Raptors NBA Draft Lottery odds could be set by tonight

The Toronto Raptors might not be playing for a playoff position anymore, but they could find out a small piece of how their future will shape up as soon as Friday.

The Raptors, who take on the Miami Heat at 8 pm ET for the first of a two-game set to close out the season, could also find out their draft lottery odds this evening.

For the last few months, Toronto has been jockeying for position in the mid-20s of the overall NBA standings, as they currently sit 25th out of 30 teams. Should the Raptors lose tonight — or the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers — Toronto will be locked into the sixth-best odds at the first selection in this June’s draft.

According to the latest projections from Tankathon, the Raptors hold a 9% chance of winning the top overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and a 27.4% shot at landing a top-three selection.

Detroit and Washington each hold a 14% chance at the first overall pick, while San Antonio has a 13.3% shot, Charlotte has a 13.2% shot, and the Portland Trail Blazers have a 10.5% chance to round out the top five.

Toronto’s pick is set to go to San Antonio this year as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade executed in February 2023, but it is top-six protected, meaning it’s contingent on the upcoming draft lottery results.

The NBA Draft is set for June 26 and 27, taking place over two days in New York, while the Draft Lottery will take place on May 12.

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