How the Mavericks could give the Knicks a lottery pick if the ping pong balls don’t go their way

While everyone else wants to win the lottery, the Mavs have to hope not to lose it.

It’s NBA lottery time and, obviously, every team in the league’s bottom (or top?) 14 teams are hoping for a bit of luck in jumping to the top here.

It’s for good reason — everyone knows who is waiting at the top of the draft. The 7-foot-5 basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama is going to change the trajectory of some lucky NBA team very, very quickly.

But while everyone else is looking for a shot at Wembanyama, the Dallas Mavericks are sitting there toward the bottom of the lottery just desperately hoping that they don’t just get kicked out of the club.

The Mavericks need some luck here — but it’s a different kind of luck. Let’s dive into it.