2022 NBA Draft lottery: How to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The NBA playoffs are still in full swing, but the league is already looking ahead to the future.
Remember all those teams that have long dropped off your radar? They’re back and ready to cash in on their disappointing seasons with a big payout in the form of a young star. May the odds be ever in their favor.
Here’s all the information you need to tune into the NBA draft lottery.
When is the NBA draft lottery?
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The NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
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Where is the NBA draft lottery?
The NBA is setting up shop in Chicago this week. The city is hosting both the combine and lottery before the league returns to New York for the NBA draft next month. The exact location of both the combine and lottery remains unannounced at this point.
How to watch or stream the NBA draft lottery
Live coverage of the 2022 NBA draft lottery is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The lottery will also be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
Does ESPN show the actual lottery on TV?
Despite all the pomp and fanfare surrounding the lottery, the public actually only sees the aftermath. The ping pong balls are selected directly before the on-air coverage in front of a closed audience featuring league officials, a media member and a representative from Ernst and Young, the accounting firm that oversees the lottery.
What follows the NBA draft lottery?
The lottery is just a precursor for the big event – the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.
With the NBA playoffs in the past, the league will shift all its attention to New York as future stars descend upon Barclays Center waiting to hear their name called.
Who are the top prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft?
The 2022 draft class is one of the more intriguing groups in recent history with four different players, each with a different skill set, in the mix to go as the No. 1 overall pick. Depending on the outcome of the NBA combine, general managers will likely make their pick between Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Purdue’s Jaden Ivey.
Smith is an ultra-athletic 6-foot-10 forward who can shoot effectively from beyond the arc as well as crash the boards to clean up down low. He’s been the frontrunner as the top-overall pick for much of his freshman season.
Meanwhile, Banchero is an offensive machine, using his strength and ball-handling skills to bully teams in the lane. He’s got room to grow on the defensive end, but could be a franchise player for the right team.
Holmgren, on the other hand, is a strong two-way player who can shoot, distribute and play off the ball. Measuring at 7-foot, 195 pounds, the Gonzaga forward has long been knocked for his slender frame, but has continued to perform at each new level of competition. He’s looking to become only the second player out of the West Coast Conference to go with the No. 1 overall pick, joining Pacific’s Michael Olowokandi who is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.
Ivey rounds out this list as the lone player to buck the one-and-done trend. Ivey burst onto the scene in the second half of his freshman season and was in good position to jump to the pros but opted to spend one more season with the Boilermakers, a decision that paid off in spades. The 6-foot-4 guard effectively creates his own shot and a proven clutch performer, hitting several game winners in his college career.
Barring a breakthrough in the lead up to the combine, the order these four players hear their names called could come down to the teams making the decision. You can bet they’ll be watching the lottery closely.
What are each team’s odds at the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery?
The NBA lottery is a game of weighted chance. While teams with worse records have a better chance at scoring higher picks, it remains anyone’s game until the final announcement has been made.
A complete explanation of the rules and history of the lottery is available here.
The complete odds for the teams with the first 14 picks to land the No. 1 overall selection are below:
Houston Rockets - 14%
Orlando Magic - 14%
Detroit Pistons - 14%
Oklahoma City Thunder - 12.5%
Indiana Pacers - 10.5%
Portland Trail Blazers - 9%
Sacramento Kings - 7.5%
New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers) - 6%
San Antonio Spurs - 4.5%
Washington Wizards - 3%
New York Knicks - 2%
Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers) - 1.5%
Charlotte Hornets - 1%
Cleveland Cavaliers - 0.5%
