WASHINGTON — The magic number is nine.



The Wizards last won the NBA lottery nine years ago. They selected John Wall first overall that June. Nine years before, they landed the first pick in the draft and snagged Kwame Brown. They enter this year’s lottery, which is scheduled for Tuesday night, with the sixth-best odds at hitting the jackpot — meaning they have a 9.0 percent chance at the first pick. And that magic number is not quite as minuscule as it sounds.



Over the past 20 years, eight of the league’s eventual lottery winners have owned worse than a 9.0 percent chance at No. 1 heading into the sweepstakes. The Wizards have a fair try at basketball’s diamond-studded cinder block, Zion Williamson, something that could affect more than just the future of their roster.



An appraisal of the open front office gig replacing former president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld would reach new levels if 9 percent luck became 100...