The new odds in the 2019 NBA Draft created a ton of intriguing outcomes. Who benefitted the best or worst from the results?
Coming into the 2019 NBA Draft lottery, there were a lot of intrigue on how the new rules regarding the odds work. Before this year, the teams with the worst records had much better odds of landing in the top three spots than those before them. That changed this time around, with those at the very bottom not having much of an advantage.
That turned out to be true – unfortunately for the very worst teams such as Phoenix, Cleveland, and Chicago. These three franchises all dropped several spots and won’t be able to grab the projected top-3 picks; Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett.
But others benefitted, including the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite having just a 6% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, the ping pong balls fell their way for the first time since landing Anthony Davis in 2012. The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers also moved up a few spots for a more advantageous situation for their respective situations.
The results had a big effect not only on the teams in the lottery but essentially around the league with free agency coming soon. And for the NCAA Basketball players involved in the draft, some are expected to rise or fall based on where the teams drew.
There are obvious winners and losers but here’s a specific look at who really gained or lost from these results, with the impact potentially spanning longterm.