The Mavics' Decision to Prioritize Lottery Position

The Mavics are 11th in the NBA, half a game behind Oklahoma City. They have no chance of making the playoffs if they do make it there. Their pick is top 10 protected and will go to New York Knicks as final payment for Kristoff Zinga's trade. The worst-case scenario would be that their pick goes to Jalen Brunson on another team.