2025 NBA Draft Lottery: How to watch, start time, percentages

The NBA Draft Lottery can determine the outlooks of the league's non-playoff teams, as teams who see the ping-pong balls bounce their way could end up with a franchise-changing prospect.

Ahead of the 2025 draft, former Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg is projected as the consensus No. 1 pick. Flagg led the Blue Devils to the national semifinals while leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game.

While Flagg has gotten the most rave reviews of any prospect in this cycle, this draft is regarded as a deep one with Dylan Harper, Airious 'Ace' Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, and more being viewed as potential impact players.

Here, let's take a look at all you need to know for the annual event that helps shape the futures of the worst teams in the NBA.

How to watch the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery will be broadcast on ESPN, available via cable TV and live TV streaming apps such as YouTubeTV or FuboTV.

2025 NBA Draft Lottery start time, date and location

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled to start at 7 PM ET/6 PM CT/4 PM PT on Monday, May 12th from Chicago, Illinois.

2025 NBA Draft Lottery Winner Probability

Team	Probability for No. 1 pick
Utah Jazz	14.0%
Washington Wizards	14.0%
Charlotte Hornets	14.0%
New Orleans Pelicans	12.5%
Philadelphia 76ers	10.5%
Brooklyn Nets	9.0%
Toronto Raptors	7.5%
San Antonio Spurs	6.0%
Houston Rockets (via Phoenix Suns)	3.8%
Portland Trail Blazers	3.7%
Dallas Mavericks	1.8%
Chicago Bulls	1.7%
Atlanta Hawks (via Sacramento Kings)	0.8%
San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta Hawks)	0.7%

How does the NBA Draft Lottery work?

A total of 14 ping-pong balls labeled with numbers 1 through 14 are loaded into a lottery machine, and four balls are drawn from the machine.

There are 1,001 possible combinations of numbers that can be picked, and each team gets numerical combinations assigned to them, the amount of which is based on the team's odds to win the first-overall pick.

Then, four balls are drawn to form a four-number combination.

The team that was assigned the number combination that is drawn wins the first pick. Then, the process is repeated for the second, third and fourth picks.

If a team that has already been drawn sees one of their assigned number combinations drawn again, the result is discarded and the process repeats until an eligible team is chosen.

After the first four picks are awarded, picks five through 14 are ordered in reverse order of each Lottery team's regular season win-loss record.