By: Brandon Apter, managing editor 
The Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night in New York and will select first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft on June 23rd. The Sixers entered the lottery with the best odds at obtaining the first pick at 26.9 percent. The Lakers will pick second and the Celtics will select third.
"It's good for the city of Philadelphia," coach Brett Brown said. "The fans deserve this … In many ways I feel we have been rewarded for the city's perseverance … It gives us the injection that we need. We believe the pieces around us give us even more hope." [ESPN.com]
With the Lakers picking second, the Sixers will hold on to LA's top-3 protected pick for another year. That pick becomes unprotected in 2018. Here's how the remainder of the lottery unfolded:
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn Nets)
- Phoenix Suns
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Denver Nuggets (from NY Knicks)
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors (from Denver Nuggets)
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Orlando Magic
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns (from Washington Wizards)
- Chicago Bulls
The Sixers own two picks in addition to first overall in the draft and will select 24th and 26th as well. Those picks came from the Heat and the Thunder.
In the last two drafts, Philadelphia selected Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid in the top three. 20 years ago, when the Sixers last struck lottery gold, they selected Georgetown guard Allen Iverson first overall.
Tonight, Sixers fans gathered at Xfinity Live at the Sports Complex and went crazy once Philadelphia was announced as the lottery winners. More than a handful of folks had Sam Hinkie to thank for arming the team with draft picks galore moving forward.
The Process Won. pic.twitter.com/xMm1nWTw6V
— Seth Pollack (@sethpo) May 18, 2016
The Celtics are a team to look for in the draft, owners of eight picks combined. They've only had a top-4 pick four times in the common draft era that began in 1990. Boston got the Nets first round pick from the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns own two picks in the top 15 and Minnesota, who is already armed with the past two NBA Rookie of the Year winners, will pick fifth overall.
Philadelphia will have their choice at the top two draft prospects in Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. While Simmons is the better overall prospect, Ingram's perimeter shooting should be intriguing to the Sixers brass. LSU's Ben Simmons averaged 17.5 points at 11.5 rebounds per game this season while Duke's Brandon Ingram 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Bryan Colangelo: "A lot work over the next 38 days. There’s a lot to do, and we’ve got our sleeves rolled up.”
— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) May 18, 2016
Sure, Bryan Colangelo is at the helm now, but the Sixers didn't own a first round pick in the 2016 draft before Sam Hinkie, so you can thank "The Process" for doing its job. They have three picks in this year's draft and could have two in the top five come 2017.
