NBA Draft Lottery 2025: Top 5 teams with best odds to land Cooper Flagg at No. 1

On Monday night, 14 teams will find out their fate in the upcoming NBA draft. Every team has a shot at landing the No. 1 selection, but only a handful have favorable chances.

Last summer, the draft class was viewed as subpar, with minimal prospects having the potential to become high-end talents. However, that is not the case this time around. There are multiple players with a lot of promise at the top of the 2025 class, led by Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is widely considered the top pick and for good reason. Standing at 6-foot-9 with the ability to impact multiple facets of the game, he has limitless potential in the NBA. Many believe Flagg is a superstar in the making who will be able to lead a franchise for at least the next decade.

Just hours away from the lottery getting underway, here are the teams that find themselves in the best position to land the Duke star.

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Top 5 teams with best NBA draft lottery odds

5) Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%)

The Philadelphia 76ers' presence in the NBA draft lottery is a huge surprise. After falling way short of expectations this season, they find themselves battling for a top pick.

The injury-ridden Sixers finished the regular season with the fifth-worst record, giving them a 10.5% chance at the No. 1 selection.

4) New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%)

Just ahead of the Sixers is another team that battled injuries this year, the New Orleans Pelicans. They'll be looking to land the top pick for the first time since drafting Zion Williamson in 2019.

The Pelicans had the NBA's fourth-worst record, finishing 14th in the Western Conference at 21-61. This leaves them with 12.5% odds of winning the lottery and nabbing Flagg.

3) Charlotte Hornets (14.0%)

Since the NBA changed its lottery odds, the top three teams find themselves with equal chances of finishing No. 1 (14.0%). Among the bunch this year is the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets were one of three teams not to crack 20 wins, going 19-63 in the regular season. They'll look to add another high-end prospect to their core of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

2) Washington Wizards (14.0%)

The Washington Wizards lucked out in the 2024 NBA draft, and they'll be hoping for similar fortunes this time around. Similar to the Hornets, they have 14.0% odds of finishing No. 1.

In the 2024 lottery, the Wizards were awarded the second overall selection. They went on to take Alex Sarr, a versatile big man who showed a lot of promise at the end of his rookie campaign. Now, the Wizards aim to try and secure a new franchise cornerstone in Flagg.

1) Utah Jazz (14.0%)

Since starting their rebuild, the Utah Jazz have typically found themselves on the back end of the top ten. Upon posting the NBA's worst record this season (17-65), they now have a 14% chance at the top pick.

It's been roughly a decade since the Jazz picked in the top five of a draft. The last instance was back in 2014 when they took Dante Exum No. 5. It's worth noting that the highest Utah has ever picked in the draft was No. 2 in 1980.

About the author

Kevin McCormick is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in journalism and a bachelor's degree in Sports Management Marketing from Holy Family University.

Kevin has worked with various notable outlets throughout his career, including 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, Heavy Sports, and Sports Illustrated/FanNation, before joining Sportskeeda in March 2022.

Specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage, Kevin's passion for basketball stems from his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Among his favorite players are Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and Steph Curry, while his all-time favorites include Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kevin holds Coach K in high regard for the large input he's had on the game helping mold players across multiple generations. Kevin believes the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped elevate the league to its current status.

Through his writing, Kevin provides in-depth analysis and insights into player and coach quotes. He prioritizes sourcing information from credible and reliable outlets.

Kevin enjoys reading, aiming to finish at least one book per month, and he is a big fan of music.

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Edited by Kevin McCormick