That’s just the way the lottery typically works. You lose all season long — then you lose again.

It’s actually a good system, as the league doesn’t reward a team for stinking. You can be awful, the NBA seems to say, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get the first overall pick in the draft. You just can’t do worse than third.

Sounds fair.

Unless you’re the Magic, who could really use the No. 1 pick. But history shows that the inception of the lottery in 1985, the team with the worst record has won just four times.

That’s four times … in 27 years.

On the bright side, the Magic were one of those teams, in 2004, when they drafted Dwight Howard.

Coming in with the second-worst record are the Charlotte Bobcats, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

What makes this particularly lottery so interesting is, even if you win it, there’s no clear-cut top prospect. A lot of folks are saying it will come down to Kentucky center Nerlens Noel or Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore.

But Noel tore his ACL in February and McLeMore bombed late in the season and at the draft combine. Still, the draft is all about upside these days, and those two are viewed as the two guys with the most.

If the Magic win the lottery, they’re seem more likely to take McLemore. Same with the Bobcats. If the Cavs or Phoenix Suns (fourth-worst record), they’re more likely to go with Noel.

But that’s just a theory, and most of what happens between now and the June 27 draft will be determined by how well prospects perform when teams bring them in for individual workouts.

If those don’t go well, teams will consider trading their pick. If there ever were a year to do it, league executives have hinted, this is it.

Either way, by the end of the night, the NBA Draft will become very interesting. It just might be as interesting as the team with the league’s worst record may like.

“We’ve got one of the deepest drafts in years,” Ryan Blake said in an interview with Andy Baskin and Jeff Phelps on 92.3 The Fan on Monday.

Now, before we go any further, know that Blake is saying pretty much the opposite of what we’ve heard. Most people have said this draft stinks — featuring no clear-cut choice at No. 1 and almost zero star power anywhere.

That may be true, Blake admitted. But that doesn’t mean this draft will be a total waste.

“What you have are a lot of different talented players and a lot of different positions,” he said. “A lot of teams will try to hit a home run, and find that franchise player.”

According to Blake, those players are out there — but it won’t happen overnight.

“You usually don’t know for sure about a guy until after three years,” Blake said. “Even Kobe (Byrant) and (Kevin) Garnett took some time. In this draft, there are so many good players who could develop into that first- or second-option guy.”

One way for rookies to get playing time is via defense, Blake said. In fact, without defense, it’ll be hard to stay on the floor as a first-year player.

And when it comes to defense, this draft has it.

“There are a lot of really good defenders, deep into the second round,” Blake said. “In fact, we’re gonna have a lot (undrafted rookie) free agents that, as soon as the draft is over, teams will be fighting over to get them on their summer team.”

Blake mentioned Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo and Georgetown small forward Otto Porter as the best of the best.

Porter is one name that’s been linked to the Cavaliers should they hold their current spot and draft No. 3.

“I really like Otto,” Blake said. “He played well within the system. At 6-foot-8, he can shoot the ball from the perimeter, and if you’re at Georgetown, you have to show that you can pass. When you have that size from the perimeter, that’s hard to guard.”

And if not lock horns with the Miami Heat star and four-time league MVP, at least make a contribution off someone’s bench.

After a day and a half at the Chicago camp, no one looks quite as ready as Lester Hudson, according to those in attendance.

NBA fans mostly remember Hudson from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the lockout shortened season of 2011-12.

Hudson is a 6-foot-3 guard and played 13 magical games with the Cavs that year, averaging 12.7 points per game and bringing back memories of World B. Free by burying big shots and displaying serious guts.

The Cavs, however, let Hudson walk after his second 10-day contract expired, and he was barely heard from again. He finished the year with the Memphis Grizzlies, but played in just three games and averaged 3.0 points.

Prior to last season, Hudson was dropped by agent Tyler Glass after Hudson failed to show up for a workout with the Charlotte Bobcats.

“I worked so hard to get him a workout, and he didn’t show,” Glass told FOX Sports Ohio in September. “The Bobcats were annoyed and they should have been. They’re a professional organization. You don’t skip out on workouts.”

Hudson signed in China, then finished back in the D-League with the Austin Toros, in March. Now, it appears that at the very least, he’ll be on someone’s summer league team.

One scout even called Hudson, who turns 29 years old in August, the equivalent of a late-first or early-second round draft pick in this year’s draft.

So stay tuned. Based on the D-League camp, Hudson’s run in the NBA may not be done.

This is officially known as the draft combine, which tests players’ agility, leaping ability and strength. Some combine invitees, such as Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel and Maryland’s Alex Len, will not participate because of injuries.

Here is a complete list of those expected to attend (name, college or club team):

Steven Adams, Pittsburgh; Vander Blue, Marquette; Lorenzo Brown, NC State; Reggie Bullock, North Carolina; Trey Burke, Michigan.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia; Isaiah Canaan, Murray State; Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State; Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse; Will Clyburn, Iowa State.

Robert Covington, Tennessee State; Allen Crabbe, California; Seth Curry, Duke; Brandon Davies, BYU; Dewayne Dedmon, USC.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville; James Ennis, Long Beach State; Carrick Felix, Arizona State; Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State; Rudy Gobert, Cholet (France).

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky; Erick Green, Virginia Tech; Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan; Solomon Hill, Arizona; Richard Howell, NC State.

Colton Iverson, Colorado State; Pierre Jackson, Baylor; Grant Jerrett, Arizona; Myck Kabongo, Texas; Kenny Kadji, Miami.

Ryan Kelly, Duke; Shane Larkin, Miami; Ricky Ledo, Providence; Alex Len, Maryland; C.J. Leslie, NC State.

Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota; Ray McCallum, Detroit; CJ McCollum, Lehigh; Ben McLemore, Kansas; Tony Mitchell, North Texas.

Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA; Erik Murphy, Florida; Mike Muscala, Bucknell; Nerlens Noel, Kentucky; Victor Oladipo, Indiana.

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga; Brandon Paul, Illinois; Norvel Pelle, Los Angeles College Preparatory Academy; Mason Plumlee, Duke; Otto Porter, Georgetown.

Phil Pressey, Missouri; Glen Rice Jr., Georgia Tech/ Rio Grande Valley (D-League); Andre Roberson, Colorado; Dennis Schroeder, New Yorker Phantoms (Germany); Peyton Siva, Louisville.

Tony Snell, New Mexico; James Southerland, Syracuse; Adonis Thomas, Memphis; Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State; Jeff Withey, Kansas.

Nate Wolters, South Dakota State; B.J. Young, Arkansas; Cody Zeller, Indiana.

For more pre-draft coverage, see my story, Camps signal start of NBA draft process.

Here are the prospects invited to attend (name, position, D-League team):

Zach Andrew, F, Los Angeles; Keith Benson, C, Erie; Christopher Cooper, C, Bakersfield; Nick Covington, G, Erie; Chris Daniels, C, Rio Grande Valley; Jarrid Famous, F/C, Iowa.

Augustus Gichrist, F, Iowa; Mickell Gladness, C, Santa Cruz; Lance Goulbourne, F, Santa Cruz; Reggie Hamilton, G, Idaho; Stefhon Hannah, G, Santa Cruz.

Justin Harper, PF, Idaho; Paul Harris, G/F, Iowa; Cory Higgins, G, Erie; Darrington Hobson, G, Santa Cruz; Ron Howard, G/F, Fort Wayne.

Lester Hudson, G, Austin; Justin Hurtt, G, Iowa; Chris Johnson, F, Rio Grande Valley; Cameron Jones, G, Santa Cruz; Tre Kelly, G, Austin.

James Mays, F, Sioux Falls; Toure Murry, F, Rio Grande Valley; James Nunnally, F, Bakersfield; Josh Owens, F, Idaho; Chris Roberts, G, Austin.

Jamarr Sanders, F, Austin; Carleton Scott, F, Springfield; Josh Selby, F, Maine; Tommy Smith, F, Fort Wayne; Dominique Sutton, G, Tulsa.

Jermaine Taylor, G, Maine; Tony Taylor, G, Tulsa; Hollis Thompson, F, Tulsa; Edwin Ubiles, G/F, Springfield; Kyle Weaver, G, Canton.

For more pre-draft coverage, see my story, Camps signal start of NBA draft process.

I’ll have full NBA Draft Combine rosters in this space before it tips off Thursday.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the lottery scheduled for 8:30.

FOX Sports Ohio broadcasters Austin Carr and Campy Russell will share insights and commentary from a stage during the festivities.

This is the Cavs’ third straight year in the lottery. They enter it with the third-best odds of winning the No. 1 overall pick, and can finish no worse than sixth. Last year, they entered it with the third-best odds of winning and finished fourth.

The Cavs also own the No. 19 pick in this year’s first round (from the Los Angeles Lakers), and two second-round picks — No. 31 (from the Orlando Magic) and No. 33.

Cavs coach Mike Brown is looking to add to his staff after being hired last month. He coached the Cavs from 2005-10, then the Lakers in 2011-12 and for five games this past season.

Only assistants Nate Tibbetts and Jamahl Mosley have been retained from ex-coach Byron Scott’s staff, and Tibbetts is interviewing with the Charlotte Bobcats for their head coaching position.

Most insiders believe Mosley will be retained regardless, as he and Brown share an agent.

Handy joined Brown with the Lakers in 2011 and remained with the organization when Mike D’Antoni took over as coach.

“Since (2011), Handy has developed a strong reputation among the Lakers’ players for both his engaging on-court workouts and infinite willingness to work with them at all hours of the day,” according the Daily News.

Tibbetts, 35, interviewed with the Bobcats last summer. They ended up hiring Mike Dunlap, who was fired last week.

Prior to joining Byron Scott’s staff with the Cavs (December 2011), Tibbetts  coached the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. He was retained by the Cavs after former coach Byron Scott was fired a day after the regular season. The Cavs have since hired Mike Brown as their head coach.

Charlotte is also expected to interview Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, according to the Observer. Sampson is best known for leading Oklahoma University to the NCAA Final Four in 2002, then later coaching Indiana University.

He resigned from Indiana in 2008 following questions about recruiting.

The Bobcats interviewed 10 people for their head coaching job last season and may reach out to a similar number this time.

“As a Lakers fan I’m disgusted with Dwight Howard. Where was the pride from him? Where was the fight? He hasn’t been fully healthy, no one’s disputing that, but where was the effort?

“Why was Kobe trying like hell to make the playoffs but not Howard? And then Howard gets tossed in a closeout game and  screams at (GM Mitch) Kupchak on the way to the locker room. I would had loved to have seen some desire and passion from Howard. Instead, there was a goofy speech and a first-round sweep.

“There was no pride, no heart, nothing. And he’s supposed to be a leader? Unbelievable. And Steve Nash shows up with his hair parted on the side,  kind of hangs out, gets about 12 points here and there and misses 30  games. I was so looking forward to Nash playing with Howard and that never materialized. No chemistry whatsoever. Somebody made the point that the Lakers tried to please the fourth-best player on the team (Nash) by hiring Mike D’Antoni. Stupid.

“Who in the world would look at Phil Jackson’s resume and pick somebody else over him? Nobody in NBA history has better  credentials than Jackson.”

I’ll be writing a full-length column about the Lakers shortly. Scott’s email tells me it won’t be easy.

But yes, I think they’re fixable. It’ll just take a little creativity. Right?

If you’re up for it, let me know how you’d fix LA by commenting below.

The committee met via conference call, and according to a statement from the league, unanimously voted down the Maloof family’s proposed sale of the Kings to hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The Hansen-Ballmer group planned to move the team to Seattle.

“The NBA announced today that the league’s Relocation Committee has unanimously recommended that the NBA Board of Governors deny the application of the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Seattle,” the league said in a statement. “The Board will convene during the week of May 13 to vote on this matter.”

Here is the full story from the Sacramento Bee: NBA committee rejects Kings move to Seattle.

The reolcation/finance committee’s recommendation that the Kings remain in Sacramento will now be voted on by the Board of Governors. The Board is likely to go along with the committee’s recommendation.

The 12-member relocation committee who will make the recommendation are as follows:

Peter Holt, Spurs (chairman of the Board of Governors), Clay Bennett (Thunder), James Dolan (Knicks), Herb Simon (Pacers), Larry Tanenbaum (Raptors), Glen Taylor (Timberwolves), Jeanie Buss (Lakers), Robert Sarver (Suns), Greg Miller (Jazz), Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics), Ted Leonsis (Wizards) and Micky Arison (Heat).