Pulling back the curtain: Inside a ‘disappointing’ NBA Draft Lottery for the Hornets

Filing in through NBA security and forced to give up his cellphone like everybody else prior to getting locked down, Rick Schnall seemed calmer than the waves reaching the shoreline of nearby Lake Michigan.

“Nah,” the Charlotte Hornets co-owner said. “There’s no reason to be nervous.”

The day’s main event was less than 15 minutes away, but Schnall remained even-keeled and mustered a smile while heading into a ballroom inside McCormick Place. The NBA Draft Lottery was about to take place, an event that can assist in constructing the 2024-25 roster over the coming weeks and quickly change the direction of a franchise.

Even though this year’s NBA Draft is believed to be the weakest in more than a…