Customize ESPN

Windhorst: Why the stakes of this NBA draft lottery are enormous -- and possibly game-changing

How do we know that Sunday's lottery (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) is massively important to the NBA? A third of a league seemingly tanked just to get into it.

8hBrian Windhorst
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Most likely picks for every NBA lottery team

We have the odds, likely picks and best fits for prospects ahead of Sunday's NBA draft lottery.

1dJeremy Woo

TOP HEADLINES

NBA PLAYOFFS

Five questions that will decide Knicks-76ers Game 3 -- and the series

New York heads to Philly up 2-0, but Friday's Game 3 could easily shift the series momentum. Here's how.

8hTim Bontemps and Vincent Goodwill
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
West Semifinals - Game 2OKC leads series 2-0

Lakers huddle around the referees after final buzzer in loss to Thunder

12h
0:29

Takeaways as Thunder take down Lakers in Game 2

Here's what we've learned -- and what's next for each series.

14hNBA insiders

Perk on what Lakers are thinking down 2-0: 'What else can we do?'

14h
1:08

Redick: LeBron has 'worst whistle of any star player I've ever seen'

6h
0:58

LeBron lets ref hear it after non-call

14h
0:22

SGA is pumped up after cashing late 3 in Thunder's win

14h
0:16

SGA punctuates Thunder's 10-0 run with two-handed slam

14h
0:22

LeBron tumbles over SGA after a hard foul from Austin Reaves

14h
1:12

Rui Hachimura beats first-quarter buzzer with a 3

14h
0:20

Ajay Mitchell drops in a Thunder bucket

14h
0:16

    TALKIN' HOOPS

    STEPHEN A. & SKIP TOGETHER AGAIN

    Stephen A., Skip argue over LeBron's place on all-time list

    3h
    2:50

    Stephen A.: Harden doesn't seem to be playing with urgency

    4h
    2:50

    ANDSCAPE

    Andscape

    NBA draft lottery is 'excitement for the unknown' to Sacramento Kings GM Scott Perry

    Longtime NBA executive discusses depth of 2026 draft class, Kings' 2025 rookies, fan frustrations

    8mMarc J. Spears
    Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

    Andscape

    Yaxel Lendeborg didn't see the future. His mother did.

    1hMarcus Shorter

    PISTONS GO UP 2-0 ON CAVS

    Cade Cunningham steps back for dagger 3 to seal Pistons' Game 2 win

    16h
    0:23

    NBA Futures: Pistons' title odds move to 15-1; Cavaliers lengthen to 50-1

    The Cavaliers have the third-longest odds to win the NBA championship.

    58mDoug Greenberg

    DOWN AND OUT IN HOUSTON

    Injuries, burner phones and a massive leadership void: Why the Rockets collapsed

    Between crushing injuries, a burner phone scandal and inconsistency from their core, the Rockets end another season in disappointment.

    4dRamona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon
    Illustration by ESPN

    BOUNCED FROM THE PLAYOFFS

    Offseason guides: Draft, free agency, trade targets for eliminated teams

    What lies ahead for the Magic, Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors and every eliminated team?

    4dBobby Marks
    ESPN

    Top Headlines

    Favorites

    Fantasy

    Customize ESPN

    Trending Now