Those three teams have the same odds to win the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which will take place on June 23. The NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday will determine the order of the top 14 picks for the draft.
Could Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren be headed to the Motor City? Or will Duke’s Paolo Banchero make magical things happen in Orlando?
Here’s a guide to everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery, including the TV channel, start time and every team’s percentage odds to win the No. 1 overall pick.
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY: The biggest storylines to watch
What channel is the NBA Draft Lottery on?
TV channel: ESPN Live stream: Watch ESPN app, Sling TV
The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery can be watched on ESPN or streamed via the Watch ESPN app. You can also stream the broadcast live with Sling TV.
In addition to the lottery, viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA Playoff game live on SLING TV. With the SLING Orange Sports Extra package, get $10 off your first month now with access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT and NBATV. NBA Playoff games on ABC are simulcast on ESPN3, which is included with SLING Orange, available for $35 per month including $25 the first month for new subscribers.
MORE: Watch the NBA Playoffs on Sling TV (U.S. only)
What time is the NBA Draft Lottery in 2022?
Date: May 17, 2022 Time: 8 p. m. ET
The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery drawing will be conducted at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 17.
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 2022 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 Draft Lottery odds 2022
Under the 2022 format, the three worst teams (Rockets, Pistons and Magic) will each have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery.
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 are each team’s lottery odds with the percent chances to land each pick (via Tankathon):
*Pick will be conveyed to Grizzlies or Pelicans **Pick will be conveyed to Thunder
2022 NBA Draft Lottery team representatives
Here are the representatives who will appear on camera for each lottery team.
Who’s going to be the No. 1 pick at the 2022 NBA Draft?
Three players are considered to be in the running for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
Chet Holmgren: He averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game on 60.7 percent shooting from the field and 39.0 percent from 3-point range in his only season at Gonzaga. There are concerns about how his size will translate to the NBA as a 7-footer who weighs a slight 195 pounds, but he’s one of the most unique prospects we’ve seen in a long time.
Paolo Banchero: He proved to be an explosive scorer during his freshman season at Duke, pouring in 17.2 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting from the field. TSN’s Kyle Irving had him in the No. 1 spot in both his most recent big board and mock draft, calling him the “most NBA-ready prospect in this class.”
Jabari Smith Jr.: A 6-10 forward who averaged a near double-double (16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds) as a freshman at Auburn while connecting on 42.0 percent of his 3-point attempts, he’s the type of frontcourt player every team is looking to add.
The icing on the cake? Smith only turned 19 last week, making him one of the youngest players in this class.
Unlike recent drafts, there isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 pick. Which prospect is selected first could ultimately come down to which team wins the lottery.
