NBA Draft Lottery 2016: Preview, Odds and Top Teams to Watch at Tuesday’s Event

On Tuesday night, the random selection of inanimate objects will determine the future of several NBA players and franchises.

A maddening exercise for teams other than the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, the draft lottery will especially torment some damaged franchises this year. While the lucky ones will get the chance to snag Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, everyone else will rummage through an underwhelming draft class.

Most of the scenarios will send conspiracy theorists into overdrive. Two decorated rivals—one on the rise and the other set to start anew—could walk away with the 2016 draft’s top two selections. Another team could finally get a lucky bounce (or two) and ignite its long-running rebuild.

Courtesy of CBS Sports’ Sam Vecenie, here’s a look at all 14 participants’ lottery chances:

Philadelphia 76ers

Five weeks after general manager and president Sam Hinkie resigned, the day he spent years planning for may finally arrive.

The 76ers landed the No. 3 pick in each the last two years, but they now boast the best chance of landing the top choice. Given the growing debate brewing over Simmons and Ingram, drawing No. 2 would be fine.

Hinkie’s blueprint depended on drafting a future cornerstone, but Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and the sidelined Joel Embiid (foot) don’t yet fit the bill. With Simmons, the 76ers would snag an alluring athlete with a limitless ceiling. Ingram, on the other hand, would offer some needed perimeter shooting.

Then again, it’s no guarantee that new team president Bryan Colangelo has the patience to stockpile youngsters. According to NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper, he left open the possibility of exploring trade offers:

It’s hard to put a number or a value on degree of aggressiveness, but we’ll certainly be open for business and listening to whatever is there. I think any time you have certain assets on the table in front of you, you need to determine what your best strategic move is, and some of that is yet to be determined. To what degree we’ll be aggressive, it’s …

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