How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?

The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery will be a nervous night for the Dallas Mavericks. They owe their first-round pick to the New York Knicks with a top-ten protection. Dallas had the tenth-worst record in the NBA, and they are clinging hard to the selection.

Three things can happen on May 16. The Mavs can move up into the top four, which gives them an elite prospect to put next to Luka Doncic. They could hold at ten or fall further down if one of the teams below them jumps into the top four. If the Mavs slip to 11th, the selection goes to the Knicks.

Fans will be glued to their televisions as the announcement is made, but what can fans expect in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery? Here is a closer look.

How does NBA Draft Lottery work?

The 14 teams that missed the playoffs will take part in the lottery to determine the order for the 2023 NBA Draft. There will be a drawing to set the top four selections with picks five through 14 determined by inverse order of record of the remaining teams.

There are 14 actual lottery balls placed into a machine that are number one through 14. Leaving 1,001 combinations when four balls are selected. Each team is assigned a specific number of combinations, and the first one that comes out of the machine gets the number one overall pick. The process is repeated from picks two through four.

Fans won’t see the actual lottery drawing because it takes some time, but they can read about all of the particulars here.

What are the Dallas Mavericks' odds in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery?

The Mavericks have a 3.0 percent chance of landing the top pick and right to select Victor Wembanyama. They have a 13.9 percent shot at moving up into the top four and a 79.8 percent chance of keeping their first-round pick. The Mavs will select tenth in 65.9 percent of the scenarios, which is the most likely outcome on May 16.

How can fans watch the 2023 NBA Draft lottery, and what will they see?

The 2023 NBA Draft lottery takes place on Tuesday, May 16 and it will air at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN or the Watch ESPN app.

The broadcast will feature one representative from each team, a few top prospects, and the NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum. Tatum will unveil the sealed envelopes that contain the order as the people who witnessed the actual lottery are sequestered in a room without their phones until the results are public.

Fans cannot miss the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery because it could be a franchise-altering night for the Dallas Mavericks. Stay tuned for all the latest.