u/differential32

Obviously the results of last year's lottery are fishy considering the Luka trade, but I think, practically speaking, there's just no way to rig the actual outcome of the lottery. Every time I have discussions about this with fans they don't seem to think about how it would be physically possible given how explicit the process is.

For one, they film the whole thing in front of representatives from each team, and they then post the video online (in 2025's drawing, you can see Wizards GM Will Dawkins; not even some league peon there "on behalf" of the team or something).

Below is an explanation of how the drawing happens:

>For the drawing, all 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine. They are mixed for 20 seconds, and then the first ball is drawn. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. There is another 10-second mix, and then the third ball is drawn. There is a final 10-second mix, and then the fourth ball is drawn. The team that has been assigned the combination of the four balls drawn from the machine will receive the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

>The ping-pong balls are then placed back in the machine and the same process is repeated for the second through fourth picks. If the same team comes up more than once (or if the one unassigned combination is drawn), then the result is discarded and another four-ball combination is drawn.

They show all balls being placed in, with numbers printed on multiple sides of each ball, and they're drawn seemingly very randomly.

I'm incredibly skeptical of the draft process, and it feels so so rigged based on how last year went, but I don't see a way given the mechanics. Please please prove me wrong lol