When is the NBA Draft Lottery?

The NBA Draft represents a chance for teams to find their next great superstar. But the order of the draft is always determined by a lottery.

The lottery typically takes place in May, about a month before the draft. The teams with the 14th worst records are all in play for one of the top 14 picks.

The order is determined by a unique system. 14 ping pong balls are placed in a lottery machine and mixed. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four out of the 14 are drawn. One ball is drawn every 10 seconds, and the team that was assigned a certain combination gets the first pick. Picks 2-4 are determined the same way. Picks 5-14 and 15-30 are determined by reverse order of regular season record. Regular season tiebreakers are taken into account and the final odds aren't revealed until the tiebreakers are settled.

But when is the Draft Lottery this year? Will it happen during the playoffs or will the NBA wait until after the season ends? Below is everything you need to know about when the Draft Lottery will take place.

When will the NBA Draft Lottery take place in 2024?

This year, the Draft Lottery will take place on Saturday, May 12. The event will begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be televised on ESPN.

The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards posted the worst records in the NBA this year. Both teams have a 14 percent chance at securing the top pick. The Charlotte Hornets have a 13.3 percent chance, and the Portland Trail Blazers have a 13.2 percent chance.

The Golden State Warriors have the lowest chance of securing pick No. 1, as they had the best record out of all 14 teams that missed the playoffs, so they will likely receive pick No. 14.

Following the lottery, the Draft Combine will take place in Chicago from May 13-19. Then in June, the draft will take place. This year, the first and second rounds will both be divided into two nights. The first round will take place on Wednesday, June 26, while the second round will take place the following night.

But everything starts with the Draft Lottery, as the order is determined, and fans get a chance to see where their team will pick in the upcoming draft.