How the 2023 NBA Draft’s lottery unfolded

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Here’s how the 2023 NBA Draft’s lottery unfolded on Thursday night.

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1. San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama PF/C, France

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The first surprise came early …. Er, no, the guy projected to go for years finally had his big day. The only question is if he can stay healthy. If so, this is going to be one of the faces of the NBA for a long time.

2. Charlotte. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama

Time will tell if this was a mistake. Hornets went for fit here, but Scoot Henderson was right there. Miller has off-court baggage, but does have a lot of potential. Still, this franchise’s track record is terrible.

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3. Portland. Scoot Henderson, G, G League

He’s a fine consolation prize and even a nice fit on a Portland roster looking, perhaps, to be relevant with Damian Lillard still in town. Miller can score, defend, and has star potential. There’s some off-court baggage, and he reportedly didn’t show amazingly in interviews, but Miller is a big-time talent.

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4. Houston. Amen Thompson, G, No college

The best athlete in the draft, Thompson has absurd potential. But he’s nowhere close to NBA ready as a shooter and he’s never faced legitimate competition. Rockets would be wise to add a true point guard to the team and some veterans.

5. Detroit. Ausar Thompson, F, No college

Back-to-back twins for the first time since the Sedin twins in the NHL in 1999! Ausar is no slouch athletically himself and brings different things to the table than Amen. He’s more of a wing player and a defender. The Pistons had hoped for a Top 3 pick and go with upside here over more of a sure bet.

6. Orlando. Anthony Black, G, Arkansas

Another surprise. The word was Black’s stock had been soaring, but few expected him to get this high. The Magic is collecting ball-handlers at every position. Rookie of the year Paolo Banchero can do it, so can Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony. But most of them aren’t shooters and neither is Black. Still, he’s a giant point guard who processes the game quickly.

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7. Indiana. Bilal Coulibaly, France (traded to Washington)

Wembanyama’s former teammate was also a riser. Initially pegged as a late first-round selection, Coulibaly is raw and nobody expects him to contribute either this season or next, but in time he has all the tools to be excellent. Washington is just starting to rebuild, so can wait as long as it takes on Coulibaly.

8. Washington. Jarace Walker, F, Houston (traded to Indiana)

Strong as an ox and with a huge wingspan, Walker is NBA-ready and gives a boost to a frontcourt that needs it. Pacers look good in the backcourt already, but Walker makes sense both for fit and skill. He was initially expected to go higher, so this is a coup for the Pacers. If Myles Turner sticks around, good luck getting easy buckets against Turner and Walker inside.

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9. Utah. Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF

We said a day ago that either Hendricks or Walker would be great fits to complete Utah’s Lauri Markkanen-Walker Kessler frontcourt. Hendricks has more all-around skill and should work really well with what the Jazz is building.

10. Dallas. Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky (traded to Oklahoma City)

Thunder add one of this draft’s top defenders to enviable young core. Nobody has more at point guard than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Wallace. That’s just ridiculous. And with Lu Dort there too, they should have elite defence.

11. Orlando. Jett Howard, F, Michigan

Remember when we said Orlando desperately needed shooters? Well, the son of Juwan Howard does one thing really well — shoot the ball. There’s a lot of things he doesn’t do well enough, but you can’t teach shooting. This is absolutely a fit pick over higher upside players. Most had Howard slotted much later in the draft.

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12. Oklahoma City. Dereck Lively, C, Duke (traded to Dallas)

This draft’s other top centre is a shot-blocking force. He’s also a foul machine with little to offer on offence. Dallas had a massive need for a big man though and Lively was the best available. He’ll be a nice lob target for Luka Doncic.

13. Toronto. Gradey Dick, G/F, Kansas

Considered the best shooter in the draft, Dick brings a desperately needed element to the Raptors, one of the NBA’s worst shooting squads. Time will tell if they will regret not going with someone with more upside (like free-faller Cam Whitmore or Kobe Bufkin), but Dick can play, fills the team’s biggest need and has a low floor (but also a low ceiling). Sometimes the safe route isn’t bad.

14. New Orleans. Jordan Hawkins, G, UConn

And maybe the second-best shooter goes next. Hawkins took a big jump in helping lead the Huskies to the NCAA title. He isn’t as tall as Dick, so is strictly a shooting guard, most likely, but he can defend better than Dick and do a bit more offensively He would have made some sense for the Raptors too, and works with the Pelicans, assuming Zion Williamson actually plays.

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