Sunday's 2024 NBA Draft Lottery helped or hurt teams in their respective rebuilding timelines.
Usually the teams with the worst records land the top overall pick, but that wasn't the case this year.
The Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets all had the top-three odds to pick first overall after a rough campaign, but they were all leapfrogged by the Atlanta Hawks, who didn't have high odds to jump the competition.
So, which teams won the draft lottery and who didn't? Let's analyze five teams:
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
WINNER: Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta won the draft lottery despite having just 3% odds. It's the first time the franchise has won the lottery and it comes off the heels of a play-in tournament loss where the Hawks finished 36-46. There's no clear-cut consensus as the No. 1 overall pick this year, but it could be intriguing from a domino-effect standpoint if Atlanta decides to move on from star Trae Young.
LOSER: Detroit Pistons
The Pistons once again had a lowly season that did not get rewarded with at least a top-two pick. It's the third straight season Detroit will pick at No. 5 overall after selecting Jaden Ivey in 2022 and Ausar Thompson in 2023. As aforementioned, this year's pool of prospects isn't as enticing, which further hurts Detroit's chances at landing a top star to pair with Cade Cunningham. Internal growth among its youngsters will be key again.
WINNER: San Antonio Spurs
It may not be much, but it's a partial win on the margins. The Spurs entered the lottery with the fifth-best odds (10.5%) but ended grabbing the fourth overall pick, bumping down the Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers. They may not grab a star to join forces with Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, but it's an opportunity to land a high-ceiling talent to fix one of their holes, primarily point guard. San Antonio picks again at No. 8 overall via the Toronto Raptors.
LOSER: Charlotte Hornets
With the Houston Rockets jumping into the top three, Charlotte got knocked back to the No. 6 overall pick. New head coach Charles Lee has a lot on his plate with the struggles the Hornets have endured in recent years, especially in terms of nurturing young talent. LaMelo Ball continues to be the focal point, but last year's rookie Brandon Miller and center Mark Williams showed promise. Charlotte will hope to unearth a gem here.
LOSER: Portland Trail Blazers
Like the Hornets, Portland also got leapt by two teams and got pushed down to the No. 7 overall pick. The Trail Blazers endured a lackluster first year in the post-Damian Lillard era, but it may not get much better anytime soon. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant were the team's top-two scorers, but last year's No. 2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a rollercoaster first campaign with mostly downs than ups. Let's see if Portland can find someone, too, in what could be a decisive season for head coach Chauncey Billups.
