The NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place in Chicago Tuesday night, and the odds of the 14 non-playoff teams to land the first overall pick have already been released by NBA.com.
| Team | Lottery Odds |
|---|---|
| New York | 14.0% |
| Cleveland | 14.0% |
| Phoenix | 14.0% |
| Chicago | 12.5% |
| Atlanta | 10.5% |
| Washington | 9.0% |
| New Orleans | 6.0% |
| Memphis* | 6.0% |
| Dallas** | 6.0% |
| Minnesota | 3.0% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 2.0% |
| Charlotte | 1.0% |
| Miami | 1.0% |
| Sacramento^ | 1.0% |
| * = This pick may be conveyed to Boston ** = This pick may be conveyed to Atlanta ^ = This pick will be conveyed to Boston via Philadelphia or to Philadelphia | |
Thanks to some recent changes in the draft rules, the team with the worst record no longer has the best chance of landing the top overall pick. Instead, the three teams with the fewest regular season wins will each have equal odds to land the coveted first overall selection.
The New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns each get a 14 percent chance of getting the top pick in tomorrow's lottery. Depending on who gets it, the belief around the league is that Zion Williamson or Ja Morant will be selected first overall.
The Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans will be able to add a young, talented prospect as they continue to rebuild. Each of them has a slim chance of stealing the first, second or third picks, but being able to select from numbers 4-7 is also not a bad thing.
The Los Angeles Lakers — unarguably one of the most disappointing teams last season — have a two percent chance of snagging the first overall pick. Should they miss (which is 98 percent likely), they still have an opportunity to add yet another promising talent prospect to their young core.
Although the Boston Celtics are not in the bottom 14, they will have an opportunity to select in the top-15 of the first round. The Sacramento Kings' pick will be conveyed to Boston if it falls between 2-14 (it goes to the Philadelphia 76ers if it ends up at No.1). They will also have the rights to the Memphis Grizzlies' pick if it lands outside the top-8.
The NBA Draft will take place this June, and it could definitely play a key role in turning a team's fortunes around. One of the worst teams last season could easily become a playoff contender depending on how it performs on draft night.
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