The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery took place on Thursday night, and after the ping pong balls did their thing, the Timberwolves found themselves sitting with the No. 1 pick in this October’s Draft. The Warriors will follow them with the No. 2 pick in the Draft, while the Hornets sit in third and Bulls sit in fourth having both jumped over the Knicks in the lottery, leaving New York picking eighth. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Draft Lottery occurred virtually as opposed to in a conference room in a Manhattan hotel, with Mark Tatum delivering the pick order from Secaucus, New Jersey.
Here’s how the entire Lottery will break down:
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Detroit Pistons
- New York Knicks
- Washington Wizards
- Phoenix Suns
- San Antonio Spurs
- Sacramento Kings
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Boston Celtics (via Grizzlies)
With tiebreakers being settled last week, we now know exactly what the first round order will look like in mid-October (at least until trades begin happening).
15. Magic
16. Trail Blazers
17. Timberwolves (via Nets via Hawks)
18. Mavericks
19. Nets (via 76ers via Clippers)
20. Miami
21. 76ers (via Thunder via 76ers via Magic)
22. Nuggets (via Rockets)
23. Jazz
24. Bucks (via Pacers)
25. Thunder (via Nuggets)
26. Celtics
27. Knicks (via Clippers)
28. Lakers
29. Raptors
30. Celtics (via Bucks via Suns)
Unlike the 2019 Draft, in which Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were viewed as no-brainer options to go with the top picks, this Draft lacks a clear-cut No. 1 pick. Names like Anthony Edwards of Georgia, James Wiseman of Memphis, and LaMelo Ball of the Illawarra Hawks have been mentioned as potential top options, while this Draft’s depth has been especially praised. For the Wolves, they now have a fascinating decision to make, as they already have Russell as their lead scoring guard and Karl-Anthony Towns as an offensive marvel. Given the makeup of the top of this draft, there’s not a clear perfect fit, but Edwards and Ball will likely be the widely projected two potential picks of Minnesota if they don’t shop it around — as Golden State almost assuredly will be doing with the No. 2 overall pick.
The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Friday, Oct. 16.
