7. Washington Wizards
Pre-lottery odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick: 6.7%
I believe this is the spot where you can start making real arguments for teams that genuinely deserve some good luck heading into the NBA Draft Lottery. The Washington Wizards have found themselves tuck in irrelevancy since it all went south with John Wall. Even with Bradley Beal still on the roster, the team has struggled to jump back up to a position where they can compete in the East. But it hasn’t come without trying. And that’s one of the biggest reasons why you can argue the Wizards deserve some good luck in the lottery.
The Wizards are clearly a franchise that needs a lifeline. And with the way the team is trending, it’s hard to see how else it’s going to come if not via the NBA Draft Lottery. And landing Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Draft is exactly what this team needs to inject some excitement back in the franchise.
If the Wizards were miraculously able to add Wembanyama to a core that already has Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma, it could make all the difference for this team next season. That’s a playoff team if Wembanyama is the player many expect him to be.