When is the NBA draft lottery? How to watch tonight's event that will set the NBA draft

May 12, 2025 - 23:30

0 0

When is the NBA draft lottery? How to watch tonight's event that will set the NBA draft

The NBA Draft Lottery, a Cooper Flag Sweepstakes this year, is set for Monday night on ESPN.

Duke superstar Cooper Flag will be available for the winner of the 5 p.m. Mountain time lottery, and the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets have the best odds at 14%.

Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is expected to go with the second pick, while who will be third is to be determined. Players like Rutgers' Ace Bailey, Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears and Texas' Tre Johnson are all possibilities. The NBA draft will be held June 25 and 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) and Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) battle for the ball in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-1026925 ORIG FILE ID: 20250405_jel_jo9_245.JPG

When is the draft lottery?

The lottery is set for 5 p.m. Mountain/6 p.m. Central, Monday, May 12, in Chicago.

NBA Draft Lottery odds

What are the odds for each team?

Utah Jazz (14%)
Washington Wizards (14%)
Charlotte Hornets (14%)
New Orleans Pelicans (14%)
Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%)
Brooklyn Nets (9%)
Toronto Raptors (7%)
San Antonio Spurs (6.7%)
Houston Rockets (3.8%)
Portland Trail Blazers (3.8%)
Dallas Mavericks (1.8%)
Chicago Bulls (1.8%)
Sacramento Kings (0.8%)

When is the 2025 NBA Draft?

First Round: Wednesday, June 25.

Second Round: Thursday, June 26

How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?

The 14 teams that did not qualify for the NBA playoffs, including teams that lost in the play-in round, are in the NBA draft lottery. The odds for each pick were determined following the end of the regular season standings and after tie breakers were settled for teams with the same record.

Each team is assigned odds for the top overall pick based on the regular-season record. The teams with the three worst records have the same 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

The lottery procedure takes place ahead of the ESPN broadcast with select media, NBA officials and representatives of the participating teams in the room. The drawing is used to determine the order of the top four picks, with the remaining "lottery teams” picking 5-14 in reverse order of the standings. The teams that lost in the play-in have the worst odds of winning and will pick last if they don't win.

As for the mechanics, there are 14 numbered ping pong balls, and four are drawn to create a sequence of four numbers. There are 1,000 possibilities, and each team is assigned a portion of the numbers. Utah, Washington and Charlotte have been assigned 140 numbers, while Sacramento has eight.

Who will be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft?

Duke's Cooper Flagg will be the No. 1 pick.

Who is Cooper Flagg?

Flagg is a 6-foot-8 forward who played one season at Duke. The No. 1 high school recruit met expectations, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He won the Naismith College Player of the Year, the John R. Wooden Award, and was a consensus All-American.

A member of the ACC all-defensive team, Flagg is noted for his high basketball IQ and polished game, which will make him a fit for any team in the league.