Atlanta Hawks win the NBA lottery despite no clear choice for No. 1

With the No. 1 selection and a possible cornerstone in a year with no obvious favorite, the Atlanta Hawks won the NBA draft lottery on Sunday. With a 36-46 record that placed them 10th in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks won big despite their meager 3% odds. They lost the first round of the play-in tournament against the Chicago Bulls after dropping their last six regular-season games.

Washington, Houston, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit completed the top five. The draft will take place from June 26 to 27 in Brooklyn. Washington and Detroit have the highest prospects of securing the first choice, with 14%. Only four teams have won the lottery with lower chances than Atlanta, with Orlando being the most unlikely at 1.52% in 1993.

NUMBER 1 PICK IN THE 2024 NBA DRAFT!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/A9GtuUq38u

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 12, 2024

The Magic executed a stunning draft night trade with Golden State, trading Chris Webber's rights to the Warriors for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round selections. Last year, San Antonio signed a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama. The team that previously selected David Robinson and Tim Duncan with the first overall choice acquired its next great big man, and all the Frenchman did was have one of the finest rookie seasons in NBA history.

NBA Draft will take place in June

The No. 1 choice might once again come from France, whether it's center Alex Sarr or sharpshooting forward Zaccharie Risacher, but that's far from guaranteed. UConn guard Stephon Castle, as well as Kentucky's Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, are likely to be taken early in the draft. 

The dates of the 2024 NBA Draft are set for June 26–27. The draft is set to take place over two nights for the first time, with the first round scheduled to take place on June 26 at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Centre. On June 27, the second round will take place in New York at ESPN's Seaport District Studios.