The biggest winners and losers of the wildest lottery in the history of the NBA

The Pelicans did not just pick the first choice, they had the chance to save their franchise.

According to all the reports, the pelicans will take Zion Williamson with the first choice, a player supposed to be a superstar of the franchise. At worst, he seems to be a borderline All-Star able to fill the seats with his electric game (a big problem for a team in a struggling market).

But the Pelicans could also now convince Anthony Davis to stay by giving him a co-star with whom to play, to Williamson. If the Pelicans are unable to change their minds, they could then trade him for a ride and get more assets to use to build around Williamson.

(AP Photo / Nuccio DiNuzzo)

The Suns were tied for the best odds. They won only 19 games this year.

Despite all their losses, they fell to sixth choice in what is considered a heavy water pull. The NBA world will not have much sympathy for a team that has ranked in the top 5 of the past three years and four of the previous six years, but it still has to sting in Phoenix.

(AP Photo / Matt York)

The Lakers jumped surprisingly in the fourth pick, considering that they only had a 9.4% chance of placing in the top four.

Now they have a choice with which they can bring a young player to add to their young core, or an asset to be able to exchange help with LeBron James.

(AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill)

The Hawks ended up with two caps in the top 1 – usually a good thing for any team – but positions are not what they hoped for.

The Hawks had a 10.5% chance of first choice and 42.1% of the first four. Instead, their choice landed at number 8. Meanwhile, the first-round pick that was due to them by the Dallas Mavericks (last year's Luka Doncic trade) has landed at 10.

No. 10 and No. 8 are not bad, but in an ideal world, the Hawks would have got a choice in the top four and the No. 6 (the choice of Mavs was protected in the top 5).

(Photo AP / Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The Knicks did not get the # 1 pick, which was the goal when they managed to hit a record of 17-65 in 2018-19.

But the Knicks still defied the odds and won the No. 3 pick (the odds were higher than they would get the fourth or fifth choice). R.J. Barrett or Ja Morant will be available for the Knicks to add to their young and talented core, or they have a decent commercial chip if they are looking to create some of this kernel for a superstar.

(AP Photo / Mary Altaffer)

The Knicks did not get the No. 1 pick, and so Williamson, which may well be the only reward for Knicks fans who suffered their sixth straight loss.

The third choice is not a bad consolation prize, but the Knicks fans will have to look elsewhere for their next savior.

(AP Photo / Mary Altaffer)

WINNER: Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies had a 26.3% chance of landing in the top four, and they ended up with choice # 2. As they rebuild, they have a great opportunity to add another good young player to pair up with sophomore Jaren Jackson Jr.

(AP Photo / Brandon Dill)

LOSER: Teams trying to make future trades (potentially)

As Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote, some players in the league are wondering if the jumps made by pelicans, Grizzlies and Lakers in the lottery will discourage teams from not trading their future prime choices. tower. Lowe suggested that teams could try to put more protection on future choices, which could block negotiations.

(Photo by Brian Babineau / NBAE via Getty Images)

Many expect the Grizzlies to take Ja Morant, the leader of the Murray State, widely considered the second best prospect in the draft, with the No. 2 pick.

That means the Grizzlies could make veteran guard Mike Conley available in the trades. Conley is struggling to stay healthy, but when he does, he is a huge difference maker and could push a team that needs a leader to a new level.

(Photo by Joe Robbins / Getty Images)

LOSER: West Conference Teams

Three of the first four picks were won by competing Western Conference teams for certain games, or most of the season. The Western Conference playoff race could still have 11 teams.

(AP Photo / Steve Dipaola)

The revised NBA lottery odds seemed to be working, at least for this year. The three worst offenders, the Knicks, the Cavs and the Suns, did not get the first choice. Teams that have tried at least part of the year have jumped.

According to Zach Lowe, some NBA members wondered if the league was going too far, but it is probably too early to say.

"A year does not tell the whole story," Lowe Kiki VanDeWeghe, executive vice president of the NBA in charge of basketball operations, told Lowe. "But the intention was to make it a bit more random."

The tanking is not over yet, but it may be a little more discouraged now.

(AP Photo / Gerry Broome)

Did the results of Tuesday's lottery hurt or help the Celtics?

On one side, pelicans seem less incentivized to exchange Anthony Davis now. It is unclear whether the Celtics would bid on Davis, given the uncertainty about Kyrie Irving's future, but the Pelicans made it clear that they had the intention of Try to convince Davis to stay in New Orleans.

On the other hand, the Celtics can still be a decent offer. They have the 14th overall pick, two other first-rounders, plus Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to offer to the Pelicans. Now that the Pelicans will probably have Zion Williamson, Tatum and Brown could complete one of the most intriguing and talented young cores in the NBA.

The Celtics are able to have one of the most interesting months in the NBA.

(Christopher Evans staff photo / MediaNews Group / Boston Herald via Getty Images)