NBA breaks several ties in 2024 draft order

Six random drawings were conducted on Monday to help determine the selection order for the 2024 NBA Draft.

Four drawings sorted out playoff teams with the same regular-season records, while the others were held to separate lottery teams with identical records.

The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers tied for the third-worst record in the NBA at 21-61, and the Hornets won their tiebreaker, giving them a 13.3 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick. The Blazers are not much worse off at 13.2 percent. (The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards have the best lottery odds at 14 percent.)

Similarly, Sacramento Kings — which beat the Golden State Warriors in a 9-versus-10 Play-In game — also won a draft tiebreaker over its rivals. Both teams went 46-36 in the regular season, but the Kings will have marginally better odds in the lottery (0.8 percent versus Golden State’s 0.7 percent).

While the lottery on May 12 will determine the order of the top 14 picks, Nos. 15-30 were finalized Monday.

Philadelphia 76ers emerged from a four-way tie at 47-35 with Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. The Sixers will pick No. 16, followed by Los Angeles, Orlando and Indiana.

Milwaukee Bucks won the three-team tiebreaker at 49-33 with the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans. However, the Bucks’ 21st overall pick conveys to the Pelicans and the Pelicans’ 23rd pick goes to the Bucks as part of the 2020 Jrue Holiday trade.

Dallas Mavericks officially received the 24th pick over the New York Knicks after both teams finished 50-32, but ironically, the Knicks own both picks anyway. New York receives Dallas’ 2024 first-rounder as a condition of the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019.

Finally, breaking the tie for the No. 28 pick, Denver Nuggets won over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Utah Jazz controls Oklahoma City’s No. 29 pick as a result of multiple trades.