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In just a few days, the NBA will hold the draft lottery and we’ll have a much clearer picture of what to expect from the Jazz throughout the rest of the summer and into next season.
With that in mind, it’s a good time to refresh on everything lottery related.
When
The lottery will be held Monday, with the results being broadcast on ESPN at 5 p.m. MDT. The actual lottery drawing is held just prior to the broadcast.
Where
On a larger scale, the lottery is held in Chicago and unofficially kicks off the NBA combine (though the G League combine starts two days before the lottery and technically the combine begins the day before the lottery).
On a smaller and more detailed scale, the lottery drawing is held in a private room cut off from the outside world. Only a handful of league representatives and staffers are joined by one representative from each team and between 12 and 20 members of the media (including yours truly). There are no phones, smart devices or recorders allowed in the room.
It’s a small conference room in the convention center where in a nearby ballroom, the results of the lottery are broadcast on ESPN. After the results are done being announced to the rest of the world, everyone in the lottery drawing room is let out.
How
Fourteen pingpong balls, numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible number combinations when four balls are drawn. Prior to the lottery drawing, 1,000 of those possible combinations are assigned to the lottery teams (140 combinations assigned to the three teams with the worst record, hence the 14% chance at the No. 1 pick).
The team that has been assigned the number combination that matches the first four balls drawn gets the No. 1 pick. The process repeats to determine the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 picks.
The draft position for the remaining lottery teams (picks 5 through 14) are determined by regular-season record in inverse order, so the lottery team with the worst record that did not get a top-four pick will have the No. 5 pick and so on (which is why the Jazz’s lottery floor is the fifth pick).
For a detailed explanation and more history on the lottery, click here.
What
The Jazz finished with the worst record in the 2024-25 season so they, along with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets (who had the second and third worst records, respectively) will have the best odds (14%) at the No. 1 overall pick. No matter what, the Jazz are guaranteed a top-five pick.
But, that’s not the only selection the Jazz will have in the June draft. They will also have the No. 21 pick in the first round as well as No. 43 and No. 53 (both second-round picks). So, as the combine follows the draft, all four of the Jazz’s draft positions will be important to keep in mind.
Jazz general manager Justin Zanik will represent the team in the lottery drawing room and Jazz owner Ashley Smith will represent the Jazz on the ESPN stage for the lottery results.
New with the Jazz
Quote of the week
“The main goal of this organization is to open up a championship window to give this fan base a way to be very, very proud of a team that can go deep in the playoffs … And yes, there’s growing pains, there’s tough nights and tough moments … So I can fully understand where there could be some frustration. All of us would like to have some immediate gratification of doing this and winning every game and winning a title. And that’s just not in the cards. We all still have to go through it.” — Jazz general manager Justin Zanik
From the archives
Extra points
- How Walker Kessler rebounded from a sophomore slump (Deseret News)
- Grading the Jazz: Jordan Clarkson soldiered on as the tank continued to roll (Deseret News)
- John Collins flipped the script in the 2024-25 season (Deseret News)
- Will Hardy, a Gregg Popovich disciple, set to coach the Jazz through 2031 (Deseret News)
Around the league
Up next
- May 12 | 5 p.m. MDT | NBA Draft Lottery | ESPN
