Throughout the 2020/21 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on the tentative 2021 draft order. Our 2020/21 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, is updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.
Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2021’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s current lottery format.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Draft Lottery]
In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year.
Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than those that made the postseason. Our reverse standings account for playoff seeding, though for now they assume that the Nos. 7 and 8 teams in each conference will earn those final two postseason spots. Since the NBA’s new play-in format opens the door for the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds to sneak into the postseason, we may have to account for a little movement in the draft order at season’s end.
Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Portland’s pick says the Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Rockets if it’s not in the top 14. As of today, the Blazers’ pick projects to be 19th, meaning Houston would receive it.
Those same Rockets are currently in the driver’s seat at the “top” of our reverse standings — their current 4-37 run has dropped their overall record to 15-47, giving them a comfortable 3.5-game “lead” over the league’s next-worst teams, the Magic (18-43) and Timberwolves (19-44).
The league’s bottom three teams will all have an equal chance at the No. 1 overall pick (14.0%) and a top-four selection (52.1%), and the Rockets and Wolves will be especially invested in claiming one of those top lottery positions. Minnesota will send its first-round pick to Golden State if it falls outside of the top three, while Houston will have to swap its own pick for a lesser first-rounder (Miami’s) if it lands outside of the top four.
The Thunder, currently fifth in the lottery standings at 21-41, will also be worth watching closely on lottery night, since they control that Miami pick and the potential Rockets swap. The Thunder’s dream scenario would be moving into the top four themselves, bumping out Houston and claiming a pair of top-five picks.
Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protections will be changing hands in 2021. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!
Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.
Wallywood ur team is finally on top of the standings. Congrats
Buuurn
Rockets fans are very excited for every loss
More Loss = Cade?
There is still a good chance that Thunder get 2 top 5 picks
GSW going to get the Wolves pick, their own #13 pick AND make the playoffs? Best possible result.
Their own pick would get bumped out of the top 14 if they earn a postseason berth in the play-in tournament (but I imagine they’d still be pretty happy with, like, No. 5 + No. 16 + a playoff spot).
Isn’t it top 20 protected, not top 14?
Never mind. I see what you meant, now.
The Warriors worst result
Wolves reverse standing at 6
Warriors take away 10th pick from Wolves
They’re going to have to play better than last night for that outcome to suffice
Yeah Wagner they got trounced in a bad way. Goes to show they have to be on top of their game to be successful at all. Couple of guys have off nights and it’s ugly.
Warriors definitely need a new roster next season. Guys like Mulder, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, Nico mannion not a very good bench. Yes they’re missing Eric paschall but he’s not even high on my rotation list. They can send him packing as well. #5, # 16, and two free agents would be great.
Dallas 28-0 run early! Otherwise, outscored GSW anyway. I was going to watch but turned to Houston letting their game slip away, presumably as planned (tank). I hope they don’t let Olynyk go b/c he is prime age… 28p at 30yo. Young Martin had 20, good broadcasting, hopping music, entertaining game.
Miami/Riley signed Olynyk for his trade value… not the right reason to recruit someone.
Good to see him away from there and playing his game. Pump-fake and flash to the rim. He used to be a PG in AAU-type leagues!
I must say the wildish HOU players did look a bit sedated or medicated from what I remember of them. Likely a good idea, even if no execs would ever admit to doing it. Actually Porter looked and played ill, but it was his first game back.
I like to see TWolves keep their pick. Rockets keep their pick. Should make Minny a playoff team with a good future (Cade or Suggs). Speed up the rebuild for Rockets (Cade, Green, Suggs). Warriors can still trade future picks in a trade. And that top 20 player can impact their bench and future. For Warriors it’s more important to have a healthy Klay. And a more experienced (1yr older), thicker Wiseman.
Another footnote would be added, I believe, if the Bucks were to catch the Nets. As a Nets’ fan, I don’t want to see that. I don’t see it happening anyway even if the Nets finish the regular season with 40+ different starting lineups. However, if it were to happen, the Rockets would flip their second round pick to the Bucks then jump up another spot or two by using their first swap in the Harden trade.
My understanding is that the Rockets wouldn’t be able to swap the Bucks’ 2021 first-rounder for the Nets’ first-rounder, since that Milwaukee trade was completed well after the Harden trade was done. RealGM doesn’t list that as an option for the Rockets (link to basketball.realgm.com) but if you’ve read otherwise, let me know.