Jeff Teague Calls Out NBA For Rigging Lottery Drafts: “Derrick Rose Go To Chicago”

Jeff Teague alleges suspicious patterns in lottery outcomes over the years.

Jeff Teague Calls Out NBA For Rigging Lottery Drafts: “Derrick Rose Go To Chicago”

Jeff Teague (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Jeff Teague claims the NBA draft lottery is rigged, citing high-profile outcomes as evidence.
  • He specifically mentions Derrick Rose's selection by the Chicago Bulls and the Mavericks' recent number one pick.
  • Teague's allegations have sparked skepticism among fans regarding the integrity of the NBA draft process.

Former NBA champion Jeff Teague grabbed the headlines with his recent comments on the NBA draft. The league’s draft lottery system is done at random, but Teague has sparked controversy by claiming the NBA draft lottery is rigged. 

Speaking on his podcast, Teague pointed to several high-profile outcomes over the years that he believes are more than a coincidence.

No disrespect to the league, I feel like it’s no way you trade Luka, AD get hurt sh*t hit the fan. They like get the team out of Dallas then all of a sudden we going to give y’all Cooper everybody calm the fu*k down, come on man. New Orleans Chris Paul leave they want to move the team, they fu*ked up they get Anthony Davis. Come on man. Derrick Rose go to Chicago, come on.

Jeff Teague on Club 520 podcast

Jeff Teague is well known for not shying away from speaking his mind, even if it is controversial. He once got on the wrong side of LeBron James‘ camp as he accused the four-time champion of using steroids.

However, this time he has accused the NBA of rigging the draft lottery. He did give a few examples, such as Derrick Rose getting picked by the Chicago Bulls, as he is a native of the city. And the most recent one is the Dallas Mavericks getting the number one pick for the 2025 NBA draft after the blockbuster Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade. The number one pick for the Mavs turned into Cooper Flagg.

There is no evidence that the NBA draft lottery is rigged. However, if true, Teague’s allegations would undermine the integrity of the league.

Fans react to Jeff Teague accusing the NBA of rigging the draft lottery

The NBA draft lottery process is conducted with oversight and transparency measures in place. Hence, there is no concrete evidence to support Jeff Teague’s statements, yet many in the NBA community remain skeptical of the process.

Following Teague’s controversial statements, NBA fans took to social media to react to them.

Most of the fans agreed with Teague’s statements. Many believe that certain clubs are favored depending on their market size. Hence, with LeBron James at the backend of his career, the Los Angeles Lakers needed a star to carry the franchise in the years to come and, hence, acquired Doncic at the trade deadline last year.

Jeff Teague says Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the best duo in the NBA

Over the last few years, the Denver Nuggets have emerged as one of the best and most consistent teams in the NBA. While most of the praise is reserved for Nikola Jokic and rightfully so, Jamal Murray has played an instrumental role in elevating the franchise as well.

Now as NBA Champions, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the gold standard of NBA duos, and the hardest to stop
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (image via Denver Nuggets/X)

Jeff Teague believes that the Jokic-Murray duo are the best duo in the NBA.

They’re better than Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—they complement each other better.

Jeff Teague on best duo in the NBA

The duo has led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship in 2023, with Jokic winning the Finals MVP. The two stars have developed strong chemistry and complement each other very well. They will be looking to lead the Nuggets to another title this year as they are one of the top contenders in the Western Conference.

Also Read: