NBA DRAFT LOTERIA: Date, time, probabilities, format, history
The NBA Draft Lottery of 2025 will take place on Monday, May 12. Check the details about the format, the rules, the story and more.
Since 1985, the NBA has used a process similar to a lottery to determine the first selections of the annual league draft. From the 2019 NBA draft, the format guarantees that the team that ended the regular season with the worst record receives at least the fifth selection of that summer’s draft.
The current system guarantees that teams with The three worst records of the regular season are 14% likely to win the first selection.
Here are key data that you should know about The NBA draft lottery:
When and where will the NBA Draft lottery of the NBA of 2025 be held?
The NBA Draft Lottery of 2025 will be held on May 12 in Chicago.
What time does the NBA Draft lottery start 2025?
The coverage begins at 5 PM CDMX / 7 PM et in AM850 (in the US).
How can fans see it?
Fans can follow all the action on the NBA Streaming platform of AM850.
What teams will participate in the 2025 NBA draft lottery?
The 14 teams that did not reach the 2025 playoffs are eligible for the draft lottery.
East Conference: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards
West Conference: Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz
What are the current probabilities of the participating teams?
The probabilities of the 14 teams eligible for the draft lottery are the following:
Utah Jazz (17-65 record in 2024-25), 14%
Washington Wizards (18-64), 14%
Charlotte Hornets (19-63), 14%
New Orleans Pelicans (21-61), 12.5%
Philadelphia 76ers* (24-58), 10.5%
Brooklyn Nets (26-56), 9%
Toronto Raptors (30-52), 7.5%
San Antonio Spurs (34-48), 6%
Phoenix Suns (36-46), 3.8% (Choice to Houston Rockets by change with Brooklyn Nets)
Portland Trail Blazers (36-46), 3.7%
Dallas Mavericks (39-43), 1.8%
Chicago Bulls (39-43), 1.7%
Sacramento ** (40-42), 0.8%
Atlanta (40-42), 0.7% (the choice is for San Antonio Spurs)
*The choice could be transferred to Oklahoma City Thunder
** The choice could be transferred to Atlanta Hawks
How does the lottery work?
The NBA describes the draft lottery process in several phases. The raffles determine the first four selections of the NBA draft. The rest of the lottery teams will select in fourteen positions, in reverse order to their records at the end of the regular season.
Fourteen Ping-Pong balls are placed, numbered from one to fourteen, in a lottery machine and mix for 20 seconds. Next, the first ball is removed. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for 10 seconds, and then a second ball is removed. The balls are considered for another 10 seconds, and then a third ball is removed. Another mixture of 10 seconds is performed, then the fourth ball is removed.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when extracting four 14 balls from 14regardless of your selection order. Before the draw, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating teams. The team assigned by the drawn combination will receive the first choice. The same process is repeated for selections from second to fourth place.
A representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young supervises the entire process. No one is informed outside the room about the raffle results before the envelopes are opened during television broadcast.
How were the draft selections before the lottery?
From 1966 to 1984, the NBA team with the worst record of each conference participated in a currency shot to choose the first election of the Draft. The loser team received the second choice. The remaining teams chose in reverse order to their regular season records.
When will the NBA Draft of 2025 be held?
The 2025 NBA draft will be held from June 25 to 26 in Brooklyn. The first round, on June 25, will be broadcast on ABC, AM850, AM850 Sports and the AM850 app (in the USA). The second round, on June 26, will be broadcast on AM850 and the AM850 app.
What NBA prospects should fans follow during the 2025 Draft cycle?
AM850 draft experts project these prospects as the first five selections:
• Cooper FlaggDuke
• Dylan HarperRutgers
• Airious “Ace” BaileyRutgers
• VJ EdgecombeBaylor
• Tre JohnsonTexas
What teams got the first selection in previous Draft lottery and what prospect was selected in the first place?
2024: Atlanta Hawks – Zaccharie Risacher
2023: San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama
2022: Orlando Magic – Paolo Banchero
2021: Detroit Pistons – Cade Cunningham
2020: Minnesota Timberwolves – Anthony Edwards
2019: New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson
2018: Phoenix Suns – Deandre Ayton
2017: Boston Celtics (acquired through a change with Brooklyn Nets, changed selection to Philadelphia 76ers) – Markelle Fultz
2016: Philadelphia 76ers – Ben Simmons
2015: Minnesota Timberwolves – Karl -Anthony Towns
2014: Cleveland Cavaliers – Andrew Wiggins
2013: Cleveland Cavaliers – Anthony Bennett
2012: New Orleans Hornets – Anthony Davis
2011: Cleveland Cavaliers – Kyrie Irving
2010: Washington Wizards – John Wall
2009: The clippers – Blake Griffin
2008: Chicago Bulls – Derrick Rose
2007: Portland Trail Blazers – Greg Oden
2006: Toronto Raptors – Andrea Bargnani
2005: Milwaukee Bucks – Andrew Bogut
2004: Orlando Magic – Dwight Howard
2003: Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James
2002: Houston Rockets – Yao Ming
2001: Washington Wizards – Kwame Brown
2000: New Jersey Nets – Kenyon Martin
1999: Chicago Bulls – Elton Brand
1998: The clippers – Michael Olowokandi
1997: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan
1996: Philadelphia 76ers – Allen Iiverson
1995: Golden State Warriors – Joe Smith
1994: Milwaukee Bucks – Glenn Robinson
1993: Orlando Magic – Chris Webber
1992: Orlando Magic – Shaquille O’Neal
1991: Charlotte Hornets – Larry Johnson
1990: New Jersey Nets – Derrick Coleman
1989: Sacramento Kings – Pervis Ellison
1988: The clippers – Danny Manning
1987: San Antonio Spurs – David Robinson
1986: Philadelphia 76ers (selection changed to Cleveland Cavaliers) – Brad Daugherty
1985: New York Knicks – Patrick Ewing
