NBA draft lottery odds: Where do Celtics, Lakers, Suns check in?
What are the odds for each lottery team? With prospects such as[url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://insider.espn.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2010&playerId=20369" ]Markelle Fultz[/url] and [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://insider.espn.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2010&playerId=20368" ]Lonzo Ball[/url]leading a star-studded NBA draft class, teams are hoping to secure one of the top two or three picks in the 2017 draft lottery on May 16 [b](ESPN/WatchESPN, 8 p.m. ET)[/b].[br /][br /][b]More: [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/lottery2017/mockdraft" ]Lottery Mock Draft[/url] |[url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18961247/playoff-push-snapshot-top-postseason-races" ]Playoff races to watch[/url][/b][br /][Ads /][br /][h2]Race for the top three picks[/h2][br /][br /]Coupled with the [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/phx/phoenix-suns" ]Phoenix Suns[/url]' loss to Sacramento, the [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers" ]Los Angeles Lakers'[/url] win over the [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans" ]New Orleans Pelicans[/url] -- their fifth straight overall win -- means the Suns will finish with the NBA's second-worst record while the Lakers will finish with the NBA's third-worst. For the Lakers, that means they'll have a 46.9 percent chance of keeping their top-three protected draft pick at the May 16 NBA draft lottery. If the pick falls below the third pick, it goes to the [url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/phi/philadelphia-76ers" ]Philadelphia 76ers[/url]. -- Baxter Holmes[/i][br /][br /][img class="floatleft" SRC="http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/bos.png?w=65&h=65&transparent=true" ] [b][url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/bos/boston-celtics" ]Boston Celtics[/url](via Nets)[/b][br/][br /]Odds for top-3 pick : [b]64.3% [/b][br/][br /]Nets' W-L record: 20-61[br/][br /]Nets' next game: Wed. at Bulls[br /][br /][img class="floatleft" SRC="http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/phx.png?w=65&h=65&transparent=true" ] [b][url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/phx/phoenix-suns" ]Phoenix Suns[/url][/b][br/][br /]Odds for top-3 pick: [b]55.8% [/b][br/][br /][Ads /][br /]W-L record: 24-58[br/][br /]Next game: Season complete[br /][br /][img class="floatleft" SRC="http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/lal.png?w=65&h=65&transparent=true" ] [b][url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers" ]Los Angeles Lakers[/url][/b][br/][br /]Odds for top-3 pick: [b]46.9% [/b][br/][br /]W-L record: 26-55[br/][br /]Next game: Wed. at Warriors[br /][br /][b]Tiebreaker:[/b] In the case of a tie, the lottery odds are divided between the teams that are tied. For instance, if the Suns and Lakers end up tied for the second-worst record, they will split the odds (pingpong-ball combinations) apportioned for second and third in the lottery. To win the No. 1 pick in the lottery, those odds total 35.5 percent, giving both about an 18 percent chance at the top pick. Likewise, they would each have about a 35 percent chance at a top-two pick and about a 51 percent chance at a top-three pick.[br /][Ads /][br /][h2]Trades and pick protections[/h2][br /][ol][br /][li]Boston owns the rights to swap first-round picks with Brooklyn.[/li][br /][li]The Lakers will send their first-round pick to the 76ers if it falls outside the top three.[/li][br /][li]Philadelphia owns the rights to swap picks with Sacramento inside the top 10. If the[url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/sac/sacramento-kings" ]Kings[/url]' pick falls out of the top 10, it will go to the[url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/chi/chicago-bulls" ]Bulls[/url].[/li][br /][li][url TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans" ]New Orleans[/url]will send its first-round pick to Sacramento if it falls outside the top three.[/li][br /][/ol]
