Fourteen teams enter the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery vying to win the top pick, but all 30 teams have a vested interest in the results.
Although the OKC Thunder aren’t part of the festivities in tonight’s 2017 NBA Draft Lottery there is still ample reason to pay attention.
The Thunder have known since season end they’ll have the 21st pick on June 22, in Chicago. If the question on the tip of your tongue is why would the Thunder care about these 14 lottery teams. The answer is there is multiple reasons for Sam Presti and the brain trust to pay avid attention.
Sam Presti’s Magic 2016 Draft:
Firstly, let’s return to last season’s draft. In the 2016 draft the OKC Thunder entered without a pick in either the first or second round. Yet, by night’s end Sam Presti walked away with a lottery selected prospect: Domantas Sabonis. In a trade that sent Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic in exchange for 11th overall pick Sabonis in addition to Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova,
Suffice to say, having a lottery pick, later draft pick or no picks at all does nothing to preclude activity on draft night. So, understandably Thunder fans should be just as interested in where those balls fall tonight as they would be should OKC be among the teams in play.
Presti has a history of not liking to take big risks in assets scheduled for free agency. Aside from players like Kevin Durant who was the exception to his normal tendency (and an understandable one). Even recalling the exits of James Harden and Serge Ibaka it punctuates Presti’s practice of either locking down a player or moving them for assets.
2016 NBA Draft Lottery Odds:
The draft itself takes place tonight (Tuesday, May 16) at 8:00 p.m. EST airing on ESPN.nationally. There are 14 teams aiming to land the coveted top spot which will likely translate into one of top point guard prospects Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball.
Lottery Drama:
Several story lines offer extenuating fodder entering the night:
Nail Biting Time for Lakers:
The Lakers have close to a 50 percent (46.9) chance of collecting one of the desirable top three picks. The problem is if the ping pong ball falls into a spot higher than three the Lakers must hand over the pick to the 756ers. This due to the almost forgotten trade which brought former 2-time MVP Steve Nash to LA from Phoenix. Subsequent trades landed one of the picks traded for Nash in Philly’s hands. The resulting effect is LA has to nab a top three spot or lose it. Expect Magic Johnson, Jeanie Buss and Luke Walton to be pulling out every superstitious lucky charm at their disposal.
Celtics Odd Situation:
In the trade that just keeps on giving (and has General Managers hesitant to ever work with the NBA’s version of Shylock: Danny Ainge) the Boston Celtics once again hold the Brooklyn Nets pick. This for the trade that sent two retirees (Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce) and 40-year old Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Ironically, while the Nets finished the season as the worst squad the Celtics prepare to tip-off in the Eastern Conference Finals tomorrow night.
End of the Process:
With Sam Hinkie and his process finally paying dividends the 76ers return once more to the lottery with the fourth best odds (and the Laker asterisk pick).
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Emulating 2014 Rarity:
Some teams who perpetually visit the lottery sure could use a Cavaliers 2014 -esque lucky bounce. Recalling the night which inevitably landed Andre Wiggins (Kevin Love) the Cavaliers had only a 1.8 percent chance of landing the top pick and were expected to get the eighth pick. To put this in perspective it would equate to the Mavericks or Sacramento nabbing the top pick.
29 Teams Are Afraid This Will Happen:
With the already loaded youthful core in Minnesota the fact they won a coin toss to give them the sixth best odds (over losing coin toss partner New York Knicks) is likely to have many GM’s a little frantic at the prospect of adding yet another star to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.
Lottery Night tends to go as planned though few top ranked teams end up with the top spot. What we won’t know until shortly after 8:00 p.m. EST is who owns the top pick. But, what we do know is Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder brain trust will begin their efforts immediately after the announcement to determine what magic can be delivered on June 22, 2017.