The Washington Wizards ended the 2025-26 NBA regular season with the league's worst record of 17-64, securing the top spot in the draft lottery with a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. The Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets follow closely with records of 19-62 and 20-61, respectively. The lottery, set for May 10, will finalize the order for the top picks amid a highly touted draft class.
The NBA regular season concluded on Sunday night, locking in much of the 2026 draft order. The Wizards will pick no lower than fifth, while the top-six playoff seeds in each conference are set. Play-In teams will fill slots 11 through 18, with losers joining the lottery pool in reverse order of record and winners picking 15th to 18th. Tiebreakers will be determined by random drawings later in April, according to CBS Sports details on the standings as of April 13, 2026. The current lottery lineup includes: 1. Wizards (17-64, 14%), 2. Pacers (19-62), 3. Nets (20-61), 4. Utah Jazz (22-59, 11.5%), followed by Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies (25-56), Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks via Pelicans (26-55), Chicago Bulls (31-50), and Milwaukee Bucks (32-49). The Hawks hold swap rights with the Bucks and Pelicans picks. Teams like the Pacers traded their top-four protected pick for Ivica Zubac after losing Myles Turner, while the Wizards acquired Anthony Davis and Trae Young but seek a star. The Nets lack control of their 2027 pick, and the Jazz owe a top-eight protected pick to Oklahoma City. This draft features top prospects such as AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson, seen as future stars. Rebuilding teams emphasize the lottery's importance amid upcoming draft reforms addressing tanking.
