The odds worked in favor of the Boston Celtics at Tuesday night's NBA draft lottery, as the top seed in the Eastern Conference will also have the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft courtesy of a previous trade for the Nets' first-round pick. The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, avoided losing their first-round pick via a conditional trade component and will select No. 2 overall.
While getting a top-three pick was a long shot for many of the lottery teams, those that select in the top half of the first round will still have an opportunity to find great value.