The Rockets won a potentially important tiebreaker with the Spurs involving Houston’s 2023 first-round draft pick, though they finished last in a later tiebreaker involving the pick headed to Houston from the Los Angeles Clippers. The random drawings were held Monday and announced that afternoon by the NBA’s league office.
Both Houston and San Antonio finished the season 22-60 and will have identical odds of securing one of the NBA’s top-four picks in the 2023 first round in the May 16 draft lottery. However, the team entering the lottery in the No. 2 spot cannot fall below No. 6 and has a better probability of landing at No. 5, as well. The team entering at No. 3 can drop as low as No. 7.
By virtue of winning the tiebreaker, Houston enters the lottery in the No. 2 position, which provides a “pick floor” — i.e. the worst-case scenario — of having its pick land at No. 6 in the first round.
Rockets WIN the tiebreaker with Spurs! The farthest the Rockets can fall is to the 6th pick. Their final lottery odds: pic.twitter.com/pv3ciMewoR
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 17, 2023
On the other end of the spectrum, the pick headed from the Clippers to the Rockets as part of the Eric Gordon trade finished last in three-way tiebreaker involving the Heat and Warriors (all three finished 44-38). After that random drawing, Miami is No. 18, Golden State is No. 19 and Houston (via Los Angeles) is No. 20.
For the Rockets, it was still a good day on the balance, since a pick higher in the first-round order is inherently of greater importance. The complete press release from the league office, which also has information on other tiebreakers, can be read below.
From the NBA: pic.twitter.com/4KwOc7vSMs
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) April 17, 2023
