NBA set to host lottery for 2023 draft

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Juliet Brown

The NBA Draft Lottery will air on ESPN Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.

The lottery decides what pick the worst 14 NBA teams will receive in the NBA Draft.  The bottom three teams each have a 14% chance at receiving the No. 1 draft pick. Each team after that up to 14 has an even slimmer chance at getting the No. 1 overall pick.  All 14 teams are given 4-digit combinations before the lottery starts.

At the actual lottery is where the drawing starts.

“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.” -NBA.com

There’s one representative from each of the 14 teams inside the drawing room. Former Alabama basketball player Collin Sexton is the representative for the Utah Jazz.

Once the lottery is over, the top 14 draft picks will be assigned a team. Once that is decided, Bama fans will have a good idea where former Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller will be end up because he’s a projected top three draft pick in this years NBA Draft. The actual draft is June 22 and starts at 7 p.m.