Updated NBA Draft Order after Pelicans stun Clippers to reach playoffs

With the NBA play-in tournament behind us and all we can look forward to is the postseason, the draft order is set for all teams that did not make the playoffs.

The Clippers held a double-digit lead over the Pelicans early in the fourth quarter, but that wasn’t enough to weather the surge ahead. Brandon Ingram and co. took Willie Green’s inspirational words to heart and launched a comeback.

But what’s next for the Clippers and all those other teams that didn’t make it into the postseason?

Of course, the NBA draft lottery will reveal everything when the time comes, but now that half the league missed the playoffs, we know the pre-lottery draft odds.

The Pelicans’ biggest winners shocking the Clippers are the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets.

NBA Draft Order: Pelicans Winners and Losers Win

The Knicks can now keep their own pick, which is key to building their future under Thibs. The Thunder get the Clippers pick from the Paul George Trade this year, moving them up to 12th and now having two picks in the top 12 picks. And while the Hornets’ rise to No. 13 isn’t necessarily any better than making the playoffs, it’s a nice consolation prize for a young team that still needs some chunks.

The pre-lottery draft odds are as follows in terms of how the teams are record-breaking:

1. Houston missiles
2. Orlando magic
3. Detroit piston
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Portland Trail Blazer
7. Sacramento Kings
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Washington Wizard
11. New York Knicks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers

Time will tell if that order will hold up, but that’s the way it is right now.