When is the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The 2022-23 NBA regular season is in the books and the playoffs are underway, meaning the NBA Draft lottery is right around the corner.
This year's lottery holds a bit more weight than usual. French big man Victor Wembanyama is widely expected to go No. 1 overall and has been touted as the best prospect since LeBron James. The winner of the 2023 draft lottery will get the chance to add him to their team and drastically improve their franchise's long-term trajectory overnight.
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Here's everything you need to know about one of the more intriguing nights on the NBA calendar.
When is the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery?
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery is 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16. This event sets up the draft order for the 2023 NBA Draft one month later on Thursday, June 22.
What is the NBA Draft Lottery?
The NBA Draft Lottery is a process to determine the draft order for the non-playoff teams in the upcoming NBA Draft. Based on a team's record in the 2022-23 regular season, they receive odds to land certain picks in the draft.
The lottery will determine only the top four picks in the draft, meaning the team with the worst record this season (Detroit Pistons) is still guaranteed no worse than a top-five pick.
After the first four picks are revealed, the following picks from No. 5 through No. 14 will be selected by the inverse of the league standings.
How to watch or stream the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery:
Live coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery is provided by ESPN on Tuesday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
You can also stream the lottery on the ESPN or WatchESPN apps.
What are the Wizards' Lottery Odds?
The Wizards finished the regular season tied for the seventh-best odds at the No. 1 pick with the Indiana Pacers. A tiebreaker will later determine who lands in the No. 7 and No. 8 spots. Washington has a 6.8% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 29.4% chance at landing in the top four.
Related: 2023 NBA Mock Draft 8.0
2023 NBA Draft Lottery Probabilities:
1. Detroit Pistons (17-65) - 14%
T-2. San Antonio Spurs (22-60) - 14%
T-2. Houston Rockets (22-60) - 14%
4. Charlotte Hornets (27-55) - 12.5%
5. Portland Trail Blazers (33-49) - 10.5%
6. Orlando Magic (34-48) - 9%
7. Indiana Pacers (35-47) - 6.8%
8. Washington Wizards (35-47) - 6.7%
9. Utah Jazz (37-45) - 4.5%
10. Dallas Mavericks (38-44) - 3%
11. Orlando Magic (via Bulls) (40-42) - 1.8%
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) - 1.7%
13. Toronto Raptors (41-41) - 1%
14. New Orleans Pelicans (42-40) - 0.5%
