The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Chicago, determining the order of selection for the top four picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.
This event holds significant importance for teams aiming to secure high-potential talent to bolster their rosters.
How the NBA Draft Lottery works
The NBA Draft Lottery employs a weighted system to assign odds to the 14 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.
Each team is assigned a number of combinations corresponding to their odds of winning the lottery. The lottery process involves drawing four numbers from a set of 14, with the first four draws determining the top four picks.
If a team wins a pick, that combination is discarded, and the drawing continues until all four top picks are determined. This system aims to provide a fair chance for all non-playoff teams to secure a higher draft position.
Notably, since 2019, the lottery odds have been flattened to reduce the chances of bottom teams consistently winning. Under the current format, the three teams with the worst records each have a 14.0% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick.
The remaining teams’ odds decrease progressively, with the team finishing with the 14th-worst record having a 0.5% chance.
Participating teams and their odds
The 14 teams participating in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery are as follows, along with their respective odds for the No. 1 overall pick:
- Utah Jazz – 14.0%
- Washington Wizards – 14.0%
- Charlotte Hornets – 14.0%
- New Orleans Pelicans – 12.5%
- Philadelphia 76ers – 10.5%
- Brooklyn Nets – 9.0%
- Toronto Raptors – 7.5%
- San Antonio Spurs – 6.0%
- Chicago Bulls – 4.5%
- Memphis Grizzlies – 3.0%
- Houston Rockets – 2.0%
- Sacramento Kings – 1.5%
- Golden State Warriors – 1.0%
- Atlanta Hawks – 0.5%
These odds reflect the teams’ regular-season records, with the worst-performing teams receiving higher chances of securing a top pick.
It’s important to note that the lottery results can significantly impact a team’s future, as securing a high draft pick often provides an opportunity to select a potential franchise player.
Top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA Draft features several highly anticipated prospects, with Duke’s Cooper Flagg leading the pack.
Flagg, the Naismith Player of the Year, is widely regarded as the top talent in this year’s draft class. Other notable prospects include Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, Duke’s Kon Knueppel, and international players like Khaman Maluach and Kasparas Jakucionis.
These players are expected to make significant impacts on whichever teams select them.
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