The Boston Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday with a Game 7 win over the Washington Wizards, and one day later, they have the best odds to earn the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
The Celtics’ 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets that sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Big Apple for a package that included a boatload of future first-round draft picks has been kind to Boston, especially this season. The C’s were the No. 1 seed in the East, but they’ll have a 25 percent chance at the top selection in the draft in June after the Nets finished with an NBA-worst 20-62 record.
Boston is in good standing even if the franchise doesn’t wind up with the No. 1 pick, with a 64 percent chance of landing in the top three in Tuesday’s draft lottery.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans only get to keep their first-rounders if they get a top-three pick. Otherwise, their selections go to the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings, respectively. The Lakers have a 47 percent chance of earning one of the first three picks, while the Pelicans sport longer odds at 4 percent.
Here are every team in the draft lottery’s chances of earning the No. 1 spot.
1. Celtics: 25 percent
2. Phoenix Suns: 19.9Â percent
3. Lakers: 15.6Â percent
4. Sixers: 11.9Â percent
5. Orlando Magic: 8.8Â percent
6. Minnesota Timberwolves: 5.3Â percent
7. New York Knicks: 5.3Â percent
8. Kings: 2.8 percent
9. Dallas Mavericks: 1.7Â percent
10. Pelicans: 1.1Â percent
11. Charlotte Hornets: 0.8Â percent
12. Detroit Pistons: 0.7Â percent
13. Denver Nuggets: 0.6Â percent
14. Miami Heat: 0.5Â percent
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
