade a younger superstar for an injury-prone star on the decline, without even shopping Doncic around the league first?
This outcome doesn't excuse that.
In fact, it's extra painful.
The Mavericks could've had Doncic and Flagg!
But they'll at least settle for Flagg.
Things could've been much, much worse. A pick at about No. 10 or so wouldn't have changed the course of the franchise.
Flagg? He changes the course of the Mavericks as much as Doncic or Dirk Nowitzki.
Dallas got it right with Dirk in his playing days, keeping him around his whole career and getting an NBA title out of it.
The Mavericks got it wrong with Doncic, dismissing him less than a year after playing in the NBA Finals.
This is a chance to right the Doncic wrong, giftwrapped to Harrison and company.
It'll be hard to mess up Flagg, although that seemed true with Doncic, too.
Flagg is going to be a Dallas Mavericks superstar, and if they play their cards right this time, they can keep one of the best players in the NBA for life.
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