The 2023 NBA Draft is the most anticipated draft since 2003, when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the No. 1 overall pick. Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom from France, is the best prospect to hit the NBA since James, and he’s being projected as a generational talent who could change the trajectory of any team that lands the No. 1 pick. Many teams have taken steps over the past offseason and through the regular season to position themselves in favorable spots to land at Wembanyama.
Yahoo Sports takes a look at which teams have the best chance of landing France’s coveted prospect, how the draft lottery works and the other top draft hopefuls after Wembanyama.
Here’s everything viewers need to know about the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night.
2023 NBA Draft Lottery date, time, how to watch
The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery will be held at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN. The lottery itself will take place at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.
How the NBA Draft Lottery Works
The Draft Lottery results will be broadcast live with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum revealing the sealed envelopes, announcing the Draft Lottery results in descending order. Prior to the broadcast, the actual lottery to determine Picks 1-4 takes place in a separate room with NBA officials and representatives from participating teams, select media, and accounting firm Ernst & Young, which oversees the draws.
For the actual lottery, 14 ping pong balls are dropped into a lottery machine while a league representative randomly selects four balls, revealing a four-digit combination. There are 1,001 possible combinations, with 1,000 of these combinations being awarded to 14 participating lottery teams. If the same team combination appears more than once, the result is discarded and another four-ball combination is drawn.
After the first four picks are determined, the remaining picks are ranked in reverse order, based on win/loss record.
Odds of landing the No. 1 pick
The 14 teams that didn’t make the playoffs have a chance of landing the top pick, based on their regular-season records. Below are the odds for each team in the draw and how they finished the regular season. The teams with the worst records are ranked at the top of the lottery.
1. Detroit Pistons: 14%, 140 combinations
2. Houston Rockets: 14%, 140 combinations
3. San Antonio Spurs: 14%, 140 combinations
4. Charlotte’s Hornets: 12.5%, 125 combinations
5. Portland Trail Blazers: 10.5%, 105 combinations
6. Orlando Magic: 9%, 90 combinations
7. Indiana Pacers: 7.5%, 75 combinations
8. Washington Wizards: 6%, 60 combinations
9. Utah Jazz: 4.5%, 45 combinations
ten. Dallas Mavericks: 3%, 30 combinations
11. Orlando Magic (via Chicago Bulls): 2%, 20 combinations
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: 1.5%, 15 combinations
13. Toronto Raptors: 1%, 10 combinations
14. New Orleans Pelicans: 0.5%, 5 combinations
Watch the live NBA Draft Lottery draw
Who is Victor Wembanyama?
The 7-foot-4 center currently plays for the Metropolitans 92 in the French Betclic Elite league where he leads all players in points (21.8), rebounds (10.3) and blocks (3.1) per game. Wembanyama is comfortable handling the ball like a guard, can shoot it deep and does things on the pitch that no other player in the world can do right now. Wembanyama’s NBA comparison is a mix between Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert with his shooting mechanics on offense and the way he shields the rim and alters shots on defense.
Other players projected to lead in NBA draft
Scooter Henderson
Henderson is a 6-3 point guard who is the best goaltender in the draft. He spent two seasons with the G League Ignite and dominated the competition at just 19, occasionally taking on players twice his age. Henderson averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 assists per game last season and clashed with Wembanyama in October when he impressed every NBA scout and team executive in the arena.
Brandon Miller
Miller, a 6-9 wing, was named SEC Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year in his only season at Alabama. He averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range on 7 attempts per game. Miller’s intangibles on the court are off the charts with his length, skill and defensive versatility, but there is one major problem off the court. Henderson and Miller are both potential picks at No. 2, depending on which team lands who picks Tuesday night.
Amen Thompson
Thompson averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in his final season with Overtime Elite and is one of the most athletic guards in this draft class with his brilliance in transition. and his first step on the wing. The 6-7 guard outstrips his twin brother, Ausar, as the primary ball handler and is more fluid in his decision-making on the downhill.
Ausar Thompson
Ausar is a tenacious defender who can guard all positions on the perimeter and is the best shot-blocking goaltender in this draft class. Thompson averaged 16.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during the Overtime Elite season, and while his 3-point jump shot was an area of development, he showed improvement from his last season with OTE. Ausar is comfortable playing with or without the ball, but he is more comfortable on the wing, playing alongside his brother throughout his career.
NBA draft date, time and location
The NBA draft takes place June 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN from the Barclays Center in New York.
