The 2012 NBA Draft Lottery on Wednesday night settled the order of selection for the late June event, and the New Orleans Hornets will select No. 1 overall. They will likely select Kentucky Wildcats forward Anthony Davis with the pick. This will be a signature move for new owner Tom Benson, who also owns the New Orleans Saints, following the trade of Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers while the NBA ran the team.
The Charlotte Bobcats had the best chance of gaining the No. 1 pick, but they will be in the No. 2 slot as a result of this draw.
The Denver Nuggets, by virtue of making the playoffs, were not part of the lottery and haven't been since they selected Carmelo Anthony with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft. They will draft with the No. 20 overall pick
Here is how the lottery played out (full draft results):
14. Houston Rockets
13. Phoenix Suns
12. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Portland Trail Blazers
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota)
9. Detroit Pistons
8. Toronto Raptors
7. Golden State Warriors
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets)
5. Sacramento Kings
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Washington Wizards
2. Charlotte Bobcats
1. New Orleans Hornets
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.
