The Golden State Warriors will be out to at least tie or make NBA history on Sunday when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place in Chicago at 3PM ET.
The Warriors, who will be represented by last year's 19th overall pick Brandin Podziemski, are expected to give up their first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers after a trade in 2019.
The Golden State Warriors will have to tie NBA history in order to keep their first-round pick at Sunday's Draft Lottery
The pick is top four protected, meaning Golden State will need to jump up 10 spots in order to retain the selection. They have a 96.6% of landing the 14th pick, leaving them with a measly 3.4% chance of hitting in the top four.
If they don't get the 14th pick, that automatically places the Warriors in the top four where they have a 1% chance at the fourth pick, a 0.9% chance at the third, 0.8% at the second, and 0.7% at the number one overall selection.
Only two teams in lottery history have jumped up 10 spots like the Warriors will have to do on Sunday -- the Hornets jumped from 13 to three in 1999 to draft Baron Davis, while the Magic went from 11 to 1 to draft Chris Weber in 1993 (with whom they traded to the Warriors).
As exciting as it would be for Golden State to tie or make history and jump up into the top four, they may actually be better off giving up the 14th pick as expected. If they do land in the top four, Golden State's first-round pick next year will be headed to the Trail Blazers unless it's the first overall selection.
Surrendering the 14th pick in what's considered a weak draft may prove better than risking giving up a top 10, perhaps top five pick in next year's draft, even if the Warriors aspire to get back to the playoffs next season.
Golden State are doing its due diligence in case they do land in the top four, having headed to France last weekend to watch projected top 10 pick Zaccharie Risacher in action for JL Bourg.