Wizards Win the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery

The Washington Wizards received a jump start on their rebuilding efforts by winning the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery, the silver lining to a tumultuous season which opened with playoff expectations but soon spiraled out of control and resulted in the dismantling of their veteran core through suspension (Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittenton) and trades (Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood).

The Wizards finished the 2009-10 season with the fifth-worst record in the league and entered the lottery with a mere 10.3 percent chance of winning the top spot but ultimately had their number called. The Wizards also own the 30th pick in the draft, which they obtained in the trade that sent Jamison to Cleveland.

Even though the Wizards still have the embattled Arenas under contract, point guard John Wall is at the top of everybody's draft board and is expected to be selected first overall after his lone season at Kentucky. An Arenas-Wall backcourt could be devastating, and if nothing else Wall's presence would give incoming majority owner Ted Leonsis (pictured above with current majority owner Irene Pollin) options should the team choose to trade Arenas or buy out the remainder of his contract.

Share The Philadelphia 76ers, who finished with the sixth-worst record, will pick second, and the New Jersey Nets, who finished with the worst record and had a one-in-four chance of winning the lottery, will pick third. Even with Wall off the board, the 76ers and Nets have quality options to consider, including Ohio State junior Evan Turner, Kentucky freshman DeMarcus Cousins, Georgia Tech freshman Derrick Favors and Syracuse junior Wesley Johnson. The Nets also own the 27th pick, which they obtained in the 2008 trade that sent Jason Kidd to the Mavericks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who finished with the second-worst record in the NBA and entered the night with a 56 percent chance of securing a top-three pick, and the Sacramento Kings, who finished with the third-worst record, have been bumped to fourth and fifth, respectively.

Also See: Mock Draft: Snappy Judgment

The remaining teams in the lottery will draft in the order in which they entered the night:

6. Golden State Warriors
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. Utah Jazz
10. Indiana Pacers
11. New Orleans Hornets
12. Memphis Grizzlies
13. Toronto Raptors
14. Houston Rockets

The rest of the first round:

15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Minnesota Timberwolves
17. Chicago Bulls
18. Miami Heat
19. Boston Celtics
20. San Antonio Spurs
21. Oklahoma City Thunder
22. Portland Trail Blazers
23. Minnesota Timberwolves
24. Atlanta Hawks
25. Memphis Grizzlies
26. Oklahoma City Thunder
27. New Jersey Nets
28. Memphis Grizzlies
29. Orlando Magic
30. Washington Wizards