Raptors slip to 9th in NBA draft lottery; Mavericks win top pick with 1.8 per cent odds

The Toronto Raptors will draft ninth overall in this summer's NBA Draft.

The Raptors moved down two spots after having the seventh-worst record in the 2024-25 regular season.

Toronto had a 31.9 per cent chance at a top-four pick and a 7.5 per cent at the top overall selection.

The Raptors have held the ninth pick three times before in franchise history, using the selection to choose Tracy McGrady (1997), DeMar DeRozan (2009) and Jakob Poeltl (2016).

The Dallas Mavericks will pick first overall, moving 10 spots up the rankings, after finishing with the 11th worst record in the NBA.

The San Antonio Spurs — with back-to-back rookies of the year in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle — will pick second, the Philadelphia 76ers will pick third, and the Charlotte Hornets will pick fourth.

The Utah Jazz will pick fifth, Washington Wizards sixth, New Orleans Pelicans seventh, Brooklyn Nets eighth, then after Toronto will be the Houston Rockets at 10th, Portland Trailblazers 11th, Chicago Bulls 12th, Atlanta Hawks 13th and San Antonio again at 14.

Mavs capture the Flagg

Duke forward Cooper Flagg is widely considered the No. 1 overall prospect in this year's draft class.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season. He shot 48 per cent from the field, 39 per cent from 3-point range, 84 per cent from the foul line and was The Associated Press' national player of the year.

And he's had success against NBA players already. Last summer, when the U.S. Olympic team was holding its training camp in Las Vegas in advance of the Paris Games — where the Americans won gold yet again — Flagg was part of the select team brought in to scrimmage against the Olympians.

Flagg, who was 17 years old at the time, more than held his own in those workouts.

Flagg's teammate, Duke centre Khaman Maluach, is projected as the ninth overall pick.