Pistons win NBA draft lottery and Cavs, Raptors beat odds to finish top 4

The Detroit Pistons are the big winners of the NBA's draft lottery, earning the right to make the first selection in the 2021 draft, a pick that's widely expected to be used on Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham.

Rounding out the top four are the Houston Rockets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Toronto Raptors. The Orlando Magic will select fifth.

Those teams will almost certainly make their selections from an elite group of five standout talents: the aforementioned Cunningham, USC big man Evan Mobley, Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, and guard Jalen Green and forward Jonathan Kuminga of the G League Ignite.

Here are the full results for picks 1-14:

The draw affected three sets of outstanding pick protections linked to prior trades:

• The Rockets keep their No. 2 pick rather than sending it to the Thunder
• The Timberwolves send the No. 7 pick to the Warriors
• The Chicago Bulls send the No. 8 pick to the Orlando Magic

While the Pistons and the Rockets emerged as the biggest winners at No. 1 and 2, respectively, the Cavaliers and Raptors also beat odds to move up. Cleveland held a 45.1% shot to move into the top four, while Toronto boasted a 31.9% chance.

For the Raptors, the champions from just two years ago, the No. 4 pick is their highest slot since selecting Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani first overall in 2006.

The 2021 NBA Draft will be held July 29.