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2019 NBA Draft Order Tiebreaker Results

April 12th, 2019 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s draft order is determined by the league’s reverse standings for that year, with the first four spots in the draft up for grabs via the lottery. However, when two teams finish the season with identical records, an additional step is necessary.

In order to determine which of those tied teams will move ahead of the other(s) in the draft order, the NBA conducts tiebreakers via random drawings. The league completed the random drawings for 2019’s tiebreakers today, and we have the results below. Let’s dive in…

Tiebreaker No. 1:

Teams: Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63)
Draft positions: 2-3
Winner: Cavaliers

Tiebreaker No. 2:

Teams: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies (33-49)
Draft positions: 7-9
Winner: Pelicans
Second place: Grizzlies
Note: Grizzlies’ pick will go to Celtics if it falls outside top eight; Mavericks’ pick will go to the Hawks if it falls outside top five.

Tiebreaker No. 3:

Teams: Sacramento Kings vs. Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets (39-43)
Draft positions: 12-14
Winner: Hornets
Second place: Heat
Note: Kings’ pick belongs to Celtics (or Sixers if it’s No. 1).

Tiebreaker No. 4:

Teams: Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic (42-40)
Draft positions: 16-17
Winner: Magic

Tiebreaker No. 5:

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers (48-34)
Draft positions: 18-20
Winner: Pacers
Second place: Spurs
Note: Clippers’ pick belongs to Celtics.

Tiebreaker No. 6:

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics (49-33)
Draft positions: 21-22
Winner: Thunder

Tiebreaker No. 7:

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets (53-29)
Draft positions: 25-26
Winner: Trail Blazers
Note: Rockets’ pick belongs to Cavaliers.

Teams’ lottery odds didn’t really change as a result of today’s tiebreakers. In instances where two or more lottery teams finish with identical records, the lottery combinations are split evenly among them, with the tiebreaker winner getting one extra combination if there’s an odd number.

However, today’s results were still important. As a result of ending up at No. 8, for instance, the Grizzlies now have a 57.4% chance of retaining their own top-eight protected pick, something they don’t really want to do unless it jumps into the top four.

The Celtics, who already have three first-round selections for 2019 and would prefer to roll that Memphis pick over to 2020, will get it if it falls outside of the top eight. There’s only a 42.6% chance that will happen. The Grizzlies’ result was the only good news today for the Celtics, who lost their other three tiebreakers.

The pre-lottery 2019 draft order for the first round is listed below. For more information on the lottery odds for the top 14 teams, be sure to check out our recap from Thursday, as well as our glossary entry on the draft lottery. This year’s lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 14.

New York Knicks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks
Washington Wizards
New Orleans Pelicans
Memphis Grizzlies
- Note: The Celtics will receive this pick if it falls out of the top eight (42.6% chance).
Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks)
- Note: The Mavericks will keep this pick if it moves up into the top four (26.2% chance).
Minnesota Timberwolves
Los Angeles Lakers
Charlotte Hornets
Miami Heat
Boston Celtics (via Sacramento Kings)
- Note: The Sixers will receive this pick if it moves up to No. 1 (1.0% chance).
Detroit Pistons
Orlando Magic
Brooklyn Nets
Indiana Pacers
San Antonio Spurs
Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers)
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics
Utah Jazz
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers
Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets)
Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets)
Golden State Warriors
San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
Milwaukee Bucks

Information from Tankathon.com was used in the creation of this post.

Draft Notes: T. Jones, J. Smith, Dawkins, Tyree

April 8th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke guard Tre Jones published an Instagram post this weekend in which he strongly hinted that he’s leaning toward returning to school for at least one more year. Nothing is official yet, but if Jones does elect to stick with the Blue Devils for his sophomore season, it would be big news for the program.

Currently, Jones ranks 29th on Jonathan Givony’s 2019 NBA draft big board at ESPN.com, including fourth among point guards. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter), the Knicks, Grizzlies, Hornets, Pelicans, Hawks, and Thunder have all done a “great amount” of background work on Jones.

As we wait for official word from the Duke guard, here are a few more draft-related updates:

Maryland freshman forward Jalen Smith, a potential draft candidate, has elected to return to the Terrapins for his sophomore season, the school announced today in a press release. “I’m excited to return to Maryland for my sophomore year and advance my education as I continue to develop both on and off the court with my teammates and coaching staff,” said Smith, who averaged an impressive 17.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 3.0 BPG in two NCAA tournament games.
UCF guard Aubrey Dawkins has submitted the paperwork necessary to declare for the 2019 draft, according to a press release. The 6’6″ junior left a strong final impression, having racked up 32 points against Duke in UCF’s second-round NCAA tournament loss.
Ole Miss junior guard Breein Tyree has announced that he’ll test the draft waters, maintaining his college eligibility during the process (Twitter link). Tyree averaged a team-high 17.9 PPG on .459/.375/.831 shooting in 33 games in 2018/19.

Hawks Sign Deyonta Davis To Multiyear Deal

April 8th, 2019 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

2:32pm: The Hawks have officially signed Davis to a multiyear deal, the team confirmed today in a press release.

1:28pm: Deyonta Davis‘ second 10-day contract with the Hawks expired overnight on Sunday, but the young big man won’t be leaving the team. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (via Twitter), Atlanta has reached an agreement with Davis on a multiyear deal.

The 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis spent his first two NBA seasons with the Grizzlies before playing primarily for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League in 2018/19.

A solid showing for Golden State’s NBAGL affiliate earned Davis a late-season call-up, and he has appeared in eight games since joining the Hawks, averaging 4.3 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 14.4 minutes per contest.

While terms of Davis’ new deal aren’t known, it figures to be a minimum-salary contract that covers the final days of this season and all of 2019/20. Next year’s salary will almost certainly be non-guaranteed, perhaps with some offseason trigger dates.

Once Davis officially re-signs, Atlanta will have a full 15-man roster. The Hawks’ deal with Davis appears likely be their final transaction of the regular season.

Trae: ROY Race Closer Than You Think

April 5th, 2019 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks point guard Trae Young hopes that voters look at the body of work when deciding the Rookie of the Year award, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports. Luka Doncic looked like the runaway victor but Young’s strong second half has made it a much closer race. “This is a season-long award,” Young said. “Early on, everybody was saying (Doncic) was Rookie of the Year and deservedly so. He was playing really well, and I wasn’t playing the best. I was still playing well. In the second half, it’s flipped. … If you do a full-season look, it’s definitely closer than some people think.”

Detailing Trae Young's Path To Success

April 4th, 2019 at 5:26pm CST by JD Shaw

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst chronicles the slow build to success for Hawks guard Trae Young, who continues to improve as the 2018/19 season nears the finish line. Young, a dominant shooter and passer in contention for the Rookie of the Year award, must continue to improve on defense in order to take his game to the next level. The Hawks hold major selling points of Young, John Collins, a new head coach in Lloyd Pierce, cap flexibility and future draft picks for star players entering free agency this summer.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

April 2nd, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, the Kings and Knicks filled the final open spot on their respective rosters, signing a 15th man to a rest-of-season contract. With the NBA’s 2018/19 regular season set to come to an end next Wednesday, we can expect to see more teams making that kind of transaction in the next week.

While teams often leave a roster spot or two open during the season to maintain flexibility or to help reduce their projected tax bill, most of those clubs won’t leave any openings at season’s end. After all, the one-day cap hit for a minimum-salary player signed on the last day of the season maxes out at $8,548.

For playoff-bound clubs, that’s a small price to pay to add one more depth piece who might be needed for a game or two in the postseason. For lottery-bound teams, it’s a worthwhile investment to fill that 15th roster spot with a developmental player who could be an option for the 2019/20 roster.

With that in mind, here are the teams that still have at least one 15-man roster spot available:

Teams with two open roster spots:

Miami Heat

Teams with one open roster spot:

Brooklyn Nets
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

Teams with a full 15-man roster who have one player on a 10-day contract:

Atlanta Hawks (Deyonta Davis; expires Sunday night)
Boston Celtics (Greg Monroe; expires tonight)

Hawks Sign Isaac Humphries

April 1st, 2019 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have signed G League center Isaac Humphries for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release. Based on Atlanta’s announcement, it sounds as if Humphries’ new deal will expire at season’s end rather than including an option for next season.

Humphries, who played for the Erie BayHawks – Atlanta’s G League affiliate – this season, averaged 11.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 46 games (21.8 MPG) this season. The Australian native went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017 and joined the Sydney Kings for his first professional season in 2017/18, earning NBL Rookie of the Year honors.

Atlanta has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to clear space for Humphries. The Hawks now have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Deyonta Davis on a 10-day deal that will expire on Sunday night.

Humphries will earn just over $47K on his new contract, which will cover the season’s final 10 days.

Hawks’ Dewayne Dedmon Done For Season

March 31st, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon will undergo a non-surgical procedure on his aching left ankle this week and won’t play any more this season, the team announced in an email.

Dedmon, 29, is headed toward unrestricted free agency after exercising his $7.2MM option last summer. He figures to attract significant attention on the free agent market after being mentioned in several trade rumors before the deadline.

Dedmon appeared in 64 games this season, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per night. He has spent the past two years in Atlanta after signing with the team in 2017.

Hawks Sign Deyonta Davis To Second 10-Day Contract

March 29th, 2019 at 10:55am CST by JD Shaw

MARCH 29: Davis, whose first 10-day deal with Atlanta expired overnight, has officially signed his second 10-day contract with the Hawks, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

MARCH 28: The Hawks have agreed to a second 10-day contract with forward Deyonta Davis, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Davis appeared in two games with Atlanta during his first 10-day contract, scoring once in seven minutes. The Hawks have games scheduled against the Blazers, Bucks (twice), Spurs, Sixers and Magic over the next 10 days, giving Davis ample opportunity to prove his worth.

Davis, a 6-foot-10 forward drafted No. 31 in 2016, appeared in 43 games in the NBA G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors before signing with Atlanta. He held per-game averages of 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over that stint.

Davis was the fourth player to sign a 10-day contract with the Hawks this season. Before this transaction, the team signed Tyler Zeller, Jordan Sibert and B.J. Johnson to separate 10-day deals of their own.

Miles Plumlee To Have Surgery, Miss Rest Of Season

March 26th, 2019 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks center Miles Plumlee has opted to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and won’t be available for the rest of the season, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Plumlee will have the procedure on April 2 and the team expects him to be ready for training camp in September (Twitter link).

Knee problems limited Plumlee to 18 games in his second year in Atlanta, averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.2 RPG in less than 10 minutes per night. He underwent a pair of non-surgical procedures in December, but was never able to get the knee back into playing shape.

Plumlee is under contract for one more season at $12.5MM. The Hawks were hoping to trade his contract prior to this year’s deadline, but couldn’t find any takers.