While a few contenders are still battling for the chance to win the 2019 NBA championship, the rebuilding teams are hoping to land the No. 1 overall pick and select a franchise-changing talent.
Duke star Zion Williamson is essentially a lock for the top spot at the 2019 NBA Draft, as he is arguably the best college prospect since Anthony Davis. Fellow Blue Devil RJ Barrett and Murray State stud Ja Morant are terrific options and should land somewhere in the top five, but this tanking war was all about Zion.
MORE: Zion Williamson's best (and worst) possible landing spots
Being the biggest loser is different this time around, though. The odds have shifted significantly ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft lottery, and that could lead to a chaotic evening when the ping pong balls start bouncing.
If you've got lottery questions, don't worry — we've got answers. Here is everything you need to know about the the 2019 NBA Draft lottery before deputy commissioner Mark Tatum reveals the order of the top 14 picks.
When is the 2019 NBA Draft lottery?
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Watch ESPN
The NBA Draft lottery drawing will take place Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago. The 2019 NBA Draft combine will also take place in Chicago from May 14-19.
The NBA Draft early-entry withdrawal deadline is June 10 (5 p.m. ET). The 2019 NBA Draft begins June 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
2019 NBA Draft lottery odds
Prior to this year, the odds of winning the lottery started with 25 percent for the worst team, 19.9 percent for the second-worst team and 15.6 percent for the third-worst team. Under the 2019 format, the three worst teams (Knicks, Cavaliers and Suns) will each have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery. The team with the worst overall record will drop no lower than fifth in the draft order.
Here are each team's lottery odds with the percent chance to land each pick.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | AVG |
| Knicks | 14.0 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 47.9 | 3.7 | |||||||||
| Cavaliers | 14.0 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 27.8 | 20.1 | 3.9 | ||||||||
| Suns | 14.0 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 14.8 | 26.0 | 7.1 | 4.1 | |||||||
| Bulls | 12.5 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 11.4 | 7.2 | 25.7 | 16.8 | 2.2 | 4.4 | ||||||
| Hawks | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 8.8 | 0.6 | 5.0 | |||||
| Wizards | 9.0 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 8.6 | 29.6 | 20.6 | 3.8 | 0.2 | 5.5 | |||||
| Pelicans | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 19.7 | 37.2 | 15.1 | 1.6 | >0.0 | 6.6 | |||||
| Grizzlies | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 31.2 | 34.1 | 8.0 | 0.5 | >0.0 | 7.1 | |||||
| Mavericks | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 46.4 | 24.3 | 2.9 | 0.1 | >0.0 | 7.6 | |||||
| Timberwolves | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 65.9 | 18.9 | 1.2 | >0.0 | >0.0 | 9.2 | |||||
| Lakers | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 77.6 | 12.6 | 0.4 | >0.0 | 10.3 | ||||||
| Hornets | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 86.1 | 9.0 | 0.2 | 11.6 | |||||||
| Heat | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 90.6 | 4.6 | 12.6 | ||||||||
| Kings | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 95.2 | 13.5 |
2019 NBA Draft lottery potential pick swaps
- The Mavericks owe a first-round pick to the Hawks (Nos. 1-5 protected).
- The Kings owe a first-round pick to the Celtics (No. 1 overall protected). If the pick is No. 1 overall, it would go to the 76ers.
- The Grizzlies owe a first-round pick to the Celtics (Nos. 1-8 protected).
2019 NBA mock draft from SN's Sean Deveney
In SN's most recent Mock Draft, the Knicks made the no-brainer pick with Williamson at No. 1 overall, but the Cavaliers decided to take Barrett over Morant with the second pick. That played out perfectly for the Suns, a team in desperate need of a starting point guard to pair with Devin Booker.
If New York does win the lottery, the biggest question could be whether the Knicks keep the top pick or use it in a blockbuster trade. With the Pelicans likely looking to deal Anthony Davis this offseason, that selection could be the best asset available in the eyes of New Orleans' new executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.
Here are the first five picks in our latest NBA mock draft, plus a link below to the entire first round:
1. Knicks — Zion Williamson, F, Duke
2. Cavaliers — RJ Barrett, SG, Duke
3. Suns — Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
4. Bulls — Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
5. Hawks — Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
Check out the rest of the mock draft here.
2019 NBA Draft lottery team representatives
Here are the representatives who will appear on stage for each lottery team. (The Celtics and 76ers will have representatives in attendance because of the potential pick swap with the Kings.)
| Team | Representative | Position |
| Knicks | Patrick Ewing | Knicks alumni |
| Cavaliers | Nick Gilbert | Son of team owner |
| Suns | Deandre Ayton | Current player |
| Bulls | Horace Grant | Special advisor to team president and COO |
| Hawks | Jami Gertz | Team ownership group |
| Wizards | Raul Fernandez | Vice chairman |
| Pelicans | David Griffin | Executive vice president of basketball operations |
| Grizzlies | Elliot Perry | Minority owner and director of player support |
| Mavericks | Cynthia Marshall | CEO |
| Timberwolves | Gersson Rosas | President of basketball operations |
| Lakers | Kyle Kuzma | Current player |
| Hornets | James Borrego | Head coach |
| Heat | Alonzo Mourning | Vice president of player programs |
| Celtics | Rich Gotham | President |
| 76ers | Chris Heck | President |
