This is an offseason filled with significant decisions for the Portland Trail Blazers. Trade a number of valuable assets to retool the roster for a title run with Damian Lillard or trade Dame and blow it all up?
At the center of those decisions is Portland’s lottery pick. Head coach Chauncey Billups led a masterful tank job during the final month of the regular season, moving the team from a potential spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament to having some of the highest odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
That first overall selection would be a game-changer for the Blazers and might shut down any decisions general manager Joe Cronin needs to make this summer. Taking Victor Wembanyama and adding him to a lineup that already features Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and theoretically Jerami Grant would give Dame that playoff push he so desires.
Just how realistic is that scenario?
What are the Trail Blazers odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Portland has the fifth-best odds at landing the top pick in June’s draft. That equates to a 10.5 percent chance.
The three worst teams by record – this year the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets – all share an equal 14 percent chance at picking first. Between that trio and the Blazers sits the Charlotte Hornets.
The lottery odds for the 2023 NBA Draft are as follows:
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Chicago Bulls
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Toronto Raptors
- New Orleans Pelicans
The lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.