The NBA has announced the winners of random drawings that broke ties in the draft order among teams that finished with the same records. Only one of those drawings involved lottery teams, and the Jazz were the beneficiaries, snagging the fourth-most lottery combinations instead of the Celtics. It’s only a slight advantage, since the Jazz will have a 10.4% chance at the top pick, while the Celtics will have a 10.3% chance, but perhaps most importantly, Utah will pick ahead of Boston if neither move up on May 20th, when the lottery is held.
Here’s the complete order, with places determined by drawing in bold:
- Bucks
- Sixers
- Magic
- Jazz — won drawing against Celtics
- Celtics — lost drawing against Jazz
- Lakers
- Kings
- Pistons — will send pick to Bobcats if the fall to ninth or lower in lottery
- Cavaliers
- Pelicans — will send pick to Sixers unless they win one of top three picks in lottery
- Nuggets — will send least favorable of own pick and Knicks’ pick to Magic
- Knicks — will send pick to Nuggets
- Timberwolves — will send pick to Suns if Phoenix passes them in the lottery
- Suns
- Hawks
- Bulls — from Bobcats
- Celtics — from Nets; won drawing against Suns
- Suns — from Wizards; lost drawing against Celtics
- Bulls — won drawing against Raptors
- Raptors — lost drawing against Bulls
- Thunder — from Mavs
- Grizzlies
- Jazz — from Warriors
- Bobcats — from Trail Blazers; won three-way drawing against Rockets and Heat
- Rockets — finished second in three-way drawing against Bobcats and Heat
- Heat — finished third in three-way drawing against Bobcats and Rockets
- Suns — from Pacers
- Clippers
- Thunder
- Spurs
Lottery is rigged so I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if Suns pass Wolves. Also how would the Suns get the pick when it’s suppose to be lottery protected?
Minnesota’s pick is only top-13 protected, so if the Suns get lucky in the lottery and the Wolves slide back to No. 14, the Suns get Minnesota’s pick.
–Chuck