> The Draft Lottery will be held at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15 (ESPN).
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In a perfect world, the _________ will win next week’s Draft Lottery and will select _________ with the No. 1 pick.
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David Aldridge: The Suns will win the Lottery and select DeAndre Ayton from Arizona. Come on; that’s a no-brainer and would go a long way to resuscitating one of the great franchises in league history, which has fallen on very hard times of late. Ayton would give Devin Booker a legit running mate for a decade and give new coach Igor Kokoskov roster structure around which to begin re-buidling the team. Phoenix needs Josh Jackson to get in the lab this summer and become a capable perimeter threat; along with the explosive Ayton down low and the dynamic Booker on the ball, you could start to see the sky clearing in the Valley of the Sun.
Steve Aschburner: Well, since I’m based in Chicago, see more games at United Center than in any of the league’s other arenas, and got fed up real quick with the home team’s dive into the tank, I should say the Bulls. With packed houses night after night, it was embarrassing to see the product they put on the floor – especially after spooking themselves with a 10-6 December. I should say the Bulls, but I won’t, because I don’t believe they should be so grossly rewarded for such ill intent. So I’ll go with Phoenix, which has been down too long for what used to be an NBA destination market for top free agents. And might as well go local: The Suns would use the No. 1 pick on Arizona C Deandre Ayton.
Shaun Powell: The Suns will win and will keep Arizona center DeAndre Ayton in-state. It’s a natural fit in more ways than one for a team that is tender on the inside
John Schuhmann: Memphis Grizzlies. Luka Doncic. The Grizz have two solid veterans to rely on right now, but their collection of young players is pretty uninspiring. Neither Mike Conley nor Marc Gasol would get in the way of the development of Doncic, who would provide some hope for a franchise in a tough spot right now.
Sekou Smith: New York wins the lottery and shocks the system by selecting Luka Doncic instead of DeAndre Ayton with that No. 1 overall pick. New coach David Fizdale, All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis and Doncic become the nucleus of the Knicks’ revival.
