Twice the anxiety to be felt

It’s somewhat of a tradition. But this year, the bounce of the ping-pong balls and all the hope and anxiety that bob with them will be felt twice by the Clippers.

Because the Clippers ended the season 23-59, tied with the New York Knicks for the league’s fifth-worst record, today NBA executive Stu Jackson is scheduled to pull a ping-pong ball that will determine which club has a higher percentage chance of landing the top draft pick.

If he pulls a ball with a Clippers logo, the Clippers will receive an 8.8% chance of landing the top pick. If it is a Knicks logo, the Clippers will have 6.3% odds for the first pick.

The draft’s lottery is May 20, and the NBA draft is on June 26.

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Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, stated what was clear cut after the Clippers struggled throughout their season.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of us,” he said, adding, “but we’re encouraged about next season -- about the future of this franchise. Because Corey [Maggette] and [Elton] Brand have stated that they want to be here.”

He also pointed to the seasons of Al Thornton and Chris Kaman as strong points.

Both Maggette and Brand can opt out of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents.

Coach Mike Dunleavy said that in his exit interview with Maggette that he again reiterated that the franchise wants the forward to return, but ultimately the decision is Maggette’s. Brand’s exit interview has not been conducted.

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Forward Paul Davis is running for the first time since sustaining a season-ending torn knee ligament in December. He is on track to play in the Las Vegas Summer League. . . . Dunleavy is joining TNT as an analyst during the playoffs. He will call Sunday’s game between the Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com