The Mavericks were down bad. Like “left on read by your crush, lost your wallet and got a flat tire all in one day” kind of bad. Luka Doncic got shipped off to LeBron’s Lakers in a trade that made Mavs fans question reality, existence, and whether Nico Harrison was playing 4D chess or just… totally lost the board.

But now? They just won the freakin’ NBA Draft Lottery with a 1.8% chance. That’s like throwing a paper airplane from Dallas and landing it on top of the Empire State Building — while blindfolded.

And at the center of this Cinderella miracle? Duke’s very own Cooper Flagg, the next big thing, the once-in-a-generation prospect with bounce, brains, and that “I’m him” aura. But before the ink is dry on anything official, Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts stepped into the spotlight like a proud dad holding a golden ticket and dropped some heart-pounding, hilarious, and wholesome updates that had Mavs Nation buzzing harder than Kyrie in isolation.

Let’s start with Rick’s Oscar-worthy reaction to the lottery chaos. “I turned to Victoria Martinez, who was sitting next to me, and I just said, if we’re not number four, I may have a heart attack, OK?” Welts said. “And then that, you know, we’re still in it with three picks to go. You know, it’s surreal. You’re really numb, right? I’ve been through, I don’t know, how many of these.”

For context: this was the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavericks actually got a better pick than expected. Usually, the Mavs walk into the lottery with hope and leave with the basketball equivalent of a participation trophy. But not this time. This time, they got the Willy Wonka golden envelope.

From breaking the internet in February to landing Cooper Flagg

“I only got to Dallas on the first of January, and then we broke the internet on February 1st,” Welts joked, referencing the Luka-to-Lakers megatrade that shattered brains across the league. “What really became clear to me is the emotional attachment that Dallas Mavericks fans have for that team… I can’t think of anything that could cure that more than this can.”

Bruh. He’s not wrong. After months of public outcry, “Fire Nico” jersey auctions, and Kyrie Irving sightings rarer than a solar eclipse, the basketball gods handed Dallas a cosmic Uno reverse card in the form of Cooper Flagg.

And Rick’s reaction to the front line of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, and Cooper Flagg? “Unrealistic, right? How is that possible that you could assemble a team like that?” Welts said. “So Coach Kidd’s got his work cut out for him, right? But you know, we haven’t made the pick yet, let’s be clear.”

He’s playing it coy, but we all know that “we haven’t made the pick yet” is PR code for “we’re already printing Cooper Flagg jerseys in bulk.”

Welts, who’s been around for titles in Golden State and was literally in charge of the infamous 1985 Patrick Ewing draft lottery (a.k.a. the original frozen envelope conspiracy), knows how this stuff works. “The draft is about hope, right? It gives fans hope, it gives our team hope,” he explained. “This takes it to a different level. I haven’t ever been a part of a number one pick before. But what it’ll mean to… I can’t even imagine what the atmosphere will be like walking into training camp next year.”

Let’s be real: if Dallas takes Cooper Flagg — and they will — that training camp might feel more electric than Beyonce’s Renaissance tour. Season tickets? Gone. Jerseys? Sold out. Coach Kidd’s sleep schedule? Nonexistent. And here’s the cherry on top. The reporter asked about Dallas possibly having both No. 1 picks — Paige Bueckers on the WNBA side and Cooper Flagg on the NBA side — and Rick had the most wholesome take ever.

“How about that? What a great, that’s a great point,” he said. “I haven’t even really put those two things together before, but Paige has taken the city by storm. You know, whoever we pick in that number one spot, I think will probably do the same thing. Congratulations.”

You heard the man — Dallas is officially Hoop Heaven. If you’re a bucket, chances are you’re playing in Texas next season.

The Mavericks, who barely clung to playoff hopes, traded their franchise cornerstone, and got clowned by fans for months, are now sitting on the No. 1 pick in a draft with a certified prodigy in Cooper Flagg. And with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively, and company already locked in, this might just be the quickest franchise redemption arc since Tony Stark in Iron Man 1.

We’re just saying: Nico Harrison might not be the villain after all. As for Flagg? If (and let’s be honest, when) he becomes a Maverick, he’ll have the chance to grow under less pressure, on a team that’s ready to win now, with vets to guide him and a fanbase starving for a new face to believe in.

Cue the hype music. Cooper Flagg might just be the guy who turns Dallas from “Luka who?” into “Larry O’Brien, come home.”