The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, a pivotal event determining the draft order for the teams that missed the NBA Playoffs, is set for Sunday, May 12, in Chicago live at 15:00 ET on ABC.
The NBA Draft Lottery decides the top 14 selections for the draft. The lottery allocates the first four picks, and the remaining ten slots are assigned to teams in ascending order of their regular-season records.
The NBA Draft Lottery is conducted securely by a select media group, NBA officials, team representatives, and Ernst & Young auditors.
The procedure involves a lottery machine and 14 numbered ping-pong balls from Smart Play Company, a notable supplier of lottery machines in the U.S. The balls are mixed for 20 seconds, and the first ball is drawn. This process repeats thrice, but with shorter intervals, until four balls are selected.
The combination of these four balls determines the team that wins the No. 1 draft pick. This process is replicated to determine the next three top picks. Any duplicate or unassigned combinations are discarded, and the draw is redone.
Ernst & Young officials oversee the entire process and seal the envelopes containing the results delivered to the broadcast studio.
NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum will announce the NBA Draft Lottery, and a representative from each lottery team will join him on stage. As the sealed envelopes are opened, the audience will discover the outcome simultaneously.
The anticipation for this year’s draft lottery builds excitement for the NBA Draft, scheduled for June 26-27, 2024, shaping the future for the involved teams and their prospective players.