NBA's draft lottery Tuesday > ESPN > 8:30 PM EDT > WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The NBA's draft lottery Tuesday will fix the positions of the 14 teams that did not make the playoffs this season.

That event is always a big night on the NBA calendar, and perhaps it will be even more memorable than usual because of the prizes at the top.

The lottery system gives the teams with the three worst regular-season records an equal chance to come away with the top pick.

The New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns each have a 14.0 percent chance of coming away with the No. 1 pick and a 52.1 percent chance of coming away with a pick in the top four. Those teams had the worst records in the NBA this season.

Every team that did not make the playoffs has a chance to win the lottery. Here's a look at this year's odds, per Tankathon.

Team, Regular-Season Record, Top-4 Pick Pct., No. 1 Pick Pct.

New York Knicks, 17-65, 52.1%, 14.0%

Cleveland Cavaliers, 19-63, 52.1%, 14.0%

Phoenix Suns, 19-63, 52.1%, 14.0%

Chicago Bulls, 22-60, 48.0%, 12.5%

Atlanta Hawks, 29-53, 42.1%, 10.5%

Washington Wizards, 32-50, 37.2%, 9.0%

New Orleans Pelicans, 33-49, 26.3%, 6.0%

Dallas Mavericks, 33-49, 26.3%, 6.0%

Memphis Grizzlies, 33-49, 26.3%, 6.0%

Minnesota Timberwolves, 36-46, 13.9%, 3.0%

Los Angeles Lakers, 37-45, 9.4%, 2.0%

Charlotte Hornets, 39-43, 4.8%, 1.0%

Miami Heat, 39-43, 4.8%, 1.0%

Sacramento Kings, 39-43, 4.8%, 1.0%

TO WATCH FOR

CELTICS GET MEMPHIS PICK IF OUT OF TOP 8

CELTICS GET SACRAMENTO PICK IF NOT #1

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So basically we have a 26.8% chance of NOT getting the Memphis pick at #9 and a 3.8% chance of getting the Sacto pick as 2-4.

worcester wrote:So basically we have a 26.8% chance of NOT getting the Memphis pick at #9 and a 3.8% chance of getting the Sacto pick as 2-4.

There's a 34.1% chance Boston gets the #9 pick, 8% chance of getting the #10 pick, 0.5% chance of getting the #11 pick and close to a 0.0% chance that they get the #12 pick from Memphis.

Boston has a 1.1% chance at the #2 pick, a 1.2% chance at the #3 pick and a 1.4% chance of getting the #4 pick from Sacramento.

Well, almost any pick received from Sacramento in either the top 10 or even near the top ten is pretty good for the Cs since they have already "won" the Fultz/Tatum trade by about 100 miles.

Tatum is off to having at least a decent NBA career, and it may still turn out to be a great NBA career while Fultz may never have an NBA career beyond being knows as a first overall pick in the summer of 2017.

So, if the guy the Cs get from this Sacto pick is a player of any stature he will be the so called icing-on-the-cake.  Lots of top quality players were not all drafted first or second as we all know, and there are many examples that we all can cite.

Percentages very much seem to predict that the Memphis pick will come to Boston next year of the year after, but if it does come between 9 and 14 it, too, could be quite useful to fill a roster spot or as trade chip.