PHOENIX SUNS

Suns drop 3 spots in NBA Draft Lottery, slated to pick No. 6 in NBA Draft

May 14, 2019, 5:49 PM | Updated: 9:35 pm

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announces that the Phoenix Suns had won the sixth pick during th...

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announces that the Phoenix Suns had won the sixth pick during the NBA basketball draft lottery Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nuccio DiNuzzo)

(AP Photo/Nuccio DiNuzzo)

The Zion Williamson to Phoenix hopes are officially over.

The Phoenix Suns dropped three spots in Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery and will have the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The No. 6 pick was the most likely landing spot for Phoenix with 26% odds.

The New Orleans Hornets will draft No. 1, Memphis will pick No. 2 while the New York Knicks will have the No. 3 pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers (No. 4) and Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 5) round out the top five.

This year marks the ninth consecutive draft where the Suns will have drafted in the lottery. Since 2011, they have made 10 lottery selections, two via trades up in the draft, and have drafted in the top-five four times heading into Tuesday.

The Suns were hoping to make it two years in a row. They entered last year’s draft lottery with the league’s worst record and thus the best odds. With a 25% shot at the top pick, luck went their way, and they used the top choice to draft center Deandre Ayton out of Arizona.

After a 19-63 season in 2018-19, Phoenix tied for the second-worst record, and the reformed lottery odds in 2019 gave the team a 14% shot of earning the No. 1 pick in consecutive years. The Suns shared that 14% chance with the league-worst New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the latter of which had the same record at Phoenix but won a tiebreaker.

While the three teams atop the lottery had the same odds to earn the first through fourth picks, the Suns had the worst chances from there with the ability to fall to seventh.

Twice before during this decade has a team earned back-to-back first overall picks. The Philadelphia 76ers (2016-17) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-14) have most recently tipped off the draft in consecutive seasons.

The rest of the draft lottery after the Suns pick is as follows: Chicago Bulls (No. 7), Atlanta Hawks (No. 8), Washington Wizards (No.9), Atlanta Hawks (No. 10), Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 11), Charlotte Hornets (No. 12), Miami Heat (No. 13) and Boston Celtics (No. 14).

Suns NBA lottery picks this decade

2011 — Kansas PF Markieff Morris, 13th overall

2012 — North Carolina PG Kendall Marshall, 13th

2013 — Maryland C Alex Len, fifth

2014 — N.C. State F T.J. Warren, 14th

2015 — Kentucky SG Devin Booker, 13th

2016 — Int’l PF Dragan Bender, fourth

2016 — Washington F Marquese Chriss, eighth (via trade)

2017 — Kansas F Josh Jackson, fourth

2018 — Arizona C Deandre Ayton, first

2018 — Villanova F Mikal Bridges, 10th

Phoenix Suns

Jusuf Nurkic...

Damon Allred

Jusuf Nurkic questionable for Suns’ matchup with Thunder; Bradley Beal no longer listed

The Phoenix Suns are listing center Jusuf Nurkic questionable for a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

9 hours ago

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during th...

Kellan Olson

Suns respond to season’s low point with thorough win over Nuggets

The guessing game of which Suns team shows up on which night persists. The best current version did on Wednesday in a win over the Nuggets.

1 day ago

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at T...

David Veenstra

Bradley Beal in, Jusuf Nurkic out for Suns’ matchup with Nuggets

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is active for Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets while center Jusuf Nurkic is out.

1 day ago

Tyler Kolek, Marquette...

Damon Allred

Here’s who Phoenix Suns fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

The Suns' first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sits at No. 19 overall, and they could select a star from the NCAA Tournament.

1 day ago

Phoenix Suns take on San Antonio Spurs...

Arizona Sports

O’Neale: Phoenix Suns took Spurs ‘too lightly’ in glaring loss

The Phoenix Suns' lack of effort was on display Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to an honest film session.

2 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Royce O’Neale: Suns took Spurs “a little too lightly”

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale joined Burns & Gambo to talk about the team's disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and to look ahead at the team's remaining schedule, as they continue to make a push toward the NBA playoffs.

2 days ago

Suns drop 3 spots in NBA Draft Lottery, slated to pick No. 6 in NBA Draft