The OFFICIAL "Was the 2025 NBA draft rigged?"

[SOUL]

I’m losing brain cells just reading this forum

This is sadly the world now. Things don't go people's way and everything is a conspiracy theory/rigged instead of realizing how lottery systems work in general.

I think the Ewing draft was rigged for sure because of how they did it, but now they have representatives behind the stage when the balls are being drawn, meaning every team in the league would have to be "IN" on a specific team winning a generational talent. Yeah, not happening.

Just massive amounts of stupidity in the world right now but I'll chalk most of it up to emotions and anger lol.

[donkki]

its rigged and we'll still watch

THIS. Look, I know this is rigged as all hell but I'll still watch... For now.

For me the key is "For now". Next season, now I'm thinking probably not watching anymore.

[MrGoat]

The NBA really gained nothing from this. It just makes no sense from a business perspective for Flagg to go to Dallas. If anything, the NBA would want him to go to Washington, Char, or Utah or freaking Brooklyn.

It was the price to pay to get Luka to LA.

I don't buy the E&Y reputation thing, even the league wants you to believe it. Does not give my any more confirmation on the legality of the lottery.

Thinking a multi billion dollar firm that has an army of lawyers and can get away with massive crimes with only a slap on the wrist of a fine if anything is peak gullibility.

And the NBA does gain from this. They had essentially nuked one of their largest markets with the Luka trade and needed something to drum interest back up

[LordCovington33]

Does anyone want to argue that the lottery is not rigged?

Explain how it is rigged - like how are they rigging it?

By giving the Mavericks Cooper Flagg in exchange for revitalizing the Lakers who were on their death bed. This is OBVIOUS.

That’s not explaining HOW (the process) is rigged. What are they doing exactly to rig it? Are you saying the balls weighted differently? (Smart Play weighs them, certifies and seals them) Are you saying the machine is rigged? (Smart Play manufacturers the machines - just like they manufacturer systems for most major lotteries - no incentive to cheat)
How is it rigged? I am not searching for conspiracy theories.

[Raps in 4]

The only explanation for it not being rigged is literally divine intervention. We live in a magical world where fairy tales come to life.

[right between the eyes]

The nba ratings were in the toilet. Vince McMahon, I mean Adam Silver probably orchestrated the whole trade by approaching both the Lakers and Mavs with this idea. It helps ratings in the short term and gives LeBron another shot at a title. Utterly disgusting. Only in the NBA is there always this constant sketchiness. It's been happening for decades with the Lakers yet we all continue to tune in.

[life_saver]

Sometimes I feel like people don't even think critically...did Adam Silver magically injure Kyrie so he suffered ACL which resulted in Mavs missing playoffs & getting No1 pick ?

[HotRocks34]

Miriam won. Wow.

[wadenation305]

I don't care that Dallas got Cooper. If anything im happy for them after the atrocity that was perpetrated against them. I'm happy that the obvious tankers did not win. But 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt, this league is as rigged as it gets. We should all vote with our views that is the same with voting with our pockets to these people, and just stop watching until it's changed

[DavidSterned]

just curious, does anyone know what the mavs odds of winning this pick were?

1.8%

...goddamn dude. Ive been a arguing pretty adamantly that NBA rigging conspiracy theories are fun but dumb. I really dont wanna change that stance but sometimes the NBA makes it hard.

Heres my pushback. Wish me luck on this one... So, to believe that this was rigged we would have to believe Mavs ownership already knew the team would be in the lottery. At the time of the trade, it was widely believed the Mavs would be a top 6 seed. They really only fell out of the playoff picture after the Kyrie injury. So do people really believe that either A. the injury was fake or B. without that injury the team was lottery bound?

Not necessarily. It's entirely possible that Dallas/Nico made that trade on their own dumba*ss volition and that the lottery was still rigged. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

The theory would be that the league rigged things to maintain a sense of balance in one of their major markets (Dallas) after the disruption that the trade caused. That fanbase was seriously on the verge of revolting down there and the league couldn't have that. This could just have been them throwing them a bone.

[Pointgod]

So for the people who believe the draft is rigged, what incentive is there for 14 other teams to go along with the rigging process and how do you explain that it’s open to NBA execs and the media who see each ball that pops up and possible combinations. Also it’s audited by an accounting firm who puts their reputation on the line. What incentive is there for anyone to go along with this

[bovice]

its rigged and we'll still watch

THIS. Look, I know this is rigged as all hell but I'll still watch... For now.

For me the key is "For now". Next season, now I'm thinking probably not watching anymore.

bro its always been rigged and you've been watching. it's not gonna change. jus embrace that what the sport u watch isn't a real sport it's jus entertainment jus like WWE. real basketball isn't played the way they play it in the NBA but who cares.

[Archerbro]

The only explanation for it not being rigged is literally divine intervention. We live in a magical world where fairy tales come to life.

I Think this is a great case for god exists, but then it begs the question. why wouldn't he intervene to stop the trade in the first place

*Insert philosoraptor meme*

[ryguy613]

1.8%

...goddamn dude. Ive been a arguing pretty adamantly that NBA rigging conspiracy theories are fun but dumb. I really dont wanna change that stance but sometimes the NBA makes it hard.

Heres my pushback. Wish me luck on this one... So, to believe that this was rigged we would have to believe Mavs ownership already knew the team would be in the lottery. At the time of the trade, it was widely believed the Mavs would be a top 6 seed. They really only fell out of the playoff picture after the Kyrie injury. So do people really believe that either A. the injury was fake or B. without that injury the team was lottery bound?

Not necessarily. It's entirely possible that Dallas/Nico made that trade on their own dumba*ss volition and that the lottery was still rigged. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

The theory would be that the league rigged things to maintain a sense of balance in one of their major markets (Dallas) after the disruption that the trade caused. That fanbase was seriously on the verge of revolting down there and the league couldn't have that. This could just have been them throwing them a bone.

if youre gonna argue conspiracy, this is the more plausible theory. But if you read these various threads, youll see most people arguing that this was a backdoor handshake at the time of the trade, which clearly would be highly improbably, if not impossible.

[SOUL]

Rigging would require:

1. Kyrie not getting hurt.

2. Dallas losing the play-ins.

(and as I wrote in the other thread...)

3. Ernst and Young is risking its reputation as one of the biggest and most profitable auditing firms in the world simply to help the Mavs.

4. EVERY team representative who watches the live drawing behind the scenes either being okay with the outcome because they know about it or not raising a stink about it (which they won't, because it's how lotteries work and fans don't care about that).

[JustBuzzin]

nba is so obvious wwe

The top 3 teams who had the best odds of all teams all dropped out of the top 3.

The teams that jumped them playoff teams that had injuries.

Dallas/San Antonio/Philly

You can't make this stuff up!

[Lalouie]

Does anyone want to argue that the lottery is not rigged?

I won't argue it, but why is Dallas getting flagg a good thing???

[Archerbro]

Rigging would require:

1. Kyrie not getting hurt.

2. Dallas losing the play-ins.

(and as I wrote in the other thread...)

3. Ernst and Young is risking its reputation as one of the biggest and most profitable auditing firms in the world simply to help the Mavs.

4. EVERY team representative who watches the live drawing behind the scenes either being okay with the outcome because they know about it or not raising a stink about it (which they won't, because it's how lotteries work and fans don't care about that).

I'm a CPA i can tell you,

if there's any accounting firm that would risk their reputation for millions of dollars, it's one of the big four (regional firms)

[Raps in 4]

3. Ernst and Young is risking its reputation as one of the biggest and most profitable auditing firms in the world simply to help the Mavs.

EY has been helping companies cook their books for generations. They don't care. All the rich engage in financial fraud.

4. EVERY team representative who watches the live drawing behind the scenes either being okay with the outcome because they know about it or not raising a stink about it (which they won't, because it's how lotteries work and fans don't care about that).

The league has revenue sharing. 99% of owners don't care about their teams. And even if they didn't have revenue sharing, the owners just want the league to increase in value across the board, which will inevitably increase the value of their team.

Your other two points are legitimate though. But I think the Mavs would have just rested AD if Kyrie didn't get injured, or made up an injury for one or both of them. That would have all but guaranteed they lose the play-in game too.

[jkvonny]

2 big markets teams jump up in the lottery like that? Dallas and Philly!!

Unreal...

I feel for Charlotte and Utah.

Also feel for Washington (big maket but terribly run franchise.