The NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers on Friday evening, further cementing the draft order for 2018. While we’ll have to wait until the lottery to determine the exact order for this year’s event, we now know what most of the 60 selections look like.
Listed below is the pre-lottery 2018 NBA draft order. Each lottery team’s chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick are noted in parentheses. We’ve also included notes for picks whose status remains up in the air — for instance, the Lakers‘ first-round pick could still technically end up with either the Sixers or Celtics.
We’ll update this list after the May 15 lottery once the official order is set, but here’s the tentative 2018 NBA draft order:
First Round:
- Phoenix Suns (25.0%)
- Memphis Grizzlies (19.9%)
- Dallas Mavericks (13.8%)
- Atlanta Hawks (13.7%)
- Orlando Magic (8.8%)
- Chicago Bulls (5.3%)
- Sacramento Kings (5.3%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets) (2.8%)
- New York Knicks (1.7%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (from Lakers) (1.1%)
- Note: Celtics will receive pick if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 via lottery (2.9% chance).
- Note: Celtics will receive pick if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 via lottery (2.9% chance).
- Charlotte Hornets (0.8%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Pistons) (0.7%)
- Note: Pistons will keep pick if it moves into top three via lottery (2.5% chance).
- Note: Pistons will keep pick if it moves into top three via lottery (2.5% chance).
- Los Angeles Clippers (0.6%)
- Denver Nuggets (0.5%)
- Washington Wizards
- Phoenix Suns (from Heat)
- Milwaukee Bucks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Atlanta Hawks (from Timberwolves)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Thunder)
- Utah Jazz
- Chicago Bulls (from Pelicans)
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Los Angeles Lakers (from Cavaliers)
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Boston Celtics
- Golden State Warriors
- Brooklyn Nets (from Raptors)
- Atlanta Hawks (from Rockets)
Second Round:
- Phoenix Suns
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Atlanta Hawks
- Dallas Mavericks
- Note: Mavericks would swap places with Hawks if Atlanta gets higher first-round pick than Dallas via lottery.
- Orlando Magic
- Sacramento Kings
- New York Knicks (from Bulls)
- Note: Knicks would swap places with Kings if Sacramento gets higher first-round pick than Chicago via lottery.
- Philadelphia 76ers (from Nets)
- Philadelphia 76ers (from Knicks)
- Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers)
- Orlando Magic (from Hornets)
- Detroit Pistons
- Denver Nuggets (from Clippers)
- Washington Wizards
- Brooklyn Nets (from Bucks)
- Houston Rockets (from Heat)
- Los Angeles Lakers (from Nuggets)
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- San Antonio Spurs
- Indiana Pacers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Utah Jazz
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Dallas Mavericks (from Trail Blazers)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Cavaliers)
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Celtics)
- Denver Nuggets (from Warriors)
- Phoenix Suns (from Raptors)
- Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets)
The Cavaliers getting Trae Young should be their main priority. If Lebron was smart he would stay in Cleveland and look forward to playing with the kid, the amount of gravity the kid attracts with his shooting ability and ability to draw defenders can greatly impact the Cavs offense. Lebron should quit looking for quick fixes joining Ben and Harden will do nothing for his career.
Except joining Ben or Harden gives him a better chance at winning multiple rings before he retires.
It would definitely not be a competitive standpoint. He should try to outduel those guys instead of joining them. Ben is building his own legacy and so is Harden, Lebron should focus on his in Cleveland.
You forget about that 4-headed juggernaut? GSW? Until Harden/CP3 actually beat them, they have no legacy.
Yup, and Chris Paul didn’t look so great in the first half last night. Turnovers poor shots bad plays.
4 headed juggernaut? You are severely overrating the Warriors.
Colin Sexton is way better then Trae Young
Depends what you are looking for. Me personally I prefer Trae, the shooting ability and play making wins me over. Sexton will be good in his own way but just not a good enough shooter for me to consider drafting.
If the Celtics luck out…geez. Bagley Jr.
Irving, Brown, Tatum, Bagley Jr., Horford.
Hayward off the bench (just kidding, but they could).
2.9% chance… slim odds, but hey it’s happened before.
Something tells me Kyrie won’t be a Celtic beyond next summer.
It’s just the voice in your head. You can safely ignore it