The Sixers’ Joel Embiid and Lakers’ Magic Johnson yucked it up last year when the Sixers won the lottery.
By Michael Donovan
Even though they won 52 games and a round in the playoffs, the Sixers are players in tonight’s NBA draft lottery.
Because of a trade with the Suns back in 2012 that brought them Steve Nash, the Lakers no longer have their No. 1 pick. The Suns eventually sent the pick to the Sixers, who used it as part of a trade with the Celtics last year. As a result, if the pick winds up in the 1 spot, or between 10 and 13, the 76ers will get it (a 97 percent chance). In the less likely event that it winds up at 2 or 3, the Celtics will get it. (It can’t land in any other positions; if the Lakers are not pulled for a top three lottery place, their record was strong enough that they will get a lower pick.)
What time is the Draft Lottery? Tuesday at 7:30 Eastern in Chicago.
Is it on TV? Yes, on ESPN. You can also watch if you have the ESPN app on your Apple TV, Roku, Sling TV, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.
How does it work? A random, weighted draw will be held to determine the top three draft picks. Picks 4 to 14 will then be allotted in reverse order of the teams’ records.
Who has the best chance at the No. 1 pick? The Phoenix Suns, who at 21-61 had the league’s worst record. Their chance is 25 percent.
Who else has a good chance at No. 1? The next most likely teams are the Memphis Grizzlies (20 percent), the Dallas Mavericks (14 percent) and the Atlanta Hawks (14 percent).
Who does not have such a good chance? The Orlando Magic at 9 percent, the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings (5 percent), the Cavaliers (3 percent), the Knicks (2 percent) and the 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets (1 percent each).
What is the single most likely result? That the Nuggets wind up with the 14th pick. They have a 98.2 percent chance of doing so.
What about picks 15-30? Those are all set, starting with the playoff team with the worst record, the Wizards, at 15, and moving down pick by pick to the better teams
When and where is the actual draft? June 21 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.
Who will be picked? The top pick may come down to a choice between Arizona freshman center Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic, a swingman from Slovenia. Among the players who could follow are freshmen Jaren Jackson of Michigan St., Marvin Bagley of Duke, Michael Porter of Missouri, Trae Young of Oklahoma and Mohamed Bamba of Texas.
Any upperclassmen? Mikal Bridges of national champion Villanova, a junior, is projected to go in the top 10.
