The NBA had a lot of dates that force us to remember where we were, what we were doing and with whom we were in the moment.
When LeBron James chose Miami Heat on July 8, 2010. When Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2016. When Kobe Bryant lost 60 points in the last match of his career on April 13, 2016. When Luka Dovantic joined the Los Angeles Lakers just on February 2 which certainly meets the criteria.
But it is a rarity to attend two of these events on the same day – even less a few hours apart. This is why Monday, May 12, 2025 will not be forgotten in the circles of the NBA of soon.
Between the Dallas Mavericks translating the 11th best lottery ratings in the first global selection – and with it, the right to write the Duke Cooper Flagg phenomenon next month – and the title champion of Boston Celtics losing Jayson Tatum for not only the rest of the playoffs of this year, but probably the vast majority of the following season with a Torn “Day” declared an oriental scout.
It was also massively consecutive. For a league which has already lost strongly towards the domination of the Western conference, the combination of another generational talent landing in the West only increased this division. The only True East Superpower losing a top 5 player at his peak for more than 10 months by transforming a chasm.
While the dust always settles on the magic lottery of the Mavericks and the Tatum franchise wound, we succeeded in the League on what awaits us for the constant expanding conference imbalance, for an East now open and for a West Logjam which just added another generational perspective.
The Ligue initiates on the initial shock of Tatum’s injury
Few injuries are as substantial as that that Tatum has just suffered. The 27 -year -old man, who has the richest NBA contract, was part of his career and most likely will do his fourth consecutive team from the NBA. He is on the right track towards a great career of all time and already has a curriculum vitae of the replacement temple.
He is the best reigning champions player, a team that entered Monday – even dragging New York Knicks – like the heavy favorites to win the East.
“This is a completely unforeseen scenario,” said an East manager. “It doesn’t happen to a guy like that.”
Yes, the Celtics are looking at a financial cliff. But the president of the Brad Stevens team and the Boston front office would probably have found a way to facilitate their luxury tax bill without massive loss. And although it is always dangerous to project yourself too far into the future in the NBA, Boston was positioned to be at the top or near the east for the rest of the decade.
“Your mind is starting to browse scenarios that you would never have thought,” said the executive about the potential state of mind of Boston. “They have a lot of thoughts to do.”
Boston’s hopes to repeat this season almost left; Knicks can close Celtics on Wednesday (7 p.m., TNT).
And with Tatum essentially radiated for the whole 2025-26 Seizure, it is difficult to see a scenario in which the Celtics were not found a little this summer, in order to become cheaper and accumulate to another final taking place in 2026-27.
“It was already their last chance with their team to go as far as possible [before the financial crunch]”Said a West Scout.” They will have to be creative. “”
A weak breed is becoming lower – and wide open
1:27
Has the injury of Jayson Tatum put an end to the supply of rehearsal of the Celtics?
The “Get Up” crew is discussed if Jayson Tatum’s injury derails the hopes of the Boston championship.
Milwaukee and Miami were already getting out of the photo. The heat found a way to scratch the playoffs after winning 37 games, but was sent by Cleveland horsemen in the first round after exchanging Jimmy Butler III during the season, showing that Miami has a lot of work to do to return to the East elite.
The Bucks, on the other hand, find themselves at a crossroads after their own devastating injury, Damian Lillard tearing an Achilles during the defeat of five Bucks games in the first round against the Pacers of Indiana. This, plus three consecutive outings of the first round, left Giannis Antetokounmpo with an uncertain future in Milwaukee.
Pacers for the finals of the Eastern Conference could go into a vacuum. Indiana has established an identity as a frantic offense behind Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam at the controls, and has a young list under team control in the future (with the notable exception of Center Myles Turner, a free agent this offseason).
The New York Knicks are held in the precipice of the first final of the franchise conference in 25 years, behind a cohesive which begins five under contracts in the foreseeable future. And Cleveland, despite a season collapsed by injuries and the Pacers, will believe that she can bounce back behind her own young Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Other intermediate teams in the East could feel the opportunity to make aggressive movements to raise a level, a strategy that could have folded up on the takeoff of the Boston dynasty.
“”[Tatum’s injury] Make people start to have different thoughts about pursuing this, “said an oriental scout.” “How close to the final are you?” “What are the other teams like other teams like now?” All these factors. “”
Could the Orlando Magic choose to swing an agreement to add to its heart of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner? Perhaps the 76ers of Philadelphia, after a chance of lottery gave them the third choice of the June project, could be in good health and return to the post-season affirmations, or Cade Cunningham and the pistons of Strait could take another step forward.
Of all the possibilities, we are probably a focal point throughout the summer and next season.
“It aggravates it, that’s for sure,” said the scout. “It’s not good for the League.”
Lottery results project create new questions about the system
Tatum’s injury overshadowed absolute chaos that had exceeded the league a few hours earlier in Chicago. With Cooper Flagg at the top of each league dashboard, there was an anticipation that rivaled with the buzz for Victor Wembanyama in 2023.
But knowing the likely destination of Flagg in June has become secondary to the Dallas Mavericks winning the first choice with a chance of 1.8%. And, because the San Antonio Spurs jumped second in the second row and the 76ers jumped in third row, this recovery lottery was just the third in the history of the NBA where the three worst records missed the first three choices.
“It’s really a moment” careful that you want “for the League,” said a manager.
The last time it happened was in 1993, when the Orlando Magic, a year after the landing of Shaquille O’Neal with the first choice, did it again to get Chris Webber. And, although they ended up negotiating webber to the Warriors in the agreement that brought Anfernee Hardaway to magic, Orlando winning consecutive drafts caused the NBA to change the lottery rules the following season.
Is there a chance that could happen this time? This seems unlikely, given that these rules entered into force in 2019 after the first attempt by the NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the changes a few years earlier, had failed. But it is just to wonder if the declared objective of changes – discouraging tanking – worked, while simultaneously injuring the worst chances of the teams to improve.
And yet, there were initiates of the League who were happy that the teams who spent the year trying to be at the top of the draft – namely the Wizards of Jazz and Washington, failed to ensure the first choice.
“The right thing about [lottery night] Didn’t these teams get aid, “said a scout.” Tank whatever you want, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. “”
A manager suggested to ESPN that if the League wanted to eliminate Tanking, it should completely eliminate the project and let the teams create salary teams to sign recruits to offers. But even this executive said that there was no realistic chances that it happens for many reasons, including future recovery choices being a precious commercial currency.
The league would also undoubtedly indicate teams such as Indiana and Denver, which have set up competitive lists without choice above the seventh, as proof that a higher choice is not the only way to lay the foundations of a competitor, even on a smaller market.
The lottery project increases the conference gap
1:32
“NBA Countdown” crew in shock after the victory of Mavericks Lottery
Malika Andrews, Brian Windhorst and Chiney Ogwumike react to the Mavericks winning the lottery.
While the headliner was Flagg landing in Dallas, the combination of the Mavericks and Spurs obtaining the two best choices is the last moment when the West Conference obtains an elite talent infusion.
Since 2004, when Dwight Howard has followed Lebron James by landing with teams from the East conference, there has been a regular series of generation prospects by landing west, from Anthony Davis to Karl-Anthony Towns in Zion Williamson in Victor Wembanyama and now Flagg. This does not even take into account the other guys who landed on this side of the big book which was not seen under this same day, like Anthony Edwards or Du therefore.
“The West continues to become richer,” said a framework. “How is it that everyone continues to go to the West? For veteran players, you might say that it’s a better time, going to California, better organizations. But they also really was lucky.
“It seems that every time there is one of these generational talents – Victor, Zion, Anthony Davis – they find themselves just in the West. It’s just bad luck … that’s what it is.”
Although this summer pressed being particularly busy from the point of view of transactions, 12 teams from the Western Conference currently believe that they can face the home in the West next season: The Thunder, Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Memhis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Mavericks and Spurs.
The Orient, meanwhile, in Cleveland, New York and Indiana seated at the top, followed by a massive uncertainty in Boston and Milwaukee, then in massive questions about the rise of each team after that. Imagine a world, for example, where Antetokounmpo ends in a team from the Western Conference this summer?
“Cooper Flagg goes to the West for the next 10 years, Giannis could go west, Tatum is out of the mixture for a year and the Celtics are probably also,” said a scout.
“Good for the Eastern teams who try to make the final.”
