2017 NBA Draft Lottery Preview: The Day is Finally Here

Mar 27, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeat the Mavericks 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeat the Mavericks 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Today is the day and the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery is only hours away from deciding the fate of the 14 non-playoff teams in one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory. Where will the Mavs fall?

After a month of coverage, planning, and undoubtedly some prayer, the Draft Lottery is finally on its way here and the Dallas Mavericks are primed and set for whatever outcome we may end up with. Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle, and the rest of the front office will finally be able to aim all their preparation towards one pick.

As always, the possibility of a draft day trade is in place, and the Dallas Mavericks may be one of the teams ready to pounce on any opportunity. Some of the lottery teams may be interested in a potential trade but we won’t know anything about it until probably the day of the draft or minutes before the selection.

The biggest needs for the Mavericks still seem to be point guard first and foremost, with an underlying need to replace Dirk Nowitzki in the starting lineup before too long. One of those spots will be the focus of the draft and, if the Mavs deem it necessary, they will assuredly pounce on moving up in the draft for the right price.

More from The Smoking Cuban

To fully understand how the NBA Draft Lottery works and what the Mavericks odds are at each pick, click here.

For a quick look at the top 10 prospects and whether they appear to fit into the Dallas Mavericks system for the future, click here.

For an opinion on whether the Mavs should look to trade back into the second round of this very full NBA class, click here.

And, for you conspiracy theorists out there, click here for a post about how the NBA Draft Lottery is determined before the lotto balls come out of the chute.

The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery will take place tonight at 8:00 ET/7:00 CT. Tune in to ESPN to watch it live and keep up with us here at The Smoking Cuban for live updates.