The NBA Draft Lottery is a big night for the teams that struggled in the previous season. This year’s event carries a bit more excitement as teams wait to see whether or not they will have a chance to draft this year’s top prospect, Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on May 12th before that night’s playoff games. The event changes location each year but will be held in Chicago this season. Each of the 14 teams that will be drafting in the lottery will each have a team representative present to accept their draft picks as the order is announced by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.
The NBA Draft Lottery has changed multiple times throughout its history, but its current format doesn’t give as much favoritism towards the “tanking” teams as it used to when the Philadelphia 76ers used the process to secure multiple top selections during their rebuild. The bottom three teams in the standings receive a 14% chance at the top pick, with the odds decreasing steadily from there.
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Before the order of picks are announced, four lottery balls are selected to determine the first four picks in the draft. The rest of the lottery is determined by the records of the teams left in the pool. This new format of the NBA Draft Lottery has brought a lot more excitement to the event in recent years, evening out the odds at the bottom of the league while giving the worst teams the best chances.
NBA Draft Lottery Odds
Utah Jazz: 14%
Washington Wizards: 14%
Charlotte Hornets: 14%
New Orleans Pelicans: 12.5%
Philadelphia 76ers: 10.5%
Brooklyn Nets: 9%
Toronto Raptors: 7.5%
San Antonio Spurs: 6%
Phoenix Suns: 3.8%
Portland Trail Blazers: 3.7%
Dallas Mavericks: 1.8%
Chicago Bulls: 1.7%
Sacramento Kings: 0.8%
Atlanta Hawks: 0.7%
Which teams need to win the NBA Draft Lottery the most?
While all 14 eligible teams, including other teams that could have picks conveyed to them depending on where they land, want to win the NBA Draft Lottery, some organizations could require a injection of young talent more than others. For example, the Utah Jazz need a player like Flagg to help lead their rebuild, whereas the Toronto Raptors would have a smaller role for him.
Two teams to watch in the lottery are the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams entered the 2024-25 season with playoff aspirations, but injures ravaged their rosters, leaving them outside of even their conference’s play-in games. Bringing in a high-level rookie could give each team a boost now as well as an option down the road once their stars fizzle out.
Another interesting team is the Brooklyn Nets. They are expected to be one of the biggest players in the free agency and trade markets this offseason, and a high draft selection is an attractive trade piece. Brooklyn has been attached to the rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential trade request, and a top five selection in this year’s draft could be the selling point in their trade package.
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Edited by Zachary Howell
