2018 NBA Draft: 5 lottery teams with the most at stake
By Max Holm
With the 2018 NBA Draft coming in less than two weeks, these franchises arguably have the most at stake with their decisions on draft night.
The 2018 NBA Draft is finally almost here. With the NBA season over following the Golden State Warriors’ sweep, it’s all eyes on the draft. This year’s lottery teams, especially in the top 10, could see plenty of franchise-changers.
Not all lottery teams are created equal. You have bottom-dwellers like the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings. Both teams have promising pieces, but are far away from even playoff contention. Playoff teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers have top-10 picks, courtesy of trades with lesser teams.
The reality is though, some teams have more at stake than others. With a potentially great draft class, every team always has something at stake. You don’t want to be that team who picks Greg Oden over Kevin Durant or misses out on a talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, some teams have more to gain, or even lose.
Some franchises have pressure through different combinations of too much losing, fear of losing players or the need to not miss on a pick so high up in the draft. These are the five franchises with the most at stake with their moves on draft night.