Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan and executive vice president Pat Williams will represent the team at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 17.
The Orlando Magic have had the ultimate luck in the NBA Draft Lottery. In 1993, one ping pong ball in a vat of 66 rose to the top to deliver the Magic a second straight No. 1 overall pick. Pat Williams was the man on the dais for that magical moment (I think they made a documentary about that) as the NBA world was stunned.
Orlando had a 1.52 percent chance to win the lottery that year, the team will have a 0.8 percent chance to win the lottery this year with just eight combinations. But Pat Williams, and all his various lucky charms and lottery mojo, will once again be in the room where the lottery is drawn.
Perhaps there will be another Magic Moment.
In '93 Draft Lottery, Orlando had < 1% chance at the 1st pick… once again - magic was on its side. #ThisMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/iTFbdDcPkc
— 30 for 30 (@30for30) April 15, 2016
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports Pat Williams will be in the room where the actual lottery is drawn for the second straight year while Magic general manager Rob Hennigan will represent the team on the television broadcast when the draft order is officially unveiled. The NBA Draft Lottery will take place May 17 and will air on ESPN ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals game that evening.
Williams did bring some measure of luck to the Magic last year as for the first time in three years the Magic did not fall back in the draft order. Orlando had the best odds at winning the Lottery in 2013, but fell back to No. 2 to take Victor Oladipo. In 2014, the Magic had the third best Lottery odds but fell out of the top three and picked Aaron Gordon fourth.
Last year, the Magic had the fifth best Lottery odds and picked Mario Hezonja with the fifth pick.
The 10-win improvement greatly decreases the Magic’s odds to reach the top three and jump up any spots.
In fact, Orlando has just eight combinations available to them to make that climb into the top three. The Lottery is conducted by drawing four numbers — 1 through 14 — and matching it with a combination on a master board. Each team is assigned a set number of combinations based on their finish in the NBA.
With the 11th best Lottery odds, the Magic have a 0.8 percent chance at landing the top pick, a 0.9 percent chance at the second pick and a 1.2 percent chance at the third pick. Getting into the top three would be a relative coup.
In all likelihood, the Magic will land the 11th pick. There is a 90.7 percent chance of that occurring with just a 6.3 percent chance of falling to 12 and a 0.1 percent chance to fall to 13. There is a minuscule chance the team falls all the way 14th. That would be a real long shot though.
There is further intrigue for the Magic too. As Robbins points out — and many have asked me — the Magic are owed a pick from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the Dwight Howard trade in 2012. When the Magic get that pick could play out this year.
The Lakers first owe a first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers — acquired from the Phoenix Suns as part of the Brandon Knight trade. The Magic will receive the Lakers’ pick two years after that pick is conveyed to the Lakers. The earliest the Magic could receive that first round pick (top-five protected) is 2018.
But, if the Lakers do not give that pick to the 76ers by 2017, then the pick converts to two second round picks in 2017 and 2018. The Magic really want this pick to convey sooner rather than later. The pick is top-three protected in both 2016 and 2017. So the Magic desperately want the Lakers to fall out of the top three in one of the next two seasons.
The Lakers finished with the second-worst record in the league this year and have a 55.8 percent chance of landing in the top three. Long odds indeed.
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That only adds to the intrigue for the Magic during the Draft Lottery.