With Cleveland’s season-ending loss to Atlanta in Friday’s play-in tournament game, the 2022 first-round pick headed from Brooklyn to Houston is officially locked at No. 17 in the order.
The Cavaliers and Nets finished with identical 44-38 records, which would be tied for No. 16 in the normal order. However, because Cleveland did not advance to the playoffs from the play-in tournament, that will now put the Cavaliers within the 14 “lottery” teams at the top.
Had both the Cavaliers and Nets made it to the playoffs, a coin flip would have been held to determine which is at No. 16 and which at No. 17. But with Cleveland missing out, no coin flip is necessary.
At times in recent weeks, Brooklyn’s pick seemed to have potential to be even higher in the order — and thus, better for the Rockets, who acquired it as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade in January 2021. But between Kevin Durant’s return from injury and Kyrie Irving again becoming a full-time player thanks to New York easing its COVID-19 vaccine rules, the Nets missing the playoffs quickly became unrealistic.
Then again, considering that the expectation heading into the 2021-22 season was for Durant, Harden, and Irving to lead a “super team,” Rockets fans probably shouldn’t complain about that pick finishing at No. 17.
Cleveland loses to Atlanta. The pick Brooklyn owes to Houston is officially locked in at #17.
Cleveland keeps their first (#14) and Indiana loses out on the pick this year, getting Cleveland's lottery-protected pick next season instead.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 16, 2022
