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The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery was conducted last night in Secaucus, New Jersey. For a second straight year, representatives from each of the 14 teams in the lottery joined the process online as Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced the fate of their picks.
The Detroit Pistons ended up winning the first overall pick for the 2021 NBA Draft, while the Houston Rockets received the second pick. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors won the third and fourth picks respectively.
The rest of the teams were assigned picks based on their performance during the 2020-21 season and you can check the entire draft order for the two rounds here.
2021 NBA Draft Lottery Results: Who were the biggest winners and losers of the event?
Since the NBA changed the lottery odds in 2019 to curb tanking, securing a top pick in the draft has become incredibly tougher. But some teams rode their luck on Tuesday night to secure a top-five pick. Others dropped down the pecking order despite the numbers suggesting otherwise.
Without further ado, let's look at the biggest winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery.
#1 Winner: Detroit Pistons
We begin with the winner of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery itself. If there's one franchise that could've truly used a break, it's the Detroit Pistons. Given their glorious history, the Pistons have managed just two first-round playoff exits in the last 12 years. But the situation is finally starting to turn.
Winning the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery is monumental for the Pistons, who are likely going to select Cade Cunningham with their pick. But they have the luxury of picking whoever they choose to, based on the fits with their existing crop of talent.
Detroit already has a legitimate wingman in Saddiq Bey, a feisty center in Isaiah Stewart, and a creative passer in Killian Hayes. If they hold on to Jerami Grant and the other three players continue to develop, the Pistons can round out their starting five for the future this year itself.
#2 Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery with a chance to walk away with two top-five picks. They had a 75% chance of landing in the top five, yet they finished with just the sixth overall pick, despite their commitment to tanking in the second half of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the fourth-best overall odds to win the lottery and could've claimed the Houston Rockets' pick if it fell to number five. Unfortunately, none of the scenarios transpired and OKC will now have the 18th overall pick from the Miami Heat instead. The Thunder also have the 16th pick which they acquired from the Boston Celtics in the Kemba Walker trade.
Given the stockpile of draft stock that the Thunder have, it would be hard to imagine that GM Sam Presti won't try to move up the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. OKC has six picks this year alone, so they'll definitely look to consolidate them. Having said that, the Thunder would've loved to see their own pick finish higher in the draft order.
#3 Winner: Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors were comfortably the biggest winners of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. They moved up three spots, the most for any team this year, to end up with the fourth overall pick. Not only does this allow them to add a franchise-altering prospect, but they also will likely not have the problem of choice either.
The Raptors will likely be drafting one of Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and Jalen Green, based on who's available. The best part here is that all three players are a good fit for the franchise. Mobley would solve the team's visible dearth at the center spot, Suggs would be a good two-way fit between Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, while Green would be an athletic scorer.
With Kyle Lowry likely to depart in free agency, this puts the Toronto Raptors on a fast-track route to playoff contention too. It's highly unlikely that the Raptors would move this pick, but that door is open nonetheless. They can exact a premium out of this pick in the trade market to acquire a star player and push for the postseason right away.
#4 Loser: Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic had the third-worst record in the league this season, giving them the same odds as the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets to win the number one pick. But just like the Thunder, Orlando dropped two spots and finished with the fifth overall pick. They will also receive the eighth pick from Chicago thanks to the Nikola Vucevic trade.
While this still works out in Orlando's favor, you'd be hard-pressed to think that the Magic would've preferred a better result from the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. The element of choice is mostly out of the window for the Magic, who'll probably be drafting Jonathan Kuminga.
While Kuminga has the potential to be the scoring wing they need, they could've filled that space by selecting Franz Wagner with the eighth seed. Wagner isn't as explosive as Kuminga and arguably doesn't have the same upside, but he's more efficient on both ends of the floor as things stand.
The Orlando Magic have a few good pieces to work with in the form of Markelle Fultz, RJ Hampton and Cole Anthony. They also have Chuma Okeke and Jonathan Isaac in terms of frontcourt talent. None of these players arguably have the same potential as Suggs, Green and Mobley. So the Magic would've definitely hoped for a bigger bite at the cherry via the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery.
#5 Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the luxury of opting for multiple routes after securing the third pick via the 2021 NBA Draft lottery. The fans would probably want them to draft one of Jalen Suggs and Jalen Green based on availability and either player would be a fantastic addition to their roster.
Should the Cavs choose to push for a playoff berth, though, they could try trading this pick for a star right now. They could also try moving down the draft while dumping Kevin Love's salary, which would be helpful considering they have a few player extensions coming up.
If the Cavs end up using their pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to add Suggs or Green, they would need to move one of their smaller guys to allow the incoming player the required minutes to develop.
Darius Garland is untouchable because of his passing ability and Isaac Okoro has elite defensive potential. Collin Sexton would then have to be put on the trade block, but he's been the Cavs' primary scorer of late. GM Koby Altman may prefer not to break up the backcourt tandem that Sexton and Garland already have.
In any case, the Cavs have plenty of options to consider and the resources to make either alternative work in their favor.
Also read: 5 Big takeaways from the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery results
