EDITOR’S NOTE: The Orlando Magic won the No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday. Orlando had a 14 percent to earn the top overall selection, along with Houston, Detroit, and OKC.
This is the first time Orlando will make the No. 1 overall selection since they selected Dwight Howard first in the 2004 NBA Draft. Orlando also won the lottery in back-to-back years, selecting Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Webber in 1992 and 1993 respectively.
OKC will make the second pick followed by Houston, Sacramento, and Detroit to round out the top 5.
The NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Tuesday ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtic.
Teams that sneak into the top four will have the chance to select Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
The Rockets, Magic, Pistons, and Thunder have the best chance to land the No. 1 pick at 14.0 percent to earn the top overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Usually, only the top three teams in the lottery standings would have a 14.0 percent shot at the No. 1 overall pick, but the Thunder joined the group because they hold two lottery picks already. There’s a 12.5 percent chance their selection will move up No. 1 and a 1.5 percent chance the Clippers’ pick they own will turn out to be the No. 1 pick.
The Pelicans (10.5 percent), Trail Blazers (9.0 percent), Kings (7.5 percent), and Pelicans (6.0 percent) have the next best odds of receiving the first overall pick. The Clippers and Lakers are the only non-playoff teams that traded away their lottery picks this year; neither LA franchises put protections on their traded first-rounders either.
The Thunder received the Clippers’ pick. The Lakers’ pick is still up for grabs between the Pelicans and Grizzlies. The Pelicans will acquire the selection if it lands in the top 10, while Memphis will take it if it lands at No. 11 or 12. There’s a 99.5 percent chance that New Orleans will take the pick. At least three teams in the 9-14 pick range would have to jump into the top four for Memphis to take the pick.
Here are the representatives that will be in the lottery drawing-room.
Here is the list of team representatives who will be in the lottery drawing room ⬇️ https://t.co/vGachDzy2p pic.twitter.com/hzrWddDRCT
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 16, 2022
Hall of Famer David Robinson (Spurs), Rip Hamilton (Pistons), and Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) are among the noteworthy current and former players that will be representing their teams in the lottery drawing-room on Tuesday.
