ONE of the biggest events on the basketball calendar took place overnight, with the National Basketball Association (NBA) holding its Draft Lottery to determine the order of the first half of the first round of the draft.
The teams that missed out on postseason action turn their attention to the draft, and last night ensured another shock result in terms of the order of selections.
Despite having just a three per cent chance of securing the top pick, the Atlanta Hawks will be selecting first on draft night, shooting up the order in a stunning result. The Hawks were not one of the worst sides throughout the 2023/24 NBA season, and even made the play-in tournament, but could not secure a spot in the playoffs.
However, it could not have been a better outcome for Atlanta, who will now get to add the best player of the 2024 draft class to their already impressive roster. That could be recent NBL Next Star Alexandre Sarr, who is looming as a potential number one pick after an outstanding season with the Perth Wildcats. He could be a future star for the Hawks, pairing well with the duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray if Atlanta opts to keep the backcourt together.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards will have their highest selection since 2010 after securing the second overall pick, while the Houston Rockets will be able to add to their promising roster with the final selection in the top three.
The Detroit Pistons will consider themselves as the unlucky side when it comes to draft positioning, falling down to the fifth pick after having the best odds of snagging the first overall selection. This has happened to no team in NBA history, but the Pistons have suffered this fate two years in a row, after being the most likely to be given pick one for the fourth consecutive year.
The NBA Draft will take place on June 26-27. Stay tuned to Rookie Me Central for plenty of coverage in the build up.
2024 NBA Draft Order
1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston Rockets)
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers (via Golden State Warriors)
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