What‘s a Lottery Pick in the NBA? The Ultimate Guide

Hey there! As an expert in home design and repairs who also loves basketball, let me walk you through everything you need to know about lottery picks in the NBA draft. I‘ll provide lots of details, statistics, and insider knowledge to give you a comprehensive understanding of this important process. Get ready to learn all about how teams get access to top new talent!

Who Qualifies for the NBA Lottery?

The NBA lottery is held each year before the draft to determine which teams will get the highly coveted top 3 picks.

Here‘s who‘s eligible:

• The 14 NBA teams with the worst regular season records qualify for the lottery.
• This includes the bottom 7 teams in order of wins/losses for the season.
• The other 7 teams are determined by taking into account record over the past 3 seasons. This helps teams who may have had an unlucky injury-plagued season get lottery access.
• Teams with worse records and more losses have higher odds of getting a top 3 pick as an incentive to improve.

For example, in the 2022 draft lottery:

• Houston Rockets had the worst record at 20-62, so they had a 14% chance at the #1 pick.
• Orlando Magic had the second-worst record at 22-60, so they had a 14% chance at #1.
• Detroit Pistons has the third-worst record.

And so on down to the 14th team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The team representatives attend the lottery but do not actually participate in the draw. The NBA Commissioner conducts the official lottery draw behind closed doors.

How Does the NBA Draft Lottery Work?

The lottery draw is a game of chance, similar to a raffle, that sets the order of the top 3 draft picks.

The process goes like this:

• 14 ping pong balls numbered 1-14 are placed in a lottery machine.
• The balls are shuffled up and 4 balls are randomly drawn to create a 4-digit sequence.
• The over 1,000 possible combinations are randomly assigned to teams based on record.
• The worse your record, the more combinations your team is assigned, increasing odds of a high pick.
• The team assigned the winning 4-ball combination gets the #1 overall pick.
• The process repeats to determine the #2 and #3 picks.
• Remaining first round picks are assigned in order of regular season record.

For example, in 2019:

• New Orleans Pelicans had a 6% chance at #1 pick and won the lottery.
• Memphis Grizzlies had a 9% chance at #2 pick and won that spot.
• New York Knicks had the worst record but got #3 pick.

Additional protections are built in to prevent teams from tanking seasons to increase lottery odds. But in general, the worse your regular season record, the better lottery odds, incentivizing struggling teams to rebuild through the draft.

Can Anyone Try Out for the NBA?

I get asked this question a lot! The answer is no. The NBA has strict eligibility rules.

Here are the requirements:

• Must be at least 19 years old and 1 year removed from high school graduation.
• International players must be at least 22 years old.
• 1 year of college basketball in the US or Canada is required.
• 1 year of professional play outside the US is also acceptable.
• Must be of good character and pass a background check.
• Players must be in excellent mental and physical health.

So even the most talented high school hoops stars and streetball legends must go through college or play overseas first before being eligible.

In 2021, the NBA and players union lowered the draft entry age from 19 to 18 but it hasn‘t gone into effect yet. This would allow 18 year olds straight out of high school to enter the draft.

But for now, the 19 year old limit stands. Sorry, no tryouts for teenagers!

How Many Games Do You Need to Qualify for NBA Scoring?

To be considered for season-ending scoring champion and other NBA stat leaderboards, players must compete in a minimum number of regular season games.

Here are the details on qualifying for NBA stats:

• Players must play in at least 70 of the 82 regular season games.
• That‘s 70 out of their team‘s total games, not the total NBA games for the season.
• This equates to playing in approximately 85% of their team‘s games.
• Playoff and tournament games are not considered.
• Some teams may have additional games played requirements.
• But the NBA minimum is 70 out of 82 regular season games.

For example, in 2019 James Harden played in 78 of the Rockets‘ 82 games. He qualified for and won the scoring championship with a 36.1 point average.

So if you want your name in the NBA record books, you better lace up for at least 70 games!

How Does an NBA Qualifying Offer Work?

NBA qualifying offers give teams rights to retain their free agent players.

Here‘s how it works:

• It‘s a one year contract offer at the player‘s previous salary.
• The current team gets first dibs to match any offer the player receives.
• If they pass on matching, the player can sign a new deal with another team.
• As compensation, the new team must provide cash, draft picks, or both.
• Qualifying offers must be made in first 3 days of NBA free agency.
• Player has 7 days to accept, negotiate further, or reject.

For example, in 2020 Brandon Ingram was a restricted free agent with the Lakers. They made him a $7 million qualifying offer. He ended up signing a $158 million deal with the Pelicans, who sent draft picks and cash to the Lakers as compensation.

The qualifying offer system allows teams to protect their rights to players. But the player can also explore free agency for better deals.

Can a Player Refuse a Qualifying Offer?

You bet they can. When a team makes a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, the player is not obligated to accept it.

Here‘s what happens if a player refuses:

• They become an unrestricted free agent.
• They are free to negotiate and sign with any team.
• No draft pick or cash compensation is owed to their former team.
• However, they lose the guaranteed one-year salary in the offer.

Many players refuse qualifying offers to pursue better long term contracts. For example, in 2019 Kristaps Porzingis refused the Mavericks‘ $4.5 million qualifying offer. He ended up signing a 5 year, $158 million contract with the Mavericks.

So refusing the offer can pay off big time, but also carries risk in case the player doesn‘t find a better deal. It‘s a gamble!

Do NBA Players Get Free Tickets?

You bet they do! One of the perks of being a pro basketball player is free tickets.

Here‘s the deal on NBA player tickets:

• Players get 4-6 free tickets to each home game.
• All 82 regular season home games are included.
• Playoff and finals tickets are also provided when applicable.
• Tickets go to family, friends, business contacts, and sponsors.
• If unused, tickets are given back to team to sell or donate.
• Most teams have been giving players ticket allotments since the 1940s.

With each NBA team playing 41 home games on average, that‘s around 250 free tickets for each player every year! Not a bad bonus.

What Does a Lottery Protected Pick Mean?

Lottery pick protections are a clever way the NBA ensures rebuilding teams keep their draft picks.

Here‘s what lottery protection means:

• The pick cannot be traded if the team wins the lottery.
• So if your team is in the draft lottery and gets lucky, you keep the pick.
• This prevents struggling teams from losing picks they traded years prior.
• Protection typically applies to the first 14 lottery picks.
• It ensures bad teams get to use top picks and improve.

For example, in 2021 the Pistons had the #1 pick protected from a prior trade. They got lucky and won the lottery. Thanks to the protection, they kept the pick and selected Cade Cunningham #1 overall.

What Happens if a Pick is Protected?

Pick protections are like an insurance policy for teams‘ draft assets.

Here are the benefits of a protected pick:

• The team keeps the pick no matter what.
• Ensures they don‘t lose a coveted pick in a trade.
• Used as compensation for losing a star player.
• Buyer beware: trading partner may not get the pick.
• Protection can be for a certain number of years.
• Gives teams control over their rebuild.

For example, in 2019 the Atlanta Hawks had the 10th overall pick protected in a prior trade. They got to keep the protected pick and selected Cameron Reddish 10th overall.

So protect that pick! You never know when you might need it down the road.

Which Picks are Considered Lottery Picks?

Out of the 60 total picks in the NBA draft, the first 14 picks are the lucky lottery picks.

Here‘s how it works:

• The 14 teams that missed the playoffs qualify for lottery picks.
• The lottery determines the order of the first 3 picks.
• Remaining lottery picks are assigned by regular season record.
• So the #4 pick goes to the team with the 4th worst record.
• Draft order snakes back and forth through the 14 non-playoff teams.
• The lottery and yearly draft orders shuffle the picks up year to year.

For example, 2022 lottery picks were:

1. Orlando Magic
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Houston Rockets
4. Sacramento Kings

And on down to the 14th lottery pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Out of 60 total picks, spots 1-14 are the coveted lottery picks up for grabs each year!

How Do Pick Protections Work?

Pick protections help teams hang onto their star players.

Here‘s the deal with protected picks:

• Teams designate players they don‘t want picked by other teams.
• Protections are commonly used in the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
• Each league has rules about how many players can be protected.
• Unprotected players can be picked up by other teams.
• Gives teams control over who they keep or lose.

For example, NFL teams can protect 37 players on their roster from being picked up. NBA and NHL teams also get to shield players from selection.

Protections provide a strategic advantage in building the best possible roster. Teams get to protect their most prized assets.

How Do Picks Work in General?

Draft picks are a fun way to generate creative ideas!

Here‘s how to use picks:

• Gather small items like paper, coins, cardboard, etc.
• Assign each item to represent a different element.
• Draw picks randomly and see what element comes up.
• Brainstorm ideas involving each pick‘s element.
• Repeat drawing picks and combining ideas.
• Refine down to find your best idea combinations!

Picks provide randomness and variety to break you out of mental ruts. And they‘re super simple to try at home.

Give it a go on your next project for a boost of creativity!

How Do Picks Work in the NBA?

Now let‘s get back to hoops. NBA teams use draft picks to select promising players.

Here are the ins and outs of NBA draft picks:

• Each team gets 2 picks per draft round.
• Draft order is determined first by lottery, then by record.
• Trading picks is common to move up/down draft order.
• Total picks per team are capped to maintain balance.
• After picked, players sign contracts before joining teams.
• Undrafted players can sign with any team as free agents.

There are 2 rounds in the NBA draft, so each team starts with 2 new players. More can be acquired by purchasing additional picks. But the total number of picks is restricted.

Picks are the lifeblood that supplies teams with young talent year after year!

How Does the NFL Decide Who Gets the First Pick?

You may be wondering how the NFL draft order gets decided.

Here‘s how the NFL determines draft position:

• Team with the worst overall record gets 1st pick.
• Remaining picks in reverse order of record.
• If teams have the same record, tiebreakers apply.
• Tiebreakers are based on strength of schedule.
• Weaker schedule gets advantage in draft order.
• Each team gets a set number of picks per round.
• Draft order rotates each year for parity.

For example, in 2021 the 1-15 Jacksonville Jaguars had the worst record and got the #1 overall pick. The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked last at #32.

So when your favorite NFL team has a terrible season, at least you can look forward to a high draft pick!

Well there you have it – everything you could possibly need to know about lottery picks and how the draft works in the NBA. Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!