The Houston Rockets ended with the worst record in the league and by a few games. In any other league, this would land them the top pick in the draft but not in the NBA. We have seen over and over again that having the worst record does not always land a team the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. This year is no different.
The NBA lottery will determine the draft order. If the Rockets do not land the first-overall pick, it could shakeup how the entire lottery plays out.
READ MORE: 2021 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Is Evan Mobley a lock to be picked in top two?
It seems like a done deal that this lottery will be the sweepstakes for Cade Cunningham. With the top five being all but locked in, teams could have different priorities. This will all depend on who picks in what slot.
Entering the lottery, there are three teams with a 14% chance to land the top pick. Those teams are the Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons. The Cunningham sweepstakes will begin with these three teams and trickle down to others such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers.
In this particular scenario, we take a look under the perspective of the Magic being the team that comes away from the NBA Draft Lottery as the winner of the No. 1 overall pick.
When taking a look at the potential order and the draft class, there are many ways this could work out. Let’s take a look at our second version of the 2021 NBA mock draft.
