Diminished prize: NBA draft lottery holds modest value
Fri May 10 2:41pm ET
Field Level Media
Four teams enter the 2024 NBA Draft lottery on Sunday with better than 13 percent odds of landing the No. 1 pick, but the prize holds relatively modest value one year after Victor Wembanyama arrived from France.
The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards share the top odds -- 14 percent -- ahead of the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers, who picked second and third behind the San Antonio Spurs last June. The Spurs scored the No. 1 pick, selected Wembanyama, and hold the fifth-best chance (10.5 percent) at getting the first overall pick in the 2024 draft via the lottery.
The 2024 NBA Draft begins June 26, with the second round held the next day.
Since the lottery rules changed in 2019, each of the four teams to win the lottery and No. 1 pick entered with 14 percent odds to land the pick. The first year under the competitive balance rules in 2020, the Timberwolves won the lottery and selected Georgia's Anthony Edwards.
While any team in the NBA would've welcomed a chance to bring Edwards or Wembanyama on board, there's a bit of a red-headed stepchild narrative around the 2024 draft class.
The order of draft selections for lottery teams -- the 14 teams not in the NBA playoffs -- will be assigned mid-afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC) on Mother's Day. Final positioning in the lottery was determined after the regular season based on record with the NBA settling tiebreaks involving teams with identical regular-season records.
Detroit drafted first overall in 2021 (Cade Cunningham) and fifth in 2022 (Jaden Ivey) and 2023 (Ausar Thompson). The Pistons find themselves back in this position following a league-worst 14-68 finish to the regular season.
Equal chances for the No. 1 pick belong to the Wizards. Washington last won the lottery in 2010, selecting Kentucky point guard John Wall.
The Hornets picked first once -- in 1991, when they selected UNLV's Larry Johnson -- but have drafted outside of the lottery only once in the past 23 years. Charlotte selected Brandon Miller No. 2 overall in 2023 and LaMelo Ball with the third pick in 2020.
Greg Oden was the Trail Blazers' pick at No. 1 in 2007 and Portland hasn't been back in the top spot since. Point guard Scoot Henderson went at No. 3 to Portland in 2023. Kentucky shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe (seventh overall, 2022) and Lehigh guard CJ McCollum (10th overall, 2013) were the only other top-10 draft picks for the franchise since Oden.
Sporting the best record in the West in the regular season and playing in the conference semifinals, trade-happy Oklahoma City maintains two chances in the lottery as owed compensation in previous swaps with the Utah Jazz (6 percent chance at No. 1 pick) and Houston Rockets (1.5 percent odds at No. 1 pick). Because of pick protections placed on the trade, the Thunder would receive Utah's selection only if it's Nos. 11-14.
Likewise, the pick from Houston is protected -- meaning the Rockets can push the trade to next year -- if it's in the top four.
The Spurs could score a second lottery pick as part of the return due from the Toronto Raptors for acquiring Jakob Poeltl.
- Diminished prize: NBA draft lottery holds modest value
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New York Knicks forward Josh Hart had a double-double in Friday's playoff matchup with Indiana. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, with the Knicks dropping their first game of the series. Jalen Brunson (foot) wasn't himself after tweaking his foot in Game 2. While Donte DiVincenzo had a team-high 35 points, Hart still scored 10 points while adding 18 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The 29-year-old has been on a roll during the postseason, and he should continue to see heavy minutes in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, especially if OG Anunoby (hamstring) remains out.
New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo had a team-high 35 points in Friday's loss to the Pacers. He added three boards, two assists, one steal, and one block. Jalen Brunson (foot) isn't fully healthy after tweaking his foot in Game 2. However, DiVincenzo picked up the slack, going 12-for-26 from the floor and an efficient 7-for-11 from behind the three-point line. The 27-year-old has played well of late, averaging 29.3 points and shooting 56.3% from deep during this series. With numbers like that, DiVincenzo will see plenty of interest from DFS managers for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (foot) finished with a team-high 26 points in Friday's loss to Indiana. The former Maverick injured his right foot in Game 2 and carried a questionable tag heading into this contest. While he managed to suit up, he reinjured his foot in the first quarter, taking him off the floor for a few minutes. Brunson also had five turnovers in Game 3, so the ailment appears to be impacting his play. However, he should remain on the DFS radar for Game 4 on Sunday despite his recent decline in production.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner looked good in Friday's playoff victory over the New York Knicks. The 28-year-old had only six points in Game 2 on Wednesday. Yet, he scored 21 points in Game 3 to help his squad win their first game of the Conference semifinals. The Knicks were without OG Anunoby (hamstring), which was a crushing blow for the defense. However, New York will likely adjust heading into Game 4 on Sunday, so Turner could have trouble replicating his performance from Friday night.
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam helped lead the Pacers to a win over the Knicks on Friday evening. The former Raptor scored 26 points, adding seven rebounds and one block. He also shot an efficient 9-for-14 from the field while draining his only try from behind the arc. Siakam had his best offensive outing of the Conference semifinals in Game 3. While he's had issues staying out of foul trouble, he deserves DFS attention for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 35 points in Friday's win over the Knicks. He added seven assists, two steals, and a block. As expected, the 24-year-old was on the floor after making another appearance on the injury report because of back spasms. However, it appears Haliburton feels just fine, considering he's combined for 69 points in the previous two games. He did tweak his ankle during the contest, which is concerning. As a result, DFS managers will likely see him hold a questionable tag heading into Game 4 on Sunday. But barring a major setback, Haliburton should be good to go.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) has been listed as questionable for Saturday's Game 3 against the Celtics. He's been out for two months with a sprained right knee, but it now looks like Wade could be ready to return to the lineup. The 27-year-old averaged over 20 minutes per game during the regular season. Wade could play a significant role in the playoffs, with the Cavaliers frontcourt weakened by the absence of Jarrett Allen (rib). However, it's unclear how many minutes he will be ready to play following the two-month injury layoff.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (rib) is in danger of missing a sixth consecutive game on Saturday against Boston. He's on the injury report with a questionable tag once again. Cleveland has listed Allen as questionable ahead of each game since he got hurt in the middle of the first-round series against Orlando. Allen's continued absence would mean another start for Isaac Okoro, who has scored double-digit points in back-to-back games.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic (knee, ankle) has been listed as questionable for Saturday's Game 3 against Oklahoma City. He's recently played through a right knee sprain and now hurt his left ankle in Thursday's Game 2 win in a collision with Thunder guard Cason Wallace. Despite battling health issues, the Mavericks superstar enjoyed one of his best performances of the 2024 postseason on Thursday, netting 29 points with five treys and 11-for-21 shooting. He will likely remain in the lineup on Saturday as Dallas tries to grab a 2-1 series lead.
New York Knicks forward/center Precious Achiuwa will replace OG Anunoby (hamstring) in the starting lineup on Friday against Indiana. The 24-year-old played only four minutes in the series opener but now finds himself in a big role, as the Knicks have also lost Mitchell Robinson (ankle). During the regular season, Achiuwa posted 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals as a starter.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) has been cleared for action on Friday against the Knicks. He has been upgraded from questionable to available. The Pacers star has produced mixed performances through the first two games of the series but will enter Friday's contest off the back of his highest-scoring playoff game of the year. Haliburton led all scorers with 34 points as Indiana lost Game 2 on Wednesday 130-121. With the Pacers in desperate mode, we should see Haliburton carry a heavy load on Friday.
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (foot) is officially available for Friday's Game 3 against Indiana. He's been upgraded from questionable to available despite battling right foot soreness. Brunson was hurt in Game 2 of the series, but the injury didn't appear to affect him too much, as he finished with 29 points and 11-for-18 shooting. The Knicks star has looked sensational in the playoffs, becoming the second player in NBA history to record 285-plus points and 65-plus assists through the first eight games of a postseason.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't pull out a win over the other candidate who was up for the NBA MVP award this year. He did, however, put up the most points out of anyone who played in Game 2. He ended with 33 points on 13-for-24 shooting from the floor and 1-for-3 from three. On top of that, Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 12 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, two blocks, and two turnovers. In the midst of the third playoff run in his career, Gilgeous-Alexander has seen increases in almost every stat across the board except for three-point shooting.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was close to another triple-double while leading the team to a win on the road in Game 2 which tied the series up 1-to-1. While he may have missed out on his first MVP, he didn't let that get in the way of a big road performance. Doncic posted 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block, and one turnover. He also shot 11-for-21 from the floor and 5-for-8 from deep. With the series shifting back to Dallas for the next two games, Doncic will look to build on this momentum against an inexperienced Thunder squad.
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington was tied for the team lead in points during their Game 2 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. The former Hornet registered 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 11-for-18 from the floor and a red-hot 7-for-11 from downtown. This is why the Mavericks made the move to bring in his services, they've needed a third scorer who can also provide defense in the frontcourt. Washington has given them spurts of brilliance while staying solid most of the way through his Dallas tenure. Through the first playoff run of his career so far, Washington is averaging 13.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown had 19 points in Thursday's loss to Cleveland. He added four rebounds and one assist. The 27-year-old erupted in Game 1 on Tuesday, finishing with 32 points. However, he cooled off in this one, shooting 7-for-17 from the field while missing all six attempts from behind the three-point line. In all fairness, most of the C's starting lineup struggled in Game 2. Fortunately, Brown should turn things around, meaning he remains a top DFS option for Game 3 on Saturday night.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had a team-high 25 points in Thursday's loss to the Cavaliers. He added seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal. The former Duke Blue Devil had only 18 points in Game 1. While he played better in this one, his efforts weren't enough to lead Boston to a win. Nonetheless, Tatum should bounce back offensively sometime soon, so DFS managers should keep him on the radar for Game 3 on Saturday night.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell finished with a game-high 29 points in Thursday's win over the Celtics. He added eight assists and seven boards while shooting an efficient 5-for-7 from deep. The 2017 No. 13 overall pick had 33 points in the Game 1 loss to the C's on Tuesday. While he wasn't as productive in this one, fantasy managers were still happy with the outcome. Mitchell and company will return to Cleveland to host Boston for Game 3 on Saturday night. DFS participants should expect him to continue to log heavy minutes, assuming his nagging knee injury allows him.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley had a big game in Thursday's win over the Celtics. The 22-year-old has struggled offensively during the postseason. However, he finished with 21 points in Game 2, a postseason career-high, to help the Cavs knot the series at one game each. With Jarrett Allen (rib) out of the lineup, Mobley continues to do all he can to keep things secure underneath the basket. Although he isn't a consistent scorer, he'll at least routinely accumulate blocks and rebounds for DFS managers for the remainder of the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Reggie Jackson (calf) is questionable for Friday's playoff meeting with the Timberwolves. The veteran has a calf contusion. However, with Jamal Murray (calf) also battling a calf issue of his own, Jackson should be out there for Game 3. With that said, he's averaged only four points in this series, so DFS managers should look for other options.