The new 3-2-1 NBA Draft lottery system has received significant backlash despite being passed in a 29-1 vote. Grizzlies fans are rightfully upset given that one of their 2027 first-round picks from the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade includes the most favorable from Utah, Minnesota, or Cleveland. The new draft lottery could have a devastating outcome on the pick; however, the Grizzlies can still gain plenty.
Marc Stein recently appeared on the ALL NBA Podcast with Adam Mares and provided additional insight about the vote. While Mares was shocked, Stein was not shocked about the Grizzlies being the only team to vote against the new system. Stein had the following to say about the process:
"But once the proposal went out to teams about a week before the meeting, my take right then was ok; the NBA knows we've got 23 teams at least that are gonna be in favor of this. And typically once it gets to the voting, it's even more for sure than that." - Marc Stein
Based on Stein's intel, the Grizzlies were facing a losing battle even leading up to the day of the vote. While they were right to vote against the new lottery, there wasn't a realistic shot of a different outcome.
The Grizzlies can still benefit next year despite early concerns
As previously explained, the rule that teams can't pick in the top 5 in three consecutive seasons could cause the Grizzlies to possibly lose out on a top-5 pick if Utah lands that high and has the most favorable pick over Cleveland and Utah. The pick should likely land in the 20s, especially if Utah returns to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies could suffer a huge blow with a key trade asset from the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal possibly losing value.
While the outrage surrounding that pick is 100% justified, the Grizzlies still have a strong chance of ending up big winners in the 2027 NBA Draft lottery. It is also important to remember that the Grizzlies control their own first-rounder and have another 2027 top-4 protected pick via the Lakers from the Jackson Jr. trade.
While it would've been ideal to grandfather the pick, especially since it was traded, it could still carry significant value under the new lottery system if Utah lands in the 7 to 10 seed range. It is not ideal to see one of the picks from the trade lose potential value, but the Grizzlies should likely have multiple opportunities to land in the lottery.
A healthy Grizzlies team will likely be able to avoid the three-team relegation zone and should have improved odds at landing a top pick compared to the old lottery. Even though the Lakers should likely have a strong team with Luka Doncic, they still have multiple key roster decisions to make and LeBron James' future to address. Even being a top-4 protected pick, it could carry much more value than currently expected.
While the NBA did not do right by the Grizzlies with the 2027 first-round pick (best of MIN/CLE/UTA), they will have multiple cracks at good lottery luck next draft. While the 2027 class is not as strong as 2025 and 2026 on paper, the Grizzlies showed a strong ability to find hidden value in 2024. There is a strong chance the Grizzlies will be able to do the same in the 2027 NBA Draft.
For now, Grizzlies fans should have plenty to look forward to in a strong 2026 NBA Draft later this month.
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