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2020 NBA Draft Picks By Team

August 21st, 2020 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to claiming the top three spots in the 2020 NBA draft based on this year’s lottery results, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Hornets are three of eight teams that will own more than two draft picks this fall.

As our full 2020 draft order shows, the Sixers lead the way with five picks, while the Kings, Pelicans, and Celtics have four apiece. Like Minnesota, Golden State, and Charlotte, the Knicks also hold three selections. On the other end of the spectrum, the Rockets are the only team without a 2020 draft pick.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2020 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Philadelphia 76ers (5): 21, 34, 36, 49, 58
Sacramento Kings (4): 12, 35, 43, 52
New Orleans Pelicans (4): 13, 39, 42, 60
Boston Celtics (4): 14, 26, 30, 47
Minnesota Timberwolves (3): 1, 17, 33
Golden State Warriors (3): 2, 48, 51
Charlotte Hornets (3): 3, 32, 56
New York Knicks (3): 8, 27, 38

Teams with two picks:

Chicago Bulls: 4, 44
Atlanta Hawks: 6, 50
Washington Wizards: 9, 37
San Antonio Spurs: 11, 41
Orlando Magic: 15, 45
Portland Trail Blazers: 16, 46
Dallas Mavericks: 18, 31
Brooklyn Nets: 19, 55
Oklahoma City Thunder: 25, 53
Toronto Raptors: 29, 59

Teams with one pick:

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5
Detroit Pistons: 7
Phoenix Suns: 10
Miami Heat: 20
Denver Nuggets: 22
Utah Jazz: 23
Milwaukee Bucks: 24
Los Angeles Lakers: 28
Memphis Grizzlies: 40
Indiana Pacers: 54
Los Angeles Clippers: 57

Teams with no picks:

Houston Rockets

Luguentz Dort Available For Game 2

August 20th, 2020 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

After initially being ruled out for Game 2 vs. Houston, Thunder wing Luguentz Dort was updated to questionable and is now being considered available, head coach Billy Donovan confirmed today (Twitter link via Royce Young of ESPN). One of Oklahoma City’s top defenders, Dort will look to help slow James Harden.

Rockets Notes: Westbrook, Green, D’Antoni, Paul

August 19th, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly everything went right for the Rockets on Tuesday as they dominated their playoff opener without Russell Westbrook, who is sidelined with a strained right quadriceps. Before the game, coach Mike D’Antoni offered a medical update on the star guard, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN, saying the injury is healing, but there’s no set date for his return.

“Can’t rule anything out, but don’t rule anything in,” D’Antoni told reporters.

Westbrook was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to check on his progress, but the results haven’t been made public. A late arrival to the Disney World campus after contracting the coronavirus, Westbrook began feeling soreness in his right quadriceps after an August 4 game. He rested the next two games before playing 28 minutes last Tuesday. An MRI later that day revealed the strained muscle.

There’s more Rockets news to pass along:

Ben McLemore and Jeff Green both made huge contributions off the bench in the playoff opener, notes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. McLemore hit four 3-pointers in his first career playoff game, while Green, who was signed in late February, contributed 22 points, six rebounds and four assists. “We’re just trying to put the defense on their heels, giving them a different look,” Green said. “We know that all the focus is going to be on James (Harden), so it’s just another opportunity for us to take the pressure off him with Russell out … for everybody to get involved.”
In a separate story, MacMahon examines D’Antoni’s belief in small-ball, which dates back to when he was in Phoenix more than 15 years ago. The Rockets fully committed to the concept when they shipped out starting center Clint Capela at February’s trade deadline. “If you think something’s right and the numbers prove it’s right, then go all-in,” D’Antoni said. “You can’t muddy the waters. You can’t just go halfway.”
Chris Paul, who is facing his former team in his first playoff series since being traded last summer, addressed his relationship with Harden, his ex-backcourt partner (video link from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports). “We don’t talk or communicate or nothing like that, but that’s all good and well,” Paul said. “I wish him the best in anything and everything he does. That’s one thing I think people fail to realize, sometimes, in these situations. Sometimes you have teammates, and it is for that period of time. But that’s okay. You can wish each other well going forward. It doesn’t mean you have to be kumbaya, and it doesn’t mean you have to be enemies. At the end of the day, everybody’s got a life to live.”

Dort Unlikely To Play Tuesday

August 17th, 2020 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder wing Luguentz Dort is unlikely to play in their opener against Houston on Tuesday due to a knee sprain, Royce Young of ESPN tweets. However, head coach Billy Donovan said Dort is progressing well, which suggests the rookie will play in the series. Dort was injured against Miami on Wednesday. He could be a key defensive factor against the small-ball Rockets.

2020 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

August 17th, 2020 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings won a key NBA draft tiebreaker that took place today, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The league conducts tiebreakers when two teams finish the season with the same record. The winner of the tiebreaker gets the higher pick or the higher spot in the lottery standings.

In Sacramento’s case, the team entered the March 11 hiatus with a 28-36 record, identical to the Pelicans‘ 28-36 mark. Because the NBA is sorting its lottery standings based on non-playoff teams’ pre-hiatus records, the Kings and Pelicans had been tied for the 12th spot.

As a result of today’s tiebreaker, Sacramento will get the 12th pick in the draft, assuming neither of the two teams behind them jump into the top four; the Pelicans would receive the 13th pick in that scenario. The two teams’ draft lottery odds will be nearly identical, though Sacramento will have the slight edge, with the Kings receiving 13 of 1,000 available ping-pong ball combinations on lottery night, compared to 12 combinations for the Pelicans.

In the second round, the order will be flipped — the Pelicans will get the No. 42 pick and the Kings will be at No. 43.

Meanwhile, the Thunder finished the season tied with the Rockets and Jazz in the standings at 44-28, so a tiebreaker was required to determine their draft order.

As a result of today’s tiebreaker, the Oklahoma City pick will be No. 21, according to Charania, who adds that Houston’s pick will be No. 22, followed by Utah’s at No. 23.

Of those three teams, only the Jazz actually still own their 2020 first-rounder. The Sixers will receive OKC’s No. 21 pick, while the Nuggets will get Houston’s pick at No. 22. It’s an ideal outcome for Philadelphia, considering that Thunder pick was top-20 protected.

In the second round, Utah’s pick will be No. 51, Houston’s will be No. 52, and Oklahoma City’s will be No. 53. However, the Jazz and Rockets don’t own their second-rounders. Instead, it’ll be the Warriors drafting at No. 51 and the Kings at No. 52.

Northwest Notes: Carmelo, Lillard, Paul, Dort, Murray, Schroder

August 16th, 2020 at 6:22pm CST by JD Shaw

Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard received some high praise from veteran teammate Carmelo Anthony over the weekend, with Portland taking a hard-fought 126-122 victory over the Grizzlies on Saturday to cement the team’s status as the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Anthony, who has made stops with the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder, Rockets and Blazers across his 17-year NBA career, has naturally played with some all-time great players and leaders. At the top of Anthony’s list of great teammates, however, is none other than Lillard himself.

“Dame’s at the top for me,” Anthony told Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. “I’ve never played with someone who lifted his team on the court with his play and as a leader. He genuinely cares for his teammates. What he’s been able to do is amazing. He’s the top guy I’ve played with.”

Lillard has dominated during the NBA’s restart, being named the Player of the Seeding Games while averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists per contest. He also recorded 31 points and 10 assists in the team’s play-in game against Memphis.

For Lillard, his production extends past the hardwood. He’s known as a high-character leader both on the court and off, maximizing his teammates’ games and personalities to achieve success.

“If I’m showing frustration, it might spread to the team,” Lillard said. “My job is to keep everyone motivated and encouraged so that we can play to the best of our abilities. There are a lot of things that you can’t control during a season, but we can control how hard we work.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:

The Thunder are monitoring various injuries to Chris Paul and Luguentz Dort ahead of their first-round series against the Rockets, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. It’s unclear whether Dort will play in Game 1 on Tuesday, with the 21-year-old missing Friday’s contest against the Clippers due to a right knee sprain. As for Paul, he missed Friday’s game due to a left hand sprain, but the injury isn’t believed to be serious. “We don’t think so, but we’re just being cautious with him,” head coach Billy Donovan said on whether Paul’s injury is significant. “He should be fine when we get around to playing Game 1. Lu’s a different situation. I have uncertainty whether or not he’ll even be available for Game 1.”
Nick Kosmider of The Athletic explores how Jamal Murray used his past failures to enter the 2020 postseason as an improved player. The Nuggets lost to the Blazers in last year’s playoffs during a hard-fought seven-game series, one the team hasn’t forgotten about since. “Even though we lost to Portland in a heartbreaking Game 7, I think our players took positives out of it, learning opportunities,” head coach Mike Malone said. “Jamal, for one, has made post defense a huge point of emphasis and focus for himself.”
Thunder guard Dennis Schroder returned to the court for the team’s final seeding game after quarantining for four days, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. Schroder left the Orlando campus on Aug. 3 for the birth of his second child, returning on Aug. 10 to start a mandatory four-day quarantine. He finished with 17 points and four assists in 25 minutes of work on Friday, getting some in-game action before the team’s first-round playoff series begins. “The NBA did a great job, OKC did a great job bringing me to my wife to support her,” Schroder said postgame. “Came back and had to quarantine for four days. It was pretty rough, staying in a small room was pretty tough. I’m back now. Left my room today and got a little [practice] session in at 11 [a.m.] and was able to come back tonight.”

Dort Dealing With Knee Sprain; CP3 Out For Friday's Game

August 14th, 2020 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, who suffered a right knee sprain this week, will miss Friday’s regular season finale against the Clippers, according to Royce Young of ESPN (Twitter link). Dort will be listed as day-to-day going forward, so his availability for the start of the postseason next week remains unknown. Oklahoma City’s first-round series vs. Houston gets underway on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, as Young adds, Thunder guard Chris Paul will also miss Friday’s seeding game due to a left hand sprain. That injury isn’t believed to be an issue that will compromise Paul’s postseason availability at all — he’s simply getting a rest before the playoffs get underway.

Rockets Expect Westbrook To Miss Start Of Postseason

August 13th, 2020 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets expect Russell Westbrook – who was diagnosed on Wednesday with a strained right quad – to miss at least “the first few games” of their first-round playoff series, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

So far, the team has offered few concrete updates on Westbrook, only indicating that it will reevaluate his quad injury before the postseason begins next week. However, a source with knowledge of the Rockets’ thinking told Feigen on Thursday that the All-Star guard will at least miss the start of the playoffs and could be out longer than that.

It’s bad news for the Rockets, who are locked into a first-round matchup against Westbrook’s old team, the Thunder. The series promised a fascinating backcourt duel, with Westbrook, James Harden, and Eric Gordon going up against the Oklahoma City trio of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schröder.

However, it sounds like Houston will have to make do without Westbrook for at least the first couple games of that series, forcing Harden, Gordon, and backup guards Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore to take on increased responsibilities.

Westbrook’s return timeline will depend on how he responds to treatment, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hopefully, by the time the Rockets/Thunder series gets underway next Monday or Tuesday, we’ll have a better sense of when the former MVP might be able to return to the lineup.

Sixers Assured Of Receiving OKC’s 2020 First-Round Pick

August 13th, 2020 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder‘s last-minute win over the Heat on Wednesday assured that Oklahoma City will send its 2020 first-round pick to the Sixers, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.

That selection had been top-20 protected, and the Thunder had been hovering around the league’s 10th-best record since even before the season was suspended in March. Currently, Oklahoma City is tied with Houston at 44-27, meaning the pick projects to land at either No. 23 or 24, as our reverse standings show.

If OKC loses its final seeding game on Friday against the Clippers, the pick could end up as high as No. 21. However, it can’t get to No. 20, since the Heat and Pacers (both currently 44-28) will play each other on Friday, guaranteeing that at least one of those teams will finish with a worse record than the Thunder. As such, the top-20 protection won’t apply.

The pick will be an important asset this offseason for the 76ers, since they previously traded their own 2020 first-round pick to the Clippers (who flipped it to Brooklyn). If the Thunder’s first-rounder had landed in the top 20, Philadelphia would have instead received OKC’s 2022 and 2023 second-round picks.

The Sixers originally acquired the Thunder first-rounder in 2016 in exchange for Jerami Grant. Philadelphia sent it to Orlando during the 2017 draft to acquire Anzejs Pasecniks‘s rights, but later acquired it back in its 2019 Markelle Fultz trade with the Magic.

Seven Of Eight First-Round Playoff Matchups Set

August 13th, 2020 at 6:59am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 13: Following wins by the Thunder and Clippers on Wednesday night, three Western Conference first-round matchups have now been set, with only the Lakers still awaiting their opponent. Those first-round series are as follows:

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Play-in winner (8)
Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Utah Jazz (6)
Oklahoma City Thunder (4/5) vs. Houston Rockets (4/5)

We’ll know by the end of Thursday which two teams out of the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Suns, and Spurs will be participating in the play-in tournament in the West, but it may be Sunday before the Lakers know their first-round opponent.

AUGUST 12: As a result of the Pacers’ 108-104 win over Houston this afternoon, the four Eastern Conference matchups for the first round of the postseason have been set. They are as follows:

Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7)
Boston Celtics (3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (6)
Miami Heat (4/5) vs. Indiana Pacers (4/5)

Typically, the Heat and Pacers would be continuing to fight for home court advantage in their series, but the unusual nature of this season means claiming the No. 4 seed instead of No. 5 won’t make much of a difference.

Despite the fact that several teams were within two or three games of one another in the standings when the restart began – or were even tied, like the Pacers and Sixers – the first-round matchups in the East look exactly the same as they did when the season was suspended on March 11.

Over in the West, a small number of teams – including the No. 1 Lakers – are locked into their playoff spots, but most matchups remain up in the air. For now, the most likely pairings are Lakers/play-in winner, Clippers/Mavericks, Nuggets/Jazz, and Rockets/Thunder, but one or more of those could change by Friday.