While all remaining playoff teams still have their sights set on chasing an NBA championship, plenty of organizations have already turned a page to building out for next year. The pathway to doing so is now clearer, with the NBA Draft lottery establishing the order of selections.
This has been an especially competitive race to the bottom this season due to what is expected to be a deep class of franchise-changing rookies. There will be a variety of NBA Draft prop bets that continue to come available on DraftKings Sportsbook as draft day inches closer, such as which player will be drafted first and the over/under for the pick selected.
NBA Draft Lottery Odds
It is worth noting that there are a few pick protections on the draft picks of several teams, which impact the order. The biggest example of this is the Pacers, who included their first-round pick in the midseason trade for Ivica Zubac. Indiana protected this selection from 1-to-4, meaning they would keep the selection if it fell in the first four picks, making this a risk for both sides. The Clippers will receive a 2031 unprotected first-round pick if the selection does not convey today. Looking at the odds before the ping pong balls settled the fates of each franchise:
| Team | Odds for #1 Pick | Odds for Top 4 Pick |
| 1. Washington Wizards | 14.0% | 52.1% |
| 2. Indiana Pacers | 14.0% | 52.1% |
| 3. Brooklyn Nets | 14.0% | 52.1% |
| 4. Utah Jazz | 11.5% | 45.2% |
| 5. Sacramento Kings | 11.5% | 45.2% |
| 6. Memphis Grizzlies | 9.0% | 37.2% |
| 7. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans) (Better of NOP & MIL) | 6.8% | 29.3% |
| 8. Dallas Mavericks | 6.7% | 29.0% |
| 9. Chicago Bulls | 4.5% | 20.3% |
| 10. Milwaukee Bucks (Worse of MIL and NOP) | 3.0% | 13.9% |
| 11. Golden State Warriors | 2.0% | 9.4% |
| 12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers) | 1.5% | 7.1% |
| 13. Miami Heat | 1.0% | 4.8% |
| 14. Charlotte Hornets | 0.5% | 2.4% |
Full 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Results
With the NBA Draft Lottery now complete, the full order is set as follows:
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Chicago Bulls
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings
- Atlanta Hawks
- Dallas Mavericks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Golden State Warriors
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
The Indiana Pacers lost their gamble in the Zubac trade, as they fell out of the top four selection, and the Clippers will be making the fifth overall pick. After ending the James Harden era midseason, this will be a crucial selection for beginning to launch the next era of Los Angeles basketball.
The NBA got its desired parity with only two of the four worst teams in the league this season remaining in the top four of the draft order. However, the Wizards were successful in their tanking vision, as they received the number one overall pick after finishing with the worst record in the league. This is the first time the team with the worst record has won the NBA Draft lottery under this format, and the seventh time Washington has made the first overall pick.
While they do not get to make the top selection, the Jazz should be thrilled to remain in the second spot and add a franchise centerpiece after seeing through their vision for maximizing their chance of adding young talent. Utah has laid the foundation to build a sustainable winner and is largely expected to take a leap forward next season, closer to contention.
The Grizzlies and Bulls were the most notable climbers in this lottery. This marks the first time the Bulls have made a top-four pick since 2020 and the first time the Grizzlies have made a top-three selection since 2019.
While plenty of teams will be disappointed by not leaping up as high as they hoped in the NBA Draft order, this is a draft class that is loaded. The headline talents such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson will get most of the attention, but this is a deep class of franchise-changing talents well beyond the top few names.
The NBA Draft will begin on Tuesday, June 23rd, and take place in Brooklyn, New York.
