NBA draft 2020: The Report Card

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NBA Draft Lottery: Who Needs No. 1 Pick The Most?

The NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place in just over two weeks, as the top of the draft order will be officially set. Although this draft doesn't have a clear franchise-altering like Victor Wembanyama, there is still tremendous value in landing the No. 1 overall pick.

There are quite a few franchises that hold at least a slight chance at having the honor of picking first, but the five teams with the best odds include the Detroit Pistons (14%), Washington Wizards (14%), Charlotte Hornets (13.3%), Portland Trail Blazers (13.2%) and San Antonio Spurs (10.5%).

Those five franchises with the best odds to land the top pick are in that situation due to a poor 2023-24 campaign. The lottery odds are in reverse order of the NBA's league-wide standings, meaning these were the worst teams last season.

Of these five, which team has the biggest need to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft? There's no guarantee that means drafting the best player in the class, but at least that franchise controls its own destiny and can choose from the entire pool of prospects.

Detroit Pistons

With Cade Cunningham at the helm — playing alongside Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson — the Pistons feel like a team that simply need time to develop and mesh. Another top pick would be beneficial, but the foundation is already set in Detroit.

Washington Wizards

Washington has quite a few interesting complimentary pieces, with players like Deni Avdija, Bilal Coulibaly, Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma among others. With that in mind, this team lacks a face of the franchise and alpha that can carry this team as a top option in the coming years.

Charlotte Hornets

With LaMelo Ball being an All-Star type of player when healthy, alongside Brandon Miller who appears to have star upside, the Hornets have a duo for the future. Add Miles Bridges and Mark Williams to the equation and it feels like this team needs more veteran talent via free agency and trade than it desperately needs a top overall pick to become competitive.

Portland Trail Blazers

In theory, the Blazers have several players with star upside. Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons are all on steep trajectories and are good enough to build this team back to being a postseason threat one day.

San Antonio Spurs

After drafting Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have one of the brightest futures in the league. As fun as pairing him with another top pick would be, San Antonio is definitely the least desperate of this group in terms of needing the No. 1 overall pick.

Conclusion

Given the Wizards are the only team that doesn't appear to have a player who has a clear path to being a bonafide top option on a playoff team, Washington needs the top pick the most. Again, that doesn't mean the franchise will land a superstar or a generational talent, but at least having the ability to pick their guy is of extreme value.

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Photos: LaMelo Ball's New Puma X LaFrancé Armour Lifestyle Shoe

NBA star LaMelo Ball is known for his skills on the court and his colorful, flamboyant fashion off of it, which he channels in his LaFrancé fashion brand. In 2020, when LaMelo was the third-ranked rookie draft in the NBA, Puma tapped him make a signature shoe and help bring the brand back into the world of basketball.

After dropping three bold signature basketball shoes, Puma and LaMelo have announced their first lifestyle shoe together, an oversized shiny red skater-style shoe. The latest Puma x LaFrancé comes in the red "Armour" colorway and is laden with unique details, including designs inspired by Ball's tattoos. It drops on May 17. See photos below.

Rockets' Alperen Sengun Likely In Line For $200 Million-Plus Contract

If there was any doubt prior to the 2023-24 regular season that Alperen Sengun is the sun the Rockets will orbit for the foreseeable future, he dispelled that.

Drafted in 2021 No. 16 overall, Sengun has seen a systemic climb to stardom.

A third season of improvement — this time to averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks per game — did plenty to portray himself as a franchise cornerstone. Not withstanding the 19-win improvement the team rose to with him (mostly) at the helm.

Now, the 21-year-old Turkish center is in line for a payday, and likely one over $200 million.

The max Sengun will be allowed to earn will be $225 million, and at this point, there's likely little argument against giving him every cent of that. Especially given that would lock him in for five full seasons.

That contract would also put him in a lucrative bunch. Just three players from the previous 2020 draft earned max deals: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. And at just 21 with room to grow in a variety of areas, there's a chance Sengun can reach that tier on-court.

Now, the only question is when he gets the deal. And Rockets' General Manager Rafael Stone doesn't seem to be in any hurry regarding that side of operations right now.

"The way the CBA is set up, you can extend, you don't have to," Stone said. "And you can always revisit next summer. So in that sense there's no gun to our head. We'll have conversations, we'll see what makes sense for us, what makes sense for them, and then both sides will end up making whatever decisions we make."

For now, Sengun will continue rehabbing his late-season injury in order to suit up for opening night of the 2024-25 regular season.

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