NBA Draft Lottery 2017: Odds For Celtics, Lakers, 76ers, Knicks To Get No.1 Overall Pick

Just before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals gets underway, the futures of every franchise that missed the NBA Playoffs will be affected. The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery will determine the order of the top 14 picks in the first round of what’s expected to be a very deep draft.

The Boston Celtics will begin the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night, but they have the best chance to win the No.1 overall pick in the draft 24 hours earlier. The Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers are the next three teams with the best odds to win the lottery, followed by the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks.

Boston is the only team in the lottery that made the postseason, having led the East with 53 regular-season wins. The pick technically belongs to the Brooklyn Nets, who had the NBA’s worst record, but the Celtics have the right to swap first-round selections, dating back to the 2013 trade that involved Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Brooklyn will have Boston’s 27th overall pick, as a result.

The Los Angeles Lakers had the NBA’s third-worst record, but they could find themselves in a similar position as Brooklyn. Dating back to the deal that landed them Steve Nash, the Lakers will send their pick to the 76ers if it falls outside of the top three. L.A. has a 53 percent chance to lose their first-rounder, though the Lakers do own the Houston Rockets’ No.28 overall pick.

Philadelphia is arguably in the best position of anyone in the lottery. Aside from getting a second first-rounder if the Lakers fall out of the top three, the 76ers have nearly a 58% chance of getting a top-four pick. They had the NBA’s fourth-worst record, and they have the right to swap picks with the Sacramento Kings, who have the eighth-best odds of winning the lottery.

The Kings, however, will probably pick twice in the top half of the draft, thanks to their trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. Unless the Pelicans get a top-three pick, which has a four percent chance of happening, their selection will go to Sacramento.

2017 NBA Draft Lottery Probabilities

Boston Celtics: 1st (25%) 2nd (21.51%) 3rd (17.77%), 4th (35.7%)

Phoenix Suns: 1st (19.9%) 2nd (18.81%) 3rd (17.12%), 4th (31.9%), 5th (12.3%)

Los Angeles Lakers: 1st (15.6%) 2nd (15.74%) 3rd (15.59%), 4th (22.6%), 5th (26.5%), 6th (0.4%),

Philadelphia 76ers: 1st (11.9%) 2nd (12.6%) 3rd (13.3%), 4th (9.9%) 5th (35.1%), 6th (16%), 7th (1.2%)

Orlando Magic: 1st (8.8%) 2nd (9.66%) 3rd (10.68%), 5th (26.1%), 6th (36%), 7th (8.4%), 8th (0.4%)

Minnesota Timberwolves: 1st (5.3%) 2nd (6.03%) 3rd (6.98%), 6th (43.95%), 7th (33.09%), 8th (4.53%), 9th (0.12%)

New York Knicks: 1st (5.3%) 2nd (6.03%) 3rd (6.98%), 7th (57.24%), 8th (22.65%), 9th (1.78%), 10th (0.03%)

Sacramento Kings: 1st (2.8%) 2nd (3.26%) 3rd (3.89%), 8th (72.4%), 9th (16.8%), 10th (0.8%), 11th (0.01%)

Dallas Mavericks: 1st (1.7%) 2nd (2%) 3rd (2.41%), 9th (81.3%), 10th (12.2%), 11th (0.4%), 12th (.002%)

New Orleans Pelicans: 1st (1.1%) 2nd (1.3%) 3rd (1.58%), 10th (87%), 11th (8.9%), 12th (2%), 13th (.001%)

Charlotte Hornets: 1st (0.8%) 2nd (0.95%) 3rd (1.15%), 11th (90.7%), 12th (6.3%), 13th (.08%), 14th (.0001%)

Detroit Pistons: 1st (0.7%) 2nd (0.83%) 3rd (1.01%), 12th (93.5%), 13th (3.9%), 14th (0.02%)

Denver Nuggets: 1st (0.6%) 2nd (0.71%) 3rd (0.87%), 13th (96%), 14th (1.8%)

Miami Heat: 1st (0.5%) 2nd (0.59%) 3rd (0.73%), 14th (98.2%)