There may not be a consensus generational talent like Victor Wembanyama projected to go No. 1 overall this year, but that doesn’t mean the biggest winners of the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery can’t end up with an All-NBA-level player.
While we won’t know the true winners and losers from the 2024 NBA Draft until at least a few years from now, some teams had a little bit more luck than others on Sunday. Here are the biggest immediate winners and losers from this year’s NBA Draft Lottery.
Winner: Houston Rockets
The James Harden trade delivered the Rockets a top-five pick. When Harden was traded to Brooklyn from Houston, the Nets sent their 2024 first-round pick to the Rockets. This pick was supposed to be the ninth selection, but Houston got very lucky, moving all the way up to No. 3 in Sunday’s lottery. Now Houston is set to have a top-five pick for the fourth year in a row, giving them a great chance to add even more talent to an already deep roster.
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Loser: Toronto Raptors
Knowing they weren’t ready to contend for a ring, the Raptors started selling off their top talent in an effort to quickly retool. Toronto was supposed to have the sixth overall pick, but since two others jumped ahead in the lottery, the Raptors fell to eighth. Yet, Toronto’s pick will actually head to San Antonio, stemming from the Jakob Poelttl trade, which was only top-six protected. Now the Raptors only have the 19th pick in the first round this year.
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Winner: Victor Wembanyama
We already had a feeling that the Spurs would get Victor Wembanyama a true running mate to help elevate San Antonio into a playoff contender, but we expected it to happen via trade. But getting the fourth overall pick too? That feels like robbery.
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Loser: Portland Trail Blazers
A year after trading the face of their franchise, the Portland Trail Blazers are still searching for a new identity. Falling to the seventh pick instead of standing pat with the fourth pick feels like a big loss for Portland. It only places more pressure on this front office to find a future star.
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Winner: San Antonio Spurs
Not only does Gregg Popovich already have one of the brightest superstars in the NBA in Wembanyama, now he’ll have the chance to mold another top-five pick on the same timeline. If the Spurs get this one right, they could have two stars for a decade-plus, putting them right back on the championship path.
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Loser: Utah Jazz
After falling to the back of the Western Conference pack, the Jazz entered with the eighth-best odds of winning the lottery. Not only did Utah not win, they saw two other teams behind them jump ahead, leaving the Jazz with the 10th pick instead of the eighth or higher. For a team that’s still searching for a complementary star to pair with Lauri Markkanen, moving to the back half of the lottery is unfortunate.
Winner: Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are in desperate need of injecting top-tier talent onto their roster after a 15-win season. Coming into the day with the second-best odds, Washington’s fate could have gone either way. Yet, the Wizards stuck right where they belonged, earning the second overall pick. Now they’ll have a chance to take one of the very best prospects available.
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Loser: Charlotte Hornets
Coming into the NBA Draft lotto with the third-best odds, the Charlotte Hornets had hopes of finding another franchise cornerstone to pair with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but slipping to sixth isn’t what anyone in Buzz City had in mind. Now the front office will have to work even harder to identify a top prospect who fits their needs.
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Winner: Atlanta Hawks
Not bad. The Atlanta Hawks have won the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history. This is a massive win for a Hawks team that ended the year feeling like they needed to make massive changes. While there isn’t a consensus top prospect, if the Hawks believe in their process, they could uncover a gem that transcends their franchise in due time.
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Loser: Detroit Pistons
If there was a team that needed some lotto luck more than anyone else, it’s the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately, the Pistons have finished with the worst record in the NBA in each of the past two seasons, but they haven’t won the top pick in either year. Now slipping to fifth instead of first, the Pistons better hope one of their favorite prospects falls.
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