The NBA Draft Lottery is a major step for rebuilding teams. Here’s everything you need to know:
How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?
The lottery system is how the NBA determines the draft order for the teams that don’t make the playoffs. It only determines the first 14 picks of the draft and has no impact on the second round. The first four picks are determined by the lottery, and picks 5-14 are determined by the reverse standings of whoever is left.
Each lottery team is assigned a certain number of ping-pong balls, which is determined by the regular season standings. Four ping-pong balls will be randomly selected, and the combination will determine the first four picks.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will then reveal the picks in reverse order. As he shares the picks, it will be easy to determine who has leaped into the top four, since he should say the teams in reverse lottery order.
Last season, the Hawks only had a three percent chance of getting the first pick, but they leaped up and selected Zaccharie Risacher. In 2016, the lottery didn’t change the order of the draft at all, which is the first and only time that has happened. It is entirely random from year to year.
How to watch the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
The lottery will take place on May 12 at 7pm ET and will be available to watch on ESPN.
Which team has the best odds to get the first pick?
The Jazz, Wizards and Hornets all have a 14 percent chance to get the first pick, though the Jazz have a slight advantage over the other two. Utah had the worst record in the league at 17-65, so the worst they can pick is fifth.
2025 NBA Draft Lottery odds
The following odds are each team’s chances of receiving the first overall pick.
14%: Jazz
14%: Wizards
14%: Hornets
12.5%: Pelicans
10.5%: 76ers (top-six protected)
9%: Nets
7.5%: Raptors
6%: Spurs
3.8%: Rockets (via Suns)
3.7%: Trail Blazers
1.8%: Mavericks
1.7%: Bulls
0.8%: Kings (top-12 protected)
0.7%: Spurs (via Hawks)
How have trades altered this year’s lottery?
Over half of the picks in the lottery were involved in some sort of trade, though not every pick will convey to a different team.
-
The Jazz and Wizards picks are both top-10 protected, meaning if it landed outside the top 10 picks, it would have conveyed to a different team. That isn’t possible in this draft, but it could come into play in the future.
-
The Hornets and Trail Blazers picks are top-14 protected, which also won’t matter for this draft.
-
The Suns and Hawks picks were both traded with no restrictions. No matter where the pick lands, they won’t make their pick.
-
The 76ers pick is top-six protected, and they are currently projected to pick fifth. They will have a 64 percent chance of retaining their pick, but if it falls outside the first six picks, it will be conveyed to the Thunder.
-
The Kings pick is top-12 protected, and their pick is currently projected to be 13th. There is a 3.8 chance it leaps into the first four picks, in which case they would make their own pick. The most likely scenario is that the Hawks make this pick at 13, which has a 92.9 percent chance of happening.
Which team has won the NBA Draft Lottery the most times?
The Cavaliers, Clippers and Magic have each won the draft lottery four times. Cleveland traded one of those picks (Andrew Wiggins) before he suited up for them. When Cleveland won the top pick in 2011, it came after they acquired the Clippers’ pick in a trade earlier in the season. Had the Clippers held onto their pick, they could’ve won it a fifth time. In 1986, the Clippers won the lottery and traded the pick to the Cavaliers, so Cleveland has made the first pick in the draft five times.
All three teams made the playoffs this season, so none of them will be winning the lottery again this season.
Top expected players available
These are some of the players that teams will be hoping to get in the draft on June 25 at 8pm ET.
Read the full article here