2027 NBA draft order and lottery odds, if the season ended today
The 2027 draft is the first under the NBA's "3-2-1" lottery. Sixteen teams draw for picks 1 to 16: the ten that miss the play-in get three balls each, except the three worst records, which get two and can fall no lower than 12th; each conference's 9 and 10 seeds get two; each loser of the 7 v 8 play-in game gets one. That is 37 balls, so a three-ball team has an 8.1% chance at No. 1, a two-ball team 5.4% and a one-ball team 2.7%. The order fills in once the regular season has games.
The 2027 draft is the first under the NBA's "3-2-1" lottery. Sixteen teams draw for picks 1 to 16: the ten that miss the play-in get three balls each, except the three worst records, which get two and can fall no lower than 12th; each conference's 9 and 10 seeds get two; each loser of the 7 v 8 play-in game gets one. That is 37 balls, so a three-ball team has an 8.1% chance at No. 1, a two-ball team 5.4% and a one-ball team 2.7%. The order fills in once the regular season has games.
How the lottery works
The 2027 draft is the first under the NBA's "3-2-1" lottery. Sixteen teams draw for picks 1 to 16: the ten that miss the play-in get three balls each, except the three worst records, which get two and can fall no lower than 12th; each conference's 9 and 10 seeds get two; each loser of the 7 v 8 play-in game gets one. That is 37 balls, so a three-ball team has an 8.1% chance at No. 1, a two-ball team 5.4% and a one-ball team 2.7%.
Standings: NBA playoff picture · NFL: NFL draft order
Questions
How does the new NBA draft lottery work?
The 2027 draft is the first under the NBA's "3-2-1" lottery. Sixteen teams draw for picks 1 to 16: the ten that miss the play-in get three balls each, except the three worst records, which get two and can fall no lower than 12th; each conference's 9 and 10 seeds get two; each loser of the 7 v 8 play-in game gets one. That is 37 balls, so a three-ball team has an 8.1% chance at No. 1, a two-ball team 5.4% and a one-ball team 2.7%.
Why do the three worst teams get fewer balls?
The league relegates them to two balls to take the reward out of tanking, and in return guarantees each of them a pick no lower than 12th. The format runs for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 drafts.