Damn, didn't know this but the Lakers might get fucked tonight.
The 76ers find themselves in an even more precarious situation this year. Philadelphia has the third-highest chance, 15.6%, at the No. 1 overall pick this year. The Sixers are also owed the Lakers’ top-five protected first rounder, as well as the Miami Heat’s top-10 protected lottery selection.
With the Lakers owning the fourth-worst record and thus the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick, there’s a 17.2% chance the Lakers drop to No. 6 or No. 7, and thus gifting their selection to Philly. Interestingly, there’s a greater chance of that happening than the Sixers simply winning the lottery. The Heat finished the season with 10th-worst record, barely clinging on to their first rounder as is. However, there’s still a 9.1 percent chance one team in the 11-14 slots can jump all the way into the top three (the lottery is simply a drawing for the top three slots followed by the remaining teams being awarded picks 4-14 based on worst record).
How can Tuesday night become a total coup for the Sixers? There’s a 3.7 percent chance Philadelphia receives picks from both the Lakers and Heat and a 0.28 percent chance Philadelphia ends up picking at No. 1, No. 6 and No. 11. The Orlando Magic are the only team in NBA history to ever have three lottery picks in
Here's the reason
L.A. shipped a protected first-round pick to Phoenix in the 2012 sign-and-trade deal that landed Steve Nash. The Suns in turn traded that pick to the Sixers at this year's deadline in a three-team deal that sent Brandon Knight from the Bucks to the Suns. According to the protections, the Lakers get to keep their pick if it remains in the top five but they must send it to the Sixers if it lands at six or seven. Put another way, two teams must jump over the Lakers in the lottery order for the Sixers to receive the pick. In case you're wondering, there is a 17.2% chance of that happening, leaving L.A. empty-handed after the worst season in its 67-year franchise history
