Official Site of the Suns · May 9, 2018
The History of the NBA Draft Lottery
The Phoenix Suns currently hold the highest odds for the first overall pick. The team has a 25 percent chance of obtaining the first pick and a 64.2 percent chance to land in the top three. Out of the 1,001 possible combinations to be chosen in the lottery, the Suns are hoping one of their 250 chances are selected.
HISTORY OF THE LOTTERY:
Prior to 1985, the NBA draft order was determined by territorial picks and coin flips. The method was eventually changed due to the speculation that teams were purposely losing in order to secure the first pick.