2019 NBA Draft Lottery: Full Odds and Teams with Most at Stake
The top half of the 2019 NBA draft selection order will be determined Tuesday night.
The main takeaway from the draft lottery will be which team lands the No. 1 overall pick and the right to draft Zion Williamson on June 20. Each of the teams entered into the lottery would love to have the Duke phenom on their roster, but there are a few franchises who need him more than others.
Tuesday marks the first time the new lottery rules will be in effect. New York, Cleveland and Phoenix all have a 14 percent chance to earn the top pick, while Chicago and Atlanta have odds of over 10 percent.
NBA Draft Lottery Odds
New York (14%)
Cleveland (14%)
Phoenix (14%)
Chicago (12.5%)
Atlanta (10.5%)
Washington (9%)
New Orleans (6%)
Memphis (6%)
Dallas (6%)
Minnesota (3%)
Los Angeles Lakers (2%)
Charlotte (1%)
Miami (1%)
Sacramento (1%)
Memphis' pick will be conveyed to Boston if it lands outside of the top eight.
Dallas' selection will be conveyed to Atlanta if it falls out of the top five.
Sacramento's pick goes to Boston, unless the Kings win the lottery. In that case, Philadelphia will possess the No. 1 selection.
Teams with Most at Stake
New York Knicks
This summer could be boom-or-bust for the New York Knicks.
The start of what could be a successful offseason comes Tuesday, as the Knicks are one of three teams with the best odds to earn the No. 1 pick.
Adding a generational talent in Williamson to package with a few free-agent signings could pull the franchise out of the Eastern Conference basement.
But there is no guarantee of marquee free agents coming to New York yet, which is why securing Williamson with the top pick is so important.
If the Knicks win the lottery, they could have Williamson and Kevin Knox to build around at minimum.
In the best-case scenario, free agents will become eager to play with Williamson. The worst-case scenario involves the Knicks landing anywhere from second to fifth in the draft order and hoping the marquee free agents see them as a team with potential.
The prospects beneath Williamson on the draft board are solid players in their own right, but none will be as marketable as the Duke freshman, who should be able to put more bodies in seats right away at Madison Square Garden.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago has a nice collection of players on its roster, but it needs an upgrade to pull itself out of the Eastern Conference basement. Earning the top pick from the lottery would be a significant boost to a franchise in one of the NBA's top markets.
If the Bulls add Williamson to a roster that includes Otto Porter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine, they should be able to make a run for a playoff position without spending a ton of money in free agency.
Of the teams with the best odds to secure the top pick, the Bulls and Knicks have the biggest need for a superstar to inject some life back into their respective franchises.
Phoenix has an impressive group of players that it has added through the draft, Cleveland still has Kevin Love and a budding young star in Collin Sexton, and Atlanta picked up its star in Trae Young a year ago.
If the Bulls stand pat at No. 4, they should be in the mix for Jarrett Culver, Cam Reddish or De'Andre Hunter.
While any one of those players will be solid additions, none of them will interject a fresh dose of excitement into a franchise that has gotten a bit stale in recent years like Williamson would.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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