Trade: Draft Lottery Results & Mega-Trade

First up, a quick 2027 lottery draft recap. Congrats to Austin! MEMM won the first overall pick with their 14% chance, and then things got wonky. Note: MEMM, ABCX, and TRUO all shared the same odds for the first pick. [ 2027 Draft Lottery Odds & Karma Rankings | Draft and Draft Lottery 2027 ]

After 2027 RD1.1 went to MEMM, FUNK leapt up from RD1.4 to RD1.2 (45.1% chance of a top-four pick), SBUK from RD1.6 to RD1.3 (37.0%), and KSKT from RD1.9 all the way up to RD1.4 (20.3%).

That meant that ABCX and TRUO were pushed down in the draft, giving them picks RD1.5 and RD1.6 respectively. In addition, because FUNK stayed in the top four, they retained their 2027 RD1 from the clutches of Chunky Monkeys, instead handing over their 2028 RD1 instead from Trade ID#175.

So, did the new lottery system work? Sort of? MEMM had the worst record and got the top pick, which they likely would not have done in a Toilet Bowl format, but ABCX and TRUO did suffer by dropping out of the top four...

Anyhow, we’ll likely retain this same lottery odds system, even as the NBA entirely changed theirs recently. I think we should retain these odds for five years, at least, before re-evaluating, so we have some data to work with. We’ll discuss this all in the offseason though, of course!

Meanwhile, at the new “we won the lottery” afterparty held this past weekend at an undisclosed location, team representatives for KSKT, SBUK, FUNK, and MEMM started talking. Drunk off non-alcoholic beverages, high on karma and good fortune, these four owners wondered if they could somehow work out a deal that might be beneficial for all.

With the NBA having finished their rookie draft about a week ago, preferences for which players each SlamNation owner wanted took shape. As fate would have it, there was a clear delineation between the first four picks—potential generational rookies, all of them—and the rest of the 2026 draft class.

Among the top-three of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer, there was some debate which would go number one. Plus, some pundits thought that Caleb Wilson—he of the nuclear athleticism—would eventually be the top star of this class despite being a step below in current evaluations.

After some light negotiating and can-do spirit, here was the historic four-way trade that was made:

Trade ID#181

• SBUK receives 2027 MEMM RD1.1
• KSKT receives 2027 FUNK RD1.2
• FUNK receives 2027 SBUK RD1.3
• MEMM receives 2027 KSKT RD1.4

MEMM also receives

• 2028 KSKT RD1 (via KSKT)
• Cedric Coward (via FUNK)
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker (via SBUK)
• Andrew Nembhard (via KSKT)

In short, every draft position changed, with SBUK now selecting first overall in 2027. After determining that SBUK should have the highest karma rankings, this franchise can now finally select RD1.1!!!

KSKT moves up two slots up to RD1.2, and will send out their 2028 KSKT RD1 and Andrew Nembhard for the privilege.

FUNK slides down a slot to RD1.3, sending Cedric Coward to MEMM. Yes, they are paying to move down in the draft, but the reward for them is the joy of pulling off such a huge trade!

MEMM goes from RD1.1 to RD1.4, and will collect the 2028 KSKT RD1, and three new players for their upcoming 2027 keeper roster.

All teams already know who they’ll select with their RD1.1-1.4 picks, but we’ll keep some suspense alive for our yearly draft later this season.

Thanks to Austin, Jon, Josh, and Matt. Especially to Matt for kicking off all this conversatsion off! A four-way, pre-draft, all lottery winners trade?! Win, win, win, win!!!!