Following the conclusion of the 2022-23 regular season on Sunday, the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons are all tied for the best chance to land the top overall pick heading to the 2023 NBA Draft lottery.
Per the league’s draft rules, the three worst teams in a season will gain the best probability to obtain the top pick in the lottery. With this, San Antonio, Houston, and Detroit will gain a 14 percent chance each to land the number one selection.
Tallying the league’s worst record at 17-65, the Pistons are definitely lottery-bound for the second-straight year. Last 2021, they drew the magic ball that propelled them to choose Cade Cunningham for the first overall pick.
The Spurs, who entered their first full rebuild campaign this 2022-23, finished Sunday with a 22-60 record. The last time they possessed the top pick was back in 1997 when they were able to take Tim Duncan, who went on to become the franchise’s dynastic cornerstone that bannered them to five NBA titles.
And lastly, the Rockets also have an identical record with the Spurs but hold the tiebreaker which gives them the upper hand. The club has landed Jalen Green (Top 2) and Jabari Smith Jr. (Top 3) on their last two appearances in the lottery board, and are yet to strike the first pick since 2002 when they welcomed Yao Ming.
The result of the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft lottery is highly anticipated given that the generational prospect Victor Wembanyama is slated to bring his talents to enter the league. Besides the French wunderkind, other promising cagers in the likes of Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, and Amen Thompson, among others are set to be chosen.
This year’s draft lottery is set to take place on Tuesday, May 16.
