Dennis Smith Jr. never watched the NBA draft lottery, even last year when he knew he was going to be a high draft pick.
"I didn't even know it was a thing," he said.
It's much different now. It's not only a thing, it's a big thing for Smith and the Mavericks. They will own nearly a 14-percent chance on Tuesday of getting the No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft.
And Smith will watch this time, when the ping pong balls start flying in Chicago. He's very excited about adding a new talent to the young base of which he is a major piece.