Boston Celtics could have NBA Draft Lottery market cornered

Breaking up The Big Three might hand the Boston Celtics the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce Tuesday night during the NBA draft lottery, general manager Danny Ainge and the Celtics could be celebrating. As payment from the Brooklyn Nets for the 2013 draft-day trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett out of Boston, the Celtics stand a 25 percent chance of winning the 2017 draft lottery.

Boston retained the right to swap picks in 2018 with the Nets in addition to the Celtics receiving first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Brooklyn had the NBA's worst record (20-62) in 2016-17. The worst possible outcome for the Celtics in cashing in the draft pick Tuesday will be the fourth overall selection.

Behind Boston, the Phoenix Suns (19.9 percent) and Los Angeles Lakers (15.6) stand the best chance of drafting No. 1 next month.

While Boston's rebuilding job is nearly complete -- the Celtics were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, ahead of Cleveland -- there is plenty of work to do in Los Angeles for the Lakers. But team president Magic Johnson -- representing the team in New York during the lottery -- and head coach Luke Walton lose their first-round pick if it's not among the top three when the lottery is settled Tuesday.

The Lakers originally dealt their 2018 first-round pick to Phoenix in 2012 in the trade for Steve Nash, and the 76ers acquired it from there.

Long-suffering Philadelphia also has the best odds at landing the No. 4 overall pick with its own selection.

The NBA draft lottery was established in 1985 and determines the first three picks, while positions 4 through 14 will be placed based on the inverse order of their records. The worse a team's record is, the better their chances of winning on lottery night.