According to the official NBA Draft explainer, the NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 14, 2019 in Chicago. During the event and ESPN broadcast of the Draft Lottery, determines at 8:30 p.m. ET., the league will figure out the order in which NBA teams will choose players for the NBA Draft.
Keep in mind this is the NBA Draft Lottery, not the actual NBA Draft. This draft lottery determines the draft order that teams will pick their players. The 14 teams that didn’t make the NBA Playoffs will comprise the first 14 picks known as the Lottery portion of the draft. The show will have a drawing to determine the exact order. These are the 14 NBA franchises eligible for the 2019 draft lottery and their chances at the #1 pick for the 2019 NBA Draft:
| Team | Lottery Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 14.00% |
| Cleveland Cavs | 14.00% |
| Phoenix Suns | 14.00% |
| Chicago Bulls | 12.50% |
| Atlanta Hawks | 10.50% |
| Washington Wizards | 9.00% |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 6.00% |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 6.00% |
| Dallas Mavericks | 6.00% |
| Minnesota Wolves | 3.00% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 2.00% |
| Charlotte Hornets | 1.00% |
| Miami Heat | 1.00% |
| Sacramento Kings | 1.00% |
The Path to Zion
We refer to the #1 pick generally, out of respect to the other prospects and the fact that anything can happen between now and the actual first selection, but the consensus is that Duke phenom Zion Williamson will be the #1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. So basically, we’ll know which team will be selecting Williamson by late evening on May 14th.
With 14% the Knicks, along with the Cavs and Suns, have the highest probability of having Zion suit up in their jerseys for the next season. Needless to say, the idea of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson in a Knicks uniform for the 2019-20 season has New York City abuzz.
At worst, the Suns, Cavs and Knicks are guaranteed no lower than the #5 pick according to recent changes made by the NBA Board of Governors. Prior to that change, the team with the worst record would pick no lower than fourth. The Draft order for the remainder of the first round of the Draft (#15 thru #30) and the entire second round (No. 30-60) will be set by reverse order of regular season record. Typically, each NBA franchise gets one pick in both the first and second rounds barring trades, etc.
The 2019 NBA Draft will take place a month later on Thursday, June 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. ESPN’s live coverage of the NBA Draft will begin at 7 p.m. E.T.
