NBA Lottery Odds 2012: How the Lottery Will Shake out If There Are No Surprises

Wednesday night's 2012 NBA Draft Lottery (8:00 PM ET, ESPN) will determine the fate of 14 NBA franchises and 14 more NBA prospects. 

There are hundreds of potential ways the ping pong balls can fall, but the percentages suggest that there won't be too many surprises at the top.

Let's take a look at how the lottery will shake out if things go according to plan.

*2012 NBA Draft Lottery Odds (courtesy of NBA.com):

1. Charlotte Bobcats - 25%

Michael Jordan's Bobcats have the best shot at landing the No. 1 pick and ultimately Kentucky superstar Anthony Davis. No team could use Davis' services more than Charlotte, who set an NBA record for worst regular-season win percentage last year (.106).

2. Washington Wizards - 19.9%

Washington took John Wall two years ago when they won the No. 1-overall pick in the lottery. If they snag the No. 2 pick in 2012, look for them to add another Wildcat. Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a stud. 

3. Cleveland Cavaliers - 13.8%

Cleveland drafted Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving with the No. 1-overall pick in 2011, but the odds aren't in their favor to win the draft's first selection this time around. 

4. New Orleans Hornets - 13.7%

With 137 combinations, the Hornets have a 42 percent chance of landing a top-3 pick. If there is any shakeup in the lottery it could be New Orleans moving up to snag one of the top picks, but still the odds don't suggest they will.

5. Sacramento Kings - 7.6%

The Kings have a 1-in-4 shot at landing a top-3 pick, but if that doesn't work out they will most likely be rounding out the top 5.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets) - 7.5%

The Trail Blazers will only keep this pick if it lands outside of the top 3, otherwise the Brooklyn Nets will lay claim to it. 

7. Golden State Warriors - 3.6%

Golden State's chances of winning one of the top picks aren't looking too good, but they will have a fresh start next season playing across the bridge in San Francisco.

8. Toronto Raptors - 3.5%

Toronto is sure to wind up somewhere around No. 8 this summer, as they only have 35 combinations and a 12.3 percent chance of landing a top-3 pick. 

9. Detroit Pistons - 1.7%

Detroit has little more than a 6 percent shot at landing the top pick in 2012. The good news for the Pistons is that there is still value picking in the top 10.

10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves) - 1.1%

The Hornets will have two lottery picks thanks to a swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are happy to be out of the lottery, but not out of the playoffs.

11. Portland Trail Blazers - 0.8%

Portland drafted Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick in 2007, and that pick has haunted them ever since. Perhaps they can change the culture with their second lottery pick in 2012. 

12. Milwaukee Bucks - 0.7%

The last time the Bucks drafted first overall was in 2005 when they took big man Andrew Bogut. Bogut plays for Golden State now, while Milwaukee is still drafting in the lottery. 

13. Phoenix Suns - 0.6%

Phoenix will pick in the late lottery for the second consecutive season after missing the playoffs for two straight years for the first time since the late 1980s. The Suns will likely target a point guard in case two-time MVP Steve Nash leaves to sign elsewhere this summer. 

14. Houston Rockets - 0.5%

The Rockets haven't had a No. 1 overall pick since 2002, when they drafted Yao Ming. Unfortunately for Clutch City, their chances of winning the lottery are the worst of the 14 teams. 

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