The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery: What You Need to Know

The NBA draft lottery is a big deal for teams that didn't make the playoffs. It's a chance for them to improve their roster by picking high in the draft. The 2025 draft lottery will happen on May 12 in Chicago. Fans can watch it on ESPN at 7 p. m. ET. The 14 teams that missed the playoffs will be in the mix. These teams include the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, and more from both the Eastern and Western Conferences. The odds for each team are based on their regular-season records. The team with the worst record, the Utah Jazz, has the best chance at the No. 1 pick, with a 14% chance. The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets also have a 14% chance. The odds decrease for teams with better records. For example, the Sacramento Kings have a 0. 8% chance, and the Atlanta Hawks have a 0. 7% chance. Some teams have traded their picks, so the actual team picking might be different. The lottery process is pretty straightforward. Fourteen balls are mixed in a machine, and four balls are drawn. The combinations of these balls determine the first four picks. The remaining teams pick in order of their records. An accountant from Ernst & Young oversees the process to ensure it's fair. Before the lottery, each team is assigned a combination of balls. The team that matches the drawn combination gets the No. 1 pick. This process is repeated for the next three picks. Before the lottery, teams had a different way of deciding the draft order. From 1966 to 1984, the team with the worst record in each conference flipped a coin for the No. 1 pick. The losing team got the No. 2 pick, and the rest picked based on their records. The lottery system changed that, making it more exciting and unpredictable. The 2025 NBA draft will happen on June 25-26 in Brooklyn. The first round will be on June 25, and the second round on June 26. Fans can watch it on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app. ESPN Radio will also cover both rounds. The draft is a big event where teams can add new talent to their rosters. Some prospects are already being talked about as top picks. ESPN experts have their eyes on a few players who could go in the top five. Looking back, some teams have had great luck in the draft lottery. The Atlanta Hawks got Zaccharie Risacher in 2024, and the San Antonio Spurs picked Victor Wembanyama in 2023. Other notable picks include Zion Williamson in 2019 and LeBron James in 2003. These players have made a big impact on the league. The draft lottery is a chance for teams to change their fortunes and become contenders. It's a night full of hope and excitement for fans and teams alike.