The 2025 NBA Draft lottery is on Monday night in Chicago, as the ping-pong balls will decide the fate of the draft order. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets have the highest odds of landing the No. 1 pick with a 14% chance each.
Of course, this year’s top prize is Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, the unheralded best player in the class and a generational talent.
Whichever team gets the top pick will most likely be receiving plenty of calls from franchises desperate to bring in Flagg, who was a superstar in his only season at Duke.
With the Jazz being among the teams with the highest odds, a surprising development came out of the mouth of owner Ryan Smith: The Jazz might trade the pick, if they get it, during an episode of “Run It Back.”
“I have Danny Ainge running the franchise who did have the No. 1 pick and did move back for Jayson Tatum, which no one saw coming. Out of anyone on the planet, he’s always open,” Smith said when asked if there is a scenario where they trade the pick.
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In the 2017 NBA Draft, Ainge traded down from No. 1 to No. 3 as the Boston Celtics moved down and the Philadelphia 76ers moved up in a shocking trade. In turn, the 76ers selected Markelle Fultz and the Celtics grabbed Tatum, which seemed to work out years later for Boston.
But trading away the top pick this time would be an even bigger shock, especially with all of the hype Flagg brings and the fact that he would likely be a massive sell for fans in Utah, or anywhere else, for that matter.
But, as Smith said, Ainge is “always open,” so who knows what happens if Utah lands the top selection.
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