The NBA draft lottery traces its roots back to 1985. It was implemented in a bid to prevent the league’s poorer teams from “tanking” — as in intentionally losing in order to secure a loftier draft spot. The lottery is open to all teams that failed to qualify for the postseason, but trades can impact which teams are eligible. The club with the poorest record has the best chance of winning the lottery and the first overall draft selection and so on. The New York Knicks won the first edition of the lottery and used it to select franchise icon Patrick Ewing. The most recent NBA draft lottery took place on Aug. 20, 2020. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the rights to the first selection at the next draft, which is scheduled for Nov. 18, 2020.