The NBA will hold its annual draft lottery Monday night, revealing which team will have the No. 1 pick in June’s draft.
This year’s lottery (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) is of particular interest because of Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg, who is the consensus best prospect in the draft after being the No. 1 overall recruit in the high school class of 2024.
Flagg played 37 games in his lone season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists a night, and helping lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four.
Flagg also has national team experience, being named to the All-Tournament team after the United States won the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. In 2024, Flagg was named to the USA Select Team, which practiced with the men’s national team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Who has the best chance to win the top pick and select Flagg? Here are the odds:
- Utah Jazz: 14%
- Washington Wizards: 14%
- Charlotte Hornets: 14%
- New Orleans Pelicans: 12.5%
- Philadelphia 76ers: 10.5%
- Brooklyn Nets: 9%
- Toronto Raptors: 7.5%
- San Antonio Spurs: 6%
- Houston Rockets (pick via Phoenix Suns): 3.8%
- Portland Trail Blazers: 3.7%
- Dallas Mavericks: 1.8%
- Chicago Bulls: 1.7%
- Sacramento Kings: 0.8%
- San Antonio Spurs (pick via Atlanta Hawks): 0.7%
The 76ers’ pick is top-six protected, meaning Philadelphia will only keep the selection if it lands in the first six picks of the draft. Otherwise, the 76ers’ pick will be sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a previous trade.
The Kings’ pick is top-12 protected, and will otherwise convey to the Atlanta Hawks.
Other prospects to keep an eye on include Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and his college teammate Ace Bailey. Most mock drafts expect Harper and Bailey to be selected second and third (in some order) after Flagg.
Two of Flagg’s Blue Devils teammates, guard Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach, are also expected to be lottery picks.
The Hornets, Wizards and Jazz are the teams who most desperately need Flagg.
Utah has not made the postseason in three years. Washington has not made the playoffs since 2021 and has won only one playoff round since 2015.
The Hornets, meanwhile, have won only three postseason games since 2004.
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