The NBA draft lottery was held ahead of the league’s combine on Sunday, and the top of the results did not reveal any big surprises. The Wizards were the worst team in the NBA, and were one of the three teams with the best chance to land the first pick and, lo and behold, they did just that. But after that, there was a good bit of mayhem, which is why the lottery is so rewarding.
Teams spend six months meticulously tanking to position themselves for some future face of the franchise, and in a matter of about an hour, it all goes up in smoke. The final order:
1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. LA Clippers
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets
We checked in with a pair of execs, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the West, to see which teams and players they thought made out the best.
There are some obvious results here, but let’s look.
NBA Draft Lottery: The Team Winners
LA Clippers (No. 5). The Clippers had a 47.9% chance of seeing the Pacers drop out of the Top 4 and thus getting to swipe Indiana’s pick from the Ivica Zubac trade. They got lucky, and now will be able to pick No. 5 in this draft. “I loved this move from them, because the backup package for Zubac was still two first-round picks,” the West exec said. “I think you’ll see them really go headfirst into a rebuild this summer, and they can probably get it turned around relative fast.”
Chicago Bulls (No. 4). It’s a rare day in NBA draft lottery history when they Chicago Bulls get lucky. They did not get overwhelming luck, but moving into No. 4 gives them a real chance to draft a player who can be a centerpiece for the franchise going forward–or they could trade back and look to bring in multiple pieces. “I wouldn’t rule that out,” the East GM said. “They have a lot of needs and in a draft this deep, it’s worth considering.”
Utah Jazz (No. 2) and Memphis Grizzlies (No. 3). West exec: “They both tanked pretty hard and were rewarded for it now. This was big for the Grizzlies, because they need a center point for when they move on from Ja Morant, and it’s going to be one of those first three guys, and any of them could be a superstar if things break right. … Utah, they’re already looking scary, because they’re big, they’re deep, they’re young and just going by upside, they’re probably the team you would think has the best chance to really challenge Oklahoma City and the Spurs in the next few years.”
NBA Draft Lottery: The Team Losers
Indiana Pacers (out of the first round). Poor Rick Carlisle. There was as much a chance he’d be coaching rookie Darryn Peterson next year as … well, no real top rookie at all. It was always an odd gamble the Pacers took in the Zubac trade. They would have given up two first-round picks either way, but to include a nearly 50-50 chance at a Top 5 pick this year seems unnecessary. Zubac is good, and a center of his caliber is hard to come by, but the Pacers gave up Isaiah Jackson, the No. 21 pick in the 2021 draft; Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 draft; the No. 5 pick in this draft; and will still give up a 2029 first-rounder, too.
Brooklyn Nets (No. 6). Eastern Conference exec: “They really wanted a big guy and unless Caleb Wilson slips down–which is possible–they’re probably looking at a guard in this spot. They’ve been investing in guards. They might looks to move down if they can get two picks out of it.”
Sacramento Kings (No. 7). That Kings playoff appearance of three years ago–it was only three years!–is a distant memory, and the cursed luck of this franchise continues. They might not get that much different a player at No. 7 (they were slotted for No. 4) but still, the drop is just another insult.
AJ Dybantsa and Other Big Winners on Sunday
AJ Dybantsa. Most expect that the Wizards, even as they are not sure what will happen with Anthony Davis, are happy to take Dybantsa at this point, though they’ll give the top prospects and equal look. It might not even be a bad landing spot for him. “Assuming they keep Trae and their other young guys get a little better, he is not walking into a terrible situation,” the East exec said.
Kawhi Leonard suitors. One tertiary result from the lottery, as the West exec noted, is that the Clippers could look at their situation and decide they should collect whatever young assets they can. That will start with trying to move Leonard, who will possibly have suitors in Miami, Golden State, New York and elsewhere this summer.
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