Chicago lost the toss and had the 12th spot. They ended up staying at 12 after the lottery, while Dallas, who got the 11th best odds, jumped all the way to No. 1.
Since Chicago and Dallas Had the Same Record, the Coin Flip Determined Who Would Have the 11th Spot and Who Would Have the 12th Spot
In the unpredictable world of NBA draft lotteries, fortunes can turn on the smallest of margins—sometimes even a coin flip. That was precisely the case this year for the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks, who both finished the regular season with identical records. As per NBA rules, a coin flip was held to determine which team would be slotted 11th and which would fall to 12th heading into the lottery draw.
The coin flip favored Dallas, granting them the 11th-best odds for the No. 1 overall pick. Chicago, unfortunately, drew the short end of the toss and received the 12th-best odds. While the difference in odds between the two slots is small, it proved to be monumental in this year’s draft outcome.
As the lottery unfolded, fate smiled on Dallas. The Mavericks defied the odds and surged up the board, leaping from the 11th spot all the way to No. 1 overall. It was a stunning turn of events that left fans across the league buzzing and reminded everyone just how unpredictable the draft lottery can be.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls—left in the 12th slot after the coin flip—remained exactly where they started. They neither moved up nor fell back. While staying put isn’t the worst-case scenario in the draft lottery, it certainly stings more when your direct competition makes an extraordinary leap. The contrast between the Bulls and the Mavericks became a story in itself: two teams with the same regular-season record, separated only by a coin toss, ended up having vastly different outcomes on lottery night.
For Dallas, the No. 1 pick opens the door to a potential franchise-changing moment. Whether they use the pick to select a promising young talent, trade down for multiple assets, or make a bold move to pair the new addition with Luka Dončić, the Mavericks are now in a powerful position. It’s a dramatic turn for a team that had only a 3% chance of landing the top pick.
Chicago, on the other hand, must now regroup and assess its options from the 12th position. While valuable players have been found in that range before, the opportunity cost of missing out on a top-tier talent is significant. For Bulls fans, the coin flip may now be seen as a cruel twist of fate—one that cost the franchise a shot at the No. 1 overall pick.
This situation underscores the razor-thin margins that can separate teams in the NBA. In a league built on parity and moments of chance, even a single coin flip can echo through a franchise’s future. For Dallas, it was a stroke of good fortune that may define the next decade. For Chicago, it’s a lesson in luck, timing, and the brutal nature of the NBA’s lottery system.
And to think—it all started with a simple flip of a coin.
