NBA Draft Lottery Winners and Losers

Read Time:4 Minute, 12 Second

On Tuesday night, the NBA held its draft lottery ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft. Three teams headed into the lottery with the best odds of claiming the first overall pick. The Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons all went into the lottery with a 14.00% chance of claiming the first overall pick. Right behind those three teams, Oklahoma City had a 12.50% chance of taking the pick. At the end of the night, the Sacramento Kings claimed the four overall pick, Houston had the third, Oklahoma City the second, and Orlando took the first overall pick. With several changes happening during the lottery, there were plenty of winners and plenty of losers.

Portland Trailblazers- Loser

During the 2021-22 season, the Portland Trailblazers took their first step at a slight rebuild around All-Star guard Damian Lillard. The first key move that was made was trading guard CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans. McCollum flourished with the Pelicans during the second half of the season while Damian Lillard sat out due to an abdomen injury and the Blazers fell to 13th in the Western Conference. The team had the sixth-best odds of taking the first overall draft pick but ended up falling to the seventh overall draft pick. The disappointment on Damian Lillard’s face could be seen following the announcement. While the team is still in the top half of the lottery, they won’t have a chance at one of the potential franchise-altering players expected to be selected with the top few picks. With frustrations growing for Damian Lillard and Portland, the draft pick dropping is the latest hit to the franchise.

Oklahoma City Thunder- Winner

While some question Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti for what he has done in the last handful of seasons, many are in awe of what he has done for the Thunder’s future. Between the 2022 NBA Draft and the 2028 draft, OKC has 19 first-round picks including three this season and four more next season. Moving up to the second overall draft pick, the Thunder will be able to draft a franchise-altering player. With big men Jabari Smith of Auburn and Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga expected to go first and second overall, OKC will add a great piece no matter who the Orlando Magic select first overall. With several mock drafts having Chet Holmgren going to the Thunder, the Gonzaga big man would pair nicely alongside 2021 draft pick Josh Giddy and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City may not take a huge step next season, but the second overall draft pick will play a significant role in the growth of the team.

Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers- Losers

Trades from the past have come back to haunt both teams. Due to the 2019 Paul George trade, the Thunder acquired the Clippers 2022 first-round draft pick, along with four other first-round draft picks. Due to the Clippers missing Kawhi Leonard all season, missing George for chunks of the season, and underperforming when both were out, the Clippers ended up in the draft lottery. While the team may not have predicted they would be in the lottery this season, that pick could’ve added a piece to their bench without spending too much money. The same thing could be said for the Los Angeles Lakers. All three stars missed time over the course of the season and the team underperformed, finishing 11th in the West and only winning 33 games. The pick would’ve been quite helpful for the Lakers who are limited by the cap. Instead, that pick (one of four future first-round picks) will go to the New Orleans Pelicans, a part of the 2019 trade that landed the Lakers Anthony Davis. New Orleans can choose to either add a piece to their already promising roster that put up a fight in the playoffs or use that draft pick to trade for another piece to improve their roster.

Houston Rockets- Winner

While the Houston Rockets did fall to the third draft pick, they are still winners. Looking at the time they currently have, they were able to impress at times during the NBA season. Jalen Green had a great rookie season in Houston and is going to continue to grow. Alperen Sengun also had a solid season at the center position. Kevin Porter Jr and Christian wood both had their moments during the season as well. While it’s likely the Rockets will not get Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren, Duke forward Paolo Banchero is a great draft option for the team. The ACC rookie of the year averaged over 17.0 PPG and almost 8.0 RPG. Adding him to the Rockets will help in forming the core of the future for Houston. There is no doubt that Banchero will be a star in the league and Houston is a great place for him to develop at the pro level.