Pacers win coin flip with Wizards for lottery position
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers won a coin flip with the Washington Wizards that gives them the seventh-best lottery odds (just barely) in the NBA draft lottery and would also give them the better pick if neither team moves up in the lottery. The NBA announced the results of several draft-related coin flips in a press release Monday.
The Pacers and Wizards finished the 2022-23 season with identical 35-47 records, which put them 11th in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Chicago Bulls for 10th place and the final play-in position. The Pacers can earn any of the top four picks through the lottery process, or they can pick somewhere between 7 and 11. The Pacers have a 6.8% chance of earning the No. 1 pick with 7-3 French phenom Victor Wembanyama being the prize. They have a 29.4% chance of getting one of the top four picks.
There were several other coin flips to determine order of selection on Monday, but another one of the Pacers' picks is still undetermined. Along with their lottery selection, they are guaranteed to pick 26th and 29th in the first round using selections they acquired from the Cavaliers and Celtics respectively. The Grizzlies won a coin flip with the Cavaliers and will have the 25th pick.
They will also have the 55th pick in the draft, which they acquired via trade.
They will pick either 32nd or 50th depending on the lottery. The Rockets won a coin flip with the Spurs for better lottery position. If the Spurs get a better lottery pick than the Rockets, then the Pacers will get the No. 32 pick from the Rockets. If the Rockets get the better lottery pick, the Pacers will pick 50th, using a pick that was originally Miami's.
The Pacers currently have five total picks in the draft, but Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said he does not intend to bring in five rookies to his already young team, so the Pacers are likely to use multiple picks in one or more trades.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers win draft coin flip with Wizards for seventh lottery spot
