Now that the regular season is over, we finally know which teams will be crossing their fingers in the hopes of landing a high draft pick.
This year’s draft class doesn’t have a Zion Williamson-level talent, but there are a few intriguing prospects available. Depending on the teams near the top of the draft board, picks could quickly turn into trade assets.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 NBA Draft lottery, including the latest odds for every team involved.
NBA DRAFT BIG BOARD: Ranking the top 60 prospects in 2020
When is the NBA Draft lottery in 2020?
Date: Aug. 20, 2020 Time: 8:30 p. m. ET TV: ESPN Stream: Watch ESPN app
The 2020 NBA Draft lottery drawing will be conducted virtually on Aug. 20 and shown on ESPN following the conclusion of Game 2 between the Bucks and Magic.
NBA Draft lottery odds 2020
Under the 2020 format, the three worst teams (Warriors, Cavaliers and Timberwolves) will each have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery. The team with the worst overall record (Warriors) will drop no lower than fifth in the draft order.
Here are each team’s lottery odds with the percent chance to land each pick (via Tankathon).
How does the NBA Draft lottery work?
The NBA Draft lottery will determine the order of the top four draft picks this year. After the first four teams are locked in, the rest of the lottery order goes by inverse regular-season record.
The actual lottery drawing procedure will occur before the ESPN broadcast, and the 2020 NBA Draft order will be announced shortly after.
Here’s the in-the-weeds explanation for the ping pong ball drawing method, straight from the NBA:
NBA mock draft 2020
SN’s mock draft following the suspension of play in March, curated by NBA Draft expert Chris Stone, takes a look at the top prospects in this year’s class.
The drawing process occurs in the following manner: All 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine and they are mixed for 20 seconds, and then the first ball is removed. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the third ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the fourth ball is drawn. The team that has been assigned that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated with the same ping-pong balls and lottery machine for the second through fourth picks.
If the same team comes up more than once, the result is discarded and another four-ball combination is selected. Also, if the one unassigned combination is drawn, the result is discarded and the balls are drawn again. The length of time the balls are mixed is monitored by a timekeeper who faces away from the machine and signals the machine operator after the appropriate amount of time has elapsed.
Here is Stone’s projected top five for this year’s draft:
Warriors — Anthony Edwards, Georgia Cavaliers — James Wiseman, Memphis Timberwolves — LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks — Isaac Okoro, Auburn Pistons — Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Check out the rest of Stone’s mock draft here.
2020 NBA Draft lottery team representatives
Here are the representatives who will appear on camera for each lottery team.
