Play-In Results Shuffled Draft Board In Significant Ways

One of the side effects of the Play-In Tournament was the major impact it had on the 2022 NBA Draft board. This season, multiple teams saw their 2022 draft pick situation change based on the results of the Play-In Tournament.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Atlanta Hawks, their pick went from being tied for 16/17 to 14. That pick was lottery-protected, so Cleveland will now keep the pick vs delivering it to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers can receive a first-round selection from the Cavs next season, but it is also lottery-protected. It turns into two second-round picks if not conveyed in 2023.

The New Orleans Pelicans victory over the LA Clippers had an even bigger impact to the draft board. The Pelicans pick went from 11 to 15. That changed who New Orleans conveys that pick to from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Charlotte Hornets. Portland will now receive a top-4 protected Milwaukee Bucks (via New Orleans) in 2025.

The Clippers dropping into the lottery gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a second lottery selection. That pick is also non-protected. It’s important to remember that LA once conveyed the first overall selection to Cleveland when they jumped to the top of the draft lottery.

The full pre-lottery first round order is:

1. Houston Rockets
2. Orlando Magic
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Sacramento Kings
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Washington Wizards
11. New York Knicks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans Pelicans)
16. Atlanta Hawks
17. Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)
18. Chicago Bulls/Minnesota Timberwolves
19. Chicago Bulls/Minnesota Timberwolves
20. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
21. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via Utah Jazz)
23. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
24. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
25. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
26. Dallas Mavericks
27. Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat
28. Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat
29. Memphis Grizzlies
30. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Phoenix Suns)

Ties will be broken by random drawing on Monday, April 18.

The Brooklyn Nets can receive the Philadelphia 76ers first-round selection, or Brooklyn can defer to receiving that pick at the 2023 draft instead.