Winners and Losers from the NBA Draft Lottery
Unlike the NFL draft, where teams can commonly find really talented players anywhere in the draft, the NBA typically only has a select few dominant prospects each year at the very top of the board. This makes the draft lottery vitally important to many of these teams looking to build up their rosters. This year’s NBA Draft Lottery had some massive winners and losers. The positions that lottery teams get within the draft will have a significant impact, not only on their offseason plans but also on each franchise’s future success.
Lottery Winners
Atlanta Hawks - The Atlanta Hawks came into the lottery with an 85% chance of getting either the #10 or #11 pick. Instead, the Hawks won big getting the number one overall pick with only a three percent chance. With the Hawks winning the prestigious honor of getting the top pick in this upcoming draft, the Hawks now have an awesome chance to be a viable team in the years to come. Unlike most of the teams in the lottery, the Hawks were in the playoff hunt as they lost in the Play-In game to the Chicago Bulls. By securing the top pick, the Hawks are likely going to draft someone with good size at the forward position and keep the explosive backcourt tandem of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray together. The NBA typically only gets a few top-tier talents at the very top of the draft so securing the number one pick instead of getting the #10 or #11 pick for Atlanta is massive for their franchise.
Houston Rockets - The Rockets entered the lottery with only a 15% chance of getting a top-three pick. This pick was acquired via trade with the Brooklyn Nets several years ago when the Rockets traded James Harden to the Nets in exchange for many assets including an unprotected first-round pick this year from the Nets. This is massive for the Rockets franchise as they are a young ascending team and now, they control a great new asset at the third pick in this year’s draft that they can either trade away or use to add another young talented player to their roster. If the Rockets do draft someone at the third pick, they will likely take the first guard off the board.
San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs are an ascending team with last year’s number-one pick and Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama. Today, their draft lottery luck continued as they landed the fourth pick and the #8 pick, as it was from a trade with the Toronto Raptors for Jakob Poeltl. The Spurs landing at the fourth pick was expected, but the real win was getting the eighth pick from the Raptors. With the Raptors' pick being top six protected, the Raptors would have kept their pick if they won a spot within the top six, but since they ended up earning the number eight this pick was forfeited to the Spurs. This gives the young Spurs team two top-eight picks in this year’s draft, enabling them to acquire some great young talent and continue developing this team through the draft.
Lottery Losers
Detriot Pistons - The Pistons entered the lottery hoping for the top pick, as they were the worst team in the entire NBA going 12-68 this season. They are in dire need of a superstar to boost their roster and the lottery didn’t help in their quest to get one. The Pistons got handed the fifth pick which was the lowest pick they could’ve possibly gotten. After having the worst season in the franchise’s history, the team hoped to win the number one spot with a 14% chance, but the franchise is going to have to find a different way to upgrade this roster rather than relying on the draft lottery to give them a top-tier talent.
Portland Trail Blazers - The Blazers entered the draft lottery with a little over a 50% chance to secure a top-four pick. However, they ended up securing the seventh spot. They had only an 18% chance of getting either the seventh or eighth spot, losing out on the chance to get a premier player at the top of the draft. With a young core, the Blazers could’ve used a big player, especially at the forward position. Now, they’ll likely have to settle for the third-best player at that position instead of getting the top guy.
Toronto Raptors - The Raptors had a 37% chance of getting a top-four pick in the draft and instead will suffer from not having the eighth pick because they traded it away for Jakob Poeltl as previously mentioned. Poeltl has been solid for the Raptors but is certainly not worth the eighth pick the Raptors just gave away to the Spurs for him. The Raptors will still have the #19 pick in this year’s draft, but having two first-round picks could’ve gone a long way toward rebuilding this Raptors team.
