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2023 NBA Draft Lottery: Date, How It Works, Odds, and Top Prospects
Edwin Kiplagat
updated at May 12, 2023 at 9:41 AM
- The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery is almost here as the season reaches a crucial stage
- Lottery teams will know which pick they will get on May 16 after the NBA Finals
- The three teams with the worst regular season records each have a 14% chance of the No. 1 pick
The NBA playoffs have reached a crucial point, where boys are separated from men. Teams that no longer have any business in the postseason have started planning for next season, starting with the Draft Lottery.
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery takes place at the Barclays Center on June 22, yet the order for the first 14 picks will first be determined at the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago on May 16.
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Victor Wembanyama is expected to be the No. 1 pick, and is the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James 20 years ago. Many teams will be hoping to land the French generational talent.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery.
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How the NBA Draft works
Until four years ago, the No. 1 pick automatically went to the team with the worst regular season record.
In that format, the team with the worst record had a 25% percent of landing the first pick, followed by 19.9% for the second-worst team and 15.6% for the third-worst.
However, changes that began with the 2019 draft meant that the three worst teams each had a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick.
Draft Lottery will affect picks
The 38th NBA Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the first 14 picks of this year's NBA Draft. A random draw will then be done to determine the first four picks in the draft.
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Once that is done, picks 5-14 will pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
The lottery process will take place in a separate room before broadcasting. Selected media, NBA officials and representatives from the lottery teams, and the accounting firm Ernst & Young will be in attendance for the draw.
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From there, things get a bit technical. Ping pong balls numbered 1-14 are put inside a lottery machine, symbolizing the 14 lottery teams, per CBS Sports. Within those 14 balls, there's a possibility of 1,001 four-number combinations. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 lottery teams.
To determine the No. 1 pick, individual ping pong balls are selected to create a four-number combination. The team allocated that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated to determine picks two to four.
Which teams will participate?
Fourteen teams that did not participate in the 2023 NBA playoffs will take part in the lottery.
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Team | Record | Win% | Lottery odds |
Detroit Pistons | 17-65 | .207 | 14.0% |
Houston Rockets | 22-60 | .268 | 14.0% |
San Antonio Spurs | 22-60 | .268 | 14.0% |
Charlotte Hornets | 27-55 | .329 | 12.5% |
Portland Trail Blazers | 33-49 | .402 | 10.0% |
Orlando Magic | 34-48 | .415 | 9.0% |
Indiana Pacers | 35-47 | .427 | 6.8% |
Washington Wizards | 35-47 | .427 | 6.7% |
Utah Jazz | 37-45 | .451 | 4.5% |
Dallas Mavericks | 38-44 | .463 | 3.0% |
Chicago Bulls | 40-42 | .488 | 1.8% |
Oklahoma City Thunder | 40-42 | .488 | 1.7% |
Toronto Raptors | 41-41 | .500 | 1.0% |
New Orleans Pelicans | 42-40 | .512 | 0.5% |
Who are the top prospects?
Victor Wembanyama: The 7-foot-4 Frenchman's agility, skill, and shooting ability make him stand out. He's been compared to Kevin Durant and has been tipped to become one of the game's greatest scorers.
Scoot Henderson: The G League Ignite star is expected to be the lead guard in an NBA team in the next decade.
Brandon Miller: The 6-foot-9 prospect is the typical "3 and D" wing. His athleticism could make him a star in the NBA.
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Amen Thompson: This 6-foot-7-inch wing has playmaking potential with his court vision and ballhandling skills, per NBC Sports.
Kevin Durant on Wembanyama
Sports Brief earlier reported on Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant expressing his thoughts about the generational prospect from France, saying he is excited to see Wembanyama in action.
There's a possibility that he Suns' superstar will play against him when he gets drafted next year. Wembanyama has already demonstrated that he belongs among the elite stars in the NBA.
"I’m impressed with him, I can’t wait to see him in the league, see how everything pans out for him in the league, and I’m also looking forward to playing against him as well," Durant commented.
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