ESPN.com
Aug 20, 2020, 06:52 AM ET
The 2020 NBA draft lottery drawing is going down on Thursday night at 8:30 ET on ESPN. This year's wide-open festivities feature hyped prospects in LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, a dinged-up dynasty in the Golden State Warriors and the second year of flattened odds that could lead to surprising results.
Here's everything you need to know before those pingpong balls are picked, including the odds for every team involved, the top prospects to watch, the latest intel from around the league, traded picks to track and what's next.
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How to watch
Thursday's lottery broadcast is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App, following the conclusion of Bucks-Magic Game 2.
The show will feature representatives from all 14 lottery teams, including Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), D'Angelo Russell (Minnesota Timberwolves) and De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings), according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.
Game 2 of Lakers-Blazers airs at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, following the lottery reveal.
The 2020 NBA Draft will be Oct. 16 on ESPN.
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This year's lottery odds
Last season, the NBA began drawing the top four selections in the lottery with new odds for each slot.
Here's a quick look at the odds for every team with a chance to win a top pick this year:
1. Golden State Warriors
Average pick: 3.7
No. 1: 14%
Top three: 40.1%
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
Average pick: 3.9
No. 1: 14%
Top three: 40.1%
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3. Minnesota Timberwolves
Average pick: 4.1
No. 1: 14%
Top three: 40.1%
4. Atlanta Hawks
Average pick: 4.4
No. 1: 12.5%
Top three: 36.6%
5. Detroit Pistons
Average pick: 5.0
No. 1: 10.5%
Top three: 31.6%
6. New York Knicks
Average pick: 5.5
No. 1: 9.0%
Top three: 27.6%
7. Chicago Bulls
Average pick: 6.2
No. 1: 7.5%
Top three: 23.4%
8. Charlotte Hornets
Average pick: 7.0
No. 1: 6.0%
Top three: 19.0%
9. Washington Wizards
Average pick: 8.0
No. 1: 4.5%
Top three: 14.5%
10. Phoenix Suns
Average pick: 9.2
No. 1: 3.0%
Top three: 9.9%
11. San Antonio Spurs
Average pick: 10.3
No. 1: 2.0%
Top three: 6.6%
12. Sacramento Kings
Average pick: 11.9
No. 1: 1.3%
Top three: 4.3%
13. New Orleans Pelicans
Average pick: 12.1
No. 1: 1.2%
Top three: 4.0%
14. Memphis Grizzlies
Average pick: 13.7
No. 1: 0.5%
Top three: 1.7%
Get the full lottery odds breakdown here
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The top prospects
This is primarily a three-player race for the No. 1 pick between Georgia's Anthony Edwards, the NBL's LaMelo Ball and Memphis' James Wiseman. There's little consensus among NBA teams about which of the three is the top draft prospect, and we'll have a much clearer picture of the race once we see who is selecting No. 1.
Here's a quick case for each player, via ESPN's Mike Schmitz:
Edwards: Teams see a dynamic, three-level scorer with the potential to develop into a primary shot-creator in the mold of Donovan Mitchell or Victor Oladipo. Standing close to 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds with a wingspan over 6-foot-10, Edwards is powerful and has the footwork and shooting potential to drop in highly difficult jumpers from all over the floor. He also has glimpses of James Harden-esque shiftiness.
Ball: An oversize point guard with strong on-court instincts, uncanny court vision and immense creativity, he holds a lot of the traits teams look for in a franchise lead guard. He controls the ball on a string and plays with craft at 6-foot-7, using touch shots and ambidexterity in the paint that will make him a scoring threat even when his streaky jumper isn't falling. He also is an excellent positional rebounder with the potential to become a factor if he ever decides to buy in to playing with consistent defensive effort.
Wiseman: His intrigue revolves around his finishing ability, rim-protection potential and glimpses of skill as a ball handler and a shooter. He is maybe the most physically impressive center prospect I've evaluated, with a strong frame, massive reach and agility as a runner at 7-foot-1.
The rest of the draft is wide-open after the top three in the eyes of scouts. Get ESPN's full top 100 rankings with scouting reports on the likely first-rounders here.
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Mock draft and projections
Heading into the lottery drawing, here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony is projecting the top five picks, based on the current order:
Warriors: Anthony Edwards | G | Georgia
Cavaliers: James Wiseman | C | Memphis
Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball G | Illawarra
Hawks: Deni Avdija | G/F | Maccabi Tel Aviv
Pistons: Onyeka Okongwu | F/C | Southern California
Get the full mock draft from Givony here based on the latest inside information. He'll have a new mock draft on Thursday night following the drawing.
Before then, check out this team-by-team breakdown via Givony and Schmitz, including:
Lottery odds for every team
The prospects each team should take in the top four
The most likely prospect for each team based on its draft range
