CHICAGO — The Atlanta Hawks won the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after securing victory at the NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, held at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.
The Hawks, who finished the season 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-46, overcame slim odds of 3% to win the lottery. They had lost their final six regular-season games and were defeated by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the So-Fi Play-In Tournament.
“It was a shock,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields, visibly thrilled as NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced Atlanta as the lottery winner. “When I first saw that we weren’t announced between the 10th and 12th picks, I knew we had a real chance at the top spot. It was surprising, but very exciting.”
The NBA Draft 2024, also presented by State Farm, is scheduled for June 26 and 27, with the first round taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and the second round at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.
The complete list of lottery results is as follows:
- Atlanta
- Washington
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Detroit
- Charlotte
- Portland
- San Antonio (again)
- Memphis
- Utah
- Chicago
- Oklahoma City
- Sacramento
- Portland (again)
Washington and Detroit entered the lottery with the highest chances of securing the top pick, both at 14%. Despite this, only four teams in NBA history have won the lottery with slimmer odds than the Hawks. The most notable longshot was the Orlando Magic in 1993, who won with a 1.52% chance and later executed a major draft night trade, sending the rights to Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for the rights to Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks.
Last year, the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama, who has been considered a generational talent. The Spurs, known for selecting franchise-altering players such as David Robinson and Tim Duncan with their No. 1 picks, saw Wembanyama deliver one of the finest rookie seasons in NBA history.
Fields did not specify who the Hawks might be targeting with their No. 1 pick, leaving speculation open as the draft approaches.
Original Source: NBA.com
