NBA Draft 2020: Biggest winners and losers from the Draft Lottery

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects Coby White, Zion Williamson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Ja Morant and De'Andre Hunter stand on stage with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver prepares to announce the third overall pick by the New York Knicks during the 2019 NBA Draft (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

The 2020 NBA Draft order is officially set following Thursday’s lottery drawing, and there are plenty of takeaways. Who are the biggest winners and losers?

Thursday’s 2020 NBA Draft Lottery is officially in the books and it will safely go down as one of the more peculiar evenings in league history. It occurred deep into the summer months at a remote location where team representatives Zoomed in to see whether their organization would receive a bit of favorable lottery luck (a few did!) or another year of woeful misfortune (we all know who did!) at the whim of a few numbered ping pong balls.

Steph Curry debuted a fresh set of cornrows, D’Angelo Russell had some animal friends chirping during his interview, and various team executives didn’t bother hiding their displeasure when the broadcast focused on them. But most importantly, the official lottery order was revealed, with Minnesota jumping to the top for the first time since 2015. (Parentheses indicate change between pre- and post-lottery standings.)

1. Minnesota Timberwolves (+2)
2. Golden State Warriors (-1)
3. Charlotte Hornets (+5)
4. Chicago Bulls (+3)
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (-3)
6. Atlanta Hawks (-2)
7. Detroit Pistons (-2)
8. New York Knicks (-2)
9. Washington Wizards
10. Phoenix Suns
11. San Antonio Spurs
12. Sacramento Kings
13. New Orleans Pelicans
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis)

The Timberwolves took the top spot, Charlotte and Chicago jumped into the top four, and several teams slid from their pre-lottery standings. With the draft order officially set, we’re getting a clearer idea of what to expect when the draft finally arrives — whether that’s in October or even later in the fall, should the NBA and NBPA agree to delay the offseason to hammer out important fiscal issues.

Nevertheless, the night had plenty of winners and losers. Let’s look at some of the biggest of each.

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