2023 NBA Draft Lottery: Date and time, how it works, order and odds
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery will take place on 16 May. Learn how it works, who has the best odds and why Victor Wembanyama is the number one prize.
Basketball
As the NBA playoffs rumble on determining the winner of this season, those no longer in the fight have already begun to turn to the next.
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, taking place on the evening of Tuesday 16 May, will be a crucial piece of the puzzle for the 14 teams already plotting for next year.
The lottery will determine the order of selection for the first 14 picks of the 2023 NBA Draft and with the most-touted prospect since LeBron James entered the Draft in 2003 Victor Wembanyama up for grabs for the team that wins the No.1 pick, lottery night could prove critical to reversing a team’s fortunes.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery.
When is the NBA Draft Lottery?
The NBA 2023 Draft Lottery will take place on Tuesday 16 May at 20:30 ET (UTC -5).
How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?
Before the televised show, 14 ping pong balls numbered one through to 14 are placed inside a standard lottery machine. Four of the 14 balls are then drawn at random to generate a four-number combination, for example (five, nine, 10 and 13).
In total, there are 1,0001 possible four-digit combinations that can be drawn. Ahead of the lottery 1,000 of these combinations are assigned to the 14 teams in the lottery. Each team will receive a number of combinations equivalent to their assigned odds of winning the top pick. For example, the Detroit Pistons have 14 per cent odds meaning they are allocated 140 combinations.
The No.1 pick in the draft is awarded to the team that successfully draws the winning four-number combination from the lottery machine.
Once a winner is determined, the process is repeated to determine picks two, three and four. Should a team be drawn more than once the result is discarded and a new combination is drawn.
The remaining teams are then allocated a pick order based on their regular season record.
Once this process has been conducted the results are then placed into envelopes that are then opened live on a in a ceremony where the 14 teams and their world learns who has the No.1 pick for the 2023 NBA Draft.
What are the team odds for the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery?
Below is the 2023 Draft Lottery order and odds for the No.1 pick.
2023 NBA Draft Lottery Draft: Last 10 lottery winners with odds
- 2022: Orlando Magic | 14.00% | Paolo Banchero
- 2021: Detroit Pistons | 14.00% | Cade Cunningham
- 2020: Minnesota Timberwolves | 14.00% | Anthony Edwards
- 2019: New Orleans Pelicans | 6.00% | Zion Williamson
- 2018: Phoenix Suns | 25.00% | Deandre Ayton
- 2017: Philadelphia Sixers | 25.00% | Markelle Fultz
- 2016: Philadelphia Sixers | 25.00% | Ben Simmons
- 2015: Minnesota Timberwolves | 25.00% | Karl-Anthony Towns
- 2014: Cleveland Cavaliers | 1.70% | Andrew Wiggins
- 2013: Cleveland Cavaliers | 15.60% | Anthony Bennett
- 2012: New Orleans Hornets | 13.70% | Anthony Davis
How to watch the NBA Draft Lottery?
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery will be available to watch live on ESPN on Tuesday 16 May at 20:00 ET.
Viewers can also stream on the ESPN or WatchESPN apps.
When is the 2023 NBA Draft?
The 2023 NBA Draft will be held on 22 June at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.