NBA Draft Lottery Odds Are Official: Where Every Team Stands After the Tank-Filled Season

The 2026 NBA draft class is stacked, and the lottery odds are set after a season of tanking by several teams.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:52pm

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A dynamic, abstract painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in bold, contrasting colors, conceptually representing the competitive tension and strategic maneuvering of the NBA draft lottery process.The chaotic, high-stakes NBA draft lottery takes on a fragmented, cubist aesthetic, reflecting the league's ongoing battle against tanking.Chicago Today

The NBA regular season has ended, and the odds for next month's draft lottery are officially set. Tanking has been a major issue in the league, with franchises like the Wizards, Pacers, Nets, Grizzlies, Jazz and Kings engaging in a race to the bottom. The league is looking to address the problem, but for now, the teams with the worst records have the best odds of landing the top pick in the stacked 2026 NBA draft class.

Why it matters

The NBA draft lottery is a crucial event that determines the order of the first round of the NBA draft. With several teams intentionally losing games to improve their lottery odds, the integrity of the league's competitive balance has come into question. The 2026 draft class is considered one of the strongest in recent memory, making the lottery outcome even more impactful for the future of these struggling franchises.

The details

The Wizards, Pacers and Nets have the best odds (14%) of landing the top pick in the 2026 NBA draft after winning no more than 20 games this season. Other teams with high lottery odds include the Jazz and Kings (11.5%), the Grizzlies (9%), and the Mavericks (6.8%). The draft order is further complicated by various pick swaps and unprotected first-round picks, such as the Thunder owning the Clippers' pick despite having the league's best record.

  • The NBA draft lottery will be held on Sunday, May 10, during the conference semifinal round of the playoffs.
  • The official dates for the 2026 NBA draft have not yet been set, but it is expected to take place on Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25.

The players

Darryn Peterson

A guard from Kansas who should be in the mix to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

AJ Dybantsa

A forward from BYU who rounded into form as an elite scorer during the end of his first and only college season.

Cam Boozer

A forward from Duke who is a certified do-it-all player and has won big at every level.

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What’s next

The NBA will hold the draft lottery on Sunday, May 10, during the conference semifinal round of the playoffs. The draft combine will begin in Chicago that same day.

The takeaway

The 2026 NBA draft class is considered one of the strongest in recent memory, making the lottery outcome even more impactful for the future of the struggling franchises. The league is looking to address the issue of tanking, but for now, the teams with the worst records have the best odds of landing a potential franchise-changing talent.