An NBA draft lottery refresher: How it all works

People walk by a sign during the NBA draft lottery in Chicago, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. | Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press

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Here we are, Year 4 of the Jazz putting all their tanking hopes into the NBA draft lottery. So, once again, here’s a little refresher on how everything is going to work on Sunday.

Drawing room vs. results broadcast

The actual lottery drawing happens in a separate room shortly before ABC broadcasts the results (1 p.m. MDT). A small number of media (including yours truly), NBA officials and a representative from each lottery team (Austin Ainge for the Utah Jazz) are in the lottery drawing room.

After the results are determined inside the drawing room (which is recorded and later published on NBA.com), the envelopes are then sent to the broadcast stage, where they are revealed on ABC by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who opens the envelopes in reverse order (14th to first). On stage for the broadcast is a second representative for each lottery team (Keyonte George for the Jazz).

How the drawing works

There are 14 ping-pong balls, numbered one through 14. With those ping-pong balls, 1,001 combinations are possible when four balls are drawn out of 14 (without regard to order of selection). Prior to the drawing, 1,000 of the 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 lottery teams.

All 14 balls are put into the lottery machine and mixed for 20 seconds, and then the first ball is drawn. The remaining balls are mixed for 10 seconds and a second ball is drawn. Again, a 10-second mix, and a third ball is drawn. A final 10-second mix, and the fourth ball is drawn. The team assigned the combination of the four balls drawn gets the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.