The 2022 NBA Draft lottery is around the corner with 14 teams hoping the ping-pong balls bounce their way to land them the No. 1 overall pick. Of course, the top four slots in the NBA Draft order are all up for grabs thanks to the lottery system.
We’ve seen plenty of changes to the NBA lottery system in recent years to combat tanking. Before the 2019 NBA Draft, the league implemented a new system with the bottom three teams each having a 14% shot at winning the top pick. In that same year, the number of teams selected in the draft lottery increased from three to four.
While there is no superstar available in the 2022 draft class, the NBA Draft lottery is important for another reason. There is a divide among teams regarding who is the best player available, meaning the results on May 17 will have a huge impact on who is picked No. 1 overall.
Related: NBA games today – Full offseason schedule, including start of NBA free agency
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA Draft lottery.
When is the NBA Draft lottery 2022?
The NBA Draft lottery is on Tuesday, May 17. We likely won’t know the results until after 8:00 PM EST, with much of the TV programming dedicated to the potential outcomes and discussions about the top prospects.
- When: Tuesday, May 17 at 8 PM EST
Related: NBA mock draft – Top prospects, top landing spots
How to watch the NBA Draft lottery
ESPN will air the draft lottery with coverage starting at 8 PM EST. It can also be streamed on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
- TV: ESPN, ESPN+, fubo TV, YouTube TV
2022 NBA Draft lottery odds
Here are the lottery odds for the 2022 NBA Draft, with the percentage likelihood listed for the top teams.
- Houston Rockets draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 14%
- 2nd pick: 13.4%
- 3rd pick: 12.7%
- 4th pick: 12%
- 5th pick: 47.9%
- Orlando Magic draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 14%
- 2nd pick: 13.4%
- 3rd pick: 12.7%
- 4th pick: 12%
- 5th pick: 27.8%
- 6th pick: 20%
- Detroit Pistons draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 14%
- 2nd pick: 13.4%
- 3rd pick: 12.7%
- 4th pick 12%
- 5th pick: 14.8%
- 6th pick: 26%
- 7th pick: 7%
- Oklahoma City Thunder draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 12.5%
- 2nd pick:: 12.2%
- 3rd pick: 11.9%
- 4th pick: 11.5%
- 5th pick: 7.2%
- 6th pick: 25.7%
- 7th pick: 16.7%
- 8th pick: 2.2%
- NOTE: The Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-’14) and Orlando Magic (1992-’93) are the only NBA teams to consecutively win the NBA Draft lottery.
- Indiana Pacers draft lottery odds:
- 1st pick: 10.5%
- 2nd pick: 10.5%
- 3rd pick: 10.6%
- 4th pick: 10.5%
- 5th pick: 2.2%
- 6th pick: 19.6%
- 7th pick: 26.7%
- 8th pick: 8.7%
- Portland Trail Blazers draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 9%
- 2nd pick: 9.2%
- 3rd pick: 9.4%
- 4th pick: 9.6%
- 6th pick: 8.6%
- 7th pick: 29.8%
- 8th pick: 20.5%
- 9th pick: 3.7%
- Sacramento Kings draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 7.5%
- 2nd pick: 7.8%
- 3rd pick: 8.1%
- 4th pick: 8.5%
- 7th pick: 19.7%
- 8th pick: 34.1%
- New Orleans Pelicans lottery odds (via LAL)
- 1st pick: 6%
- 2nd pick: 6.3%
- 3rd pick: 6.7%
- 4th pick: 7.2%
- 8th pick: 34.1%
- 9th pick: 32.1%
- NOTE: The New Orleans Pelicans acquired the Lakers’ first-round pick as a result of the Anthony Davis trade. It has no pick protections.
- San Antonio Spurs draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 4.5%
- 2nd pick: 4.8%
- 3rd pick: 5.2%
- 4th pick: 5.7%
- 9th pick: 50.7%
- 10th pick: 25.9%
- Washington Wizards draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 3%
- 2nd pick: 3.3%
- 3rd pick: 3.6%
- 4th pick: 4%
- 10th pick: 65.9%
- 11th pick: 19%
- New York Knicks draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 2%
- 2nd pick: 2.2%
- 3rd pick: 2.4%
- 4th pick: 2.8%
- 11th pick: 77.6%
- 12th pick: 12.6%
- Thunder lottery odds (via LAC)
- 1st pick: 1.5%
- 2nd pick: 1.7%
- 3rd pick: 1.9%
- 4th pick: 2.1%
- Charlotte Hornets draft lottery odds
- 1st pick: 1%
- 2nd pick: 1.1%
- 3rd pick: 1.2%
- 4th pick: 1.4%
- 13th pick: 92.9%
- Cleveland Cavaliers draft odds
- 1st pick: 0.5%
- 2nd pick: 0.6%
- 3rd pick: 0.6%
- 4th pick: 0.7%
Who are the top NBA prospects available?
There isn’t a clear consensus for the best prospect in the 2022 draft class, with debate split between Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Duke forward Paolo Banchero. It makes the NBA Draft lottery even more meaningful because it will truly shape who will be the No.1 pick.
If the Rockets win the draft lottery, Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren would likely be the No. 1 pick. Holmgren would also likely be the No. 1 pick if the Oklahoma City Thunder or Indiana Pacers win the NBA Draft lottery. Detroit landing the first pick in consecutive years would be beneficial for Smith or Paolo Banchero being drafted at No.1
How does the NBA Draft lottery work?
The NBA Draft lottery is an annual event held to determine the draft order for the upcoming NBA Draft. It started in 1985 as a means of decreasing the incentive for teams to lose intentionally, making it so the team with the worst record wasn’t guaranteed the No. 1 pick.
As detailed by NBA.com, the draft lottery is actually conducted in a private room with representatives for each of the 14 teams that didn’t make the NBA playoffs in attendance. Using a lottery machine with 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14, an NBA official draws out numbers four times. The lottery machine runs for 20 seconds before the first ball is removed, then the ping-pong balls are mixed for another 10 seconds before the second ball is taken out. The process repeats for the third and fourth ball.
There are 1,001 potential combinations and teams with the highest odds have the highest number of outcomes in their favor. Once four numbers are drawn, the team with that four-digit combination is awarded the No.1 pick. After that, the process starts all over again to determine the second, third and fourth overall picks. The remainder of the draft order is determined by the reverse NBA standings.
On live television, NBA fans see the order determined when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum opens an envelope, starting with the 14th pick and announcing each spot individually.
When is the 2022 NBA Draft?
The 2022 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Who won the draft lottery last year?
The Detroit Pistons won the 2021 NBA Draft lottery. They finished with the second-worst record in the NBA that year, earning a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. With the first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pistons selected guard Cade Cunningham.
