Winners and losers of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery

Winner: Memphis Grizzlies

So much for “Team Convey.” Memphis Grizzlies fans may have wanted their top-eight protected pick (which is only top-six protected next year) to convey in a draft that’s less than stellar beyond the first 2-3 picks, but had they known they’d be jumping all the way to No. 2, they probably would’ve been singing a different tune.

That’s exactly what happened Tuesday night, when the Grizz jumped from the eighth position to the second overall pick, despite only having a 6.3 percent chance of making that leap. Now, they’ll likely be able to draft their Mike Conley successor once Williamson is off the board.

Missing out on a smooth and sexy frontcourt for Zion and Jaren Jackson Jr. is a bummer, but the older Delon Wright now becomes something of a stopgap at the 1 until Ja Morant is ready to take over. Pick-and-rolls/pops between Ja and JJJ are going to be deadly for a long time, and this bit of good fortune either makes Conley fully expendable, or gives Morant a terrific mentor until the day comes for a trade. Either way, the Grizz have to be happy about their night.

Loser: Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls entered the lottery with the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick, and though they’ve got about 17 guys capable of playing the power forward spot, falling all the way to No. 7 is an undeniable letdown.

True enough, landing Zion would’ve created a frontcourt logjam since Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr. and Cristiano Felicio are all already on the roster. However, that’s one of those problems any rebuilding team would be glad to have, since Zion’s ceiling is miles above that of Porter, Carter and even the beloved Markkanen.

The Bulls have nabbed some pretty solid prospects at No. 7 in the recent past, including both Carter and Markkanen, but it’s still a bummer to slide three spots and miss out on both Zion and Morant at the top.