Countdown to the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
When it comes to basketball dreams, draft day is king. But before young stars find out where they’re headed, there’s the drama of the NBA Draft Lottery—a night packed with hope, nerves, and sometimes wild surprises. The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, 2025, in Chicago. ESPN coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, making it a must-watch for hoops fans and anxious team executives alike.
This night matters most to the 14 teams left out of the NBA playoffs. For those squads, it’s not about chasing a title this spring—it’s about nabbing a franchise-changing pick in June. The lottery only decides the top four selections, but those picks can completely flip a team’s fortunes, sparking rebuilds or turbocharging a fresh direction.
How the Odds Stack Up—and What’s at Stake for the 76ers
So how does this secret-ball machine actually work? In the current system, the three worst regular-season teams all share one big slice of hope, with each getting a 14% chance at the coveted No. 1 pick. The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are locked in at NBA Draft Lottery pole position, after rough seasons that yielded just 17 and 18 wins respectively. The odds then gradually drop for each better-performing team, down to under one percent for the squad with the best record among the lottery teams.
There’s a safety net for those suffering through brutal seasons: the absolute worst team can’t do worse than landing the fifth pick. That twist keeps franchise-shaping talents within reach, even if the ping-pong balls bounce the wrong way. It’s a system designed to curb tanking while still rewarding bad teams with a legitimate shot at rebounding fast.
Where do the Philadelphia 76ers fit in? Even though their exact lottery odds aren’t available yet, they’re squarely in the running with the other unlucky 13 teams. For fans who’ve endured a rocky year, the draft lottery dangles the possibility of landing the next big star—the kind that can fill arenas and spark hope all over again.
Past years have brought some unforgettable NBA moments. Remember the hype around Patrick Ewing in 1985 or David Robinson in 1987? These weren’t just prospects; they turned entire franchises around. The lottery may look like simple math on the surface, but the stakes hit close to home for teams and cities counting on that lucky bounce. And for the Sixers and every lottery hopeful, May 12 is circled in red—one night that could change everything about next season and beyond.