NBA Draft lottery standings: Updated odds for Nets, Wizards, others to get No. 1 pick in 2026

NBA Draft lottery standings: Updated odds for Nets, Wizards, others to get No. 1 pick in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NBA uses a lottery system to determine the first half of its draft order each year. 

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Unlike the NFL, which uses the inverse of the previous season's final standings, the NBA uses a lottery system that ranks the 14 worst teams by record and assigns each a percentage to determine the No. 1 overall pick. Each of the worst three teams receives the same odds to win the No. 1 pick, and the rest of the 11 remaining teams' odds are staggered, getting worse and worse, so that the 14th worst team has the lowest odds to earn the top pick.

The NBA draft lottery has been a hot topic recently because last year the Dallas Mavericks had only a 1.8% chance of the top pick, yet was awarded it and brought in their Luka Doncic replacement in Cooper Flagg. 

Here is an updated look at the 2026 NBA Draft lottery standings, as teams hope to earn the No. 1 overall pick. 

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NBA Draft lottery standings

*Accurate as of the end of games on April 8. 

PickTeamRecord1.Wizards17-622.Pacers18-613.Nets20-594.Jazz21-595.Kings21-596.Grizzlies25-557.Mavericks25-558.Hawks (via Pelicans)26-549.Bulls30-4910.Bucks31-4911.Warriors37-4212.Trail Blazers40-4013.Heat41-3814.Hornets43-37

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NBA lottery odds 2026

Here's a closer look at how the odds to land the No. 1 pick and a top-four pick break down. 

*Accurate as of the end of games on April 8. 

PickTeamNo. 1 pick oddsTop 4 pick odds1.Wizards14.0%52.1%2.Pacers14.0%52.1%3.Nets14.0%52.1%4.Jazz11.5%45.2%5.Kings11.5%45.2%6.Grizzlies8.3%34.8%7.Mavericks8.2%34.4%8.Hawks (via Pelicans)6.0%26.3%9.Bulls4.5%20.3%10.Bucks3.0%13.9%11.Warriors2.0%9.4%12.Trail Blazers1.5%7.1%13.Heat1.0%4.8%14.Hornets0.5%2.4%

Under the balanced NBA Draft lottery system, finishing with the league's worst record gives a team only a 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The teams with the worst three records all have 14% odds of securing the top pick, with No. 4 (11.5%) and No. 5 (11.5%) not far behind.

For now, the Wizards, Pacers and Nets are all tied with the best odds to be awarded the first overall pick, with the Jazz and Kings not far behind. 

Last year, there was a controversy because the Mavericks earned the No. 1 pick, which they used to select Flagg, despite having only a 1.8% chance. This year, that would rank 12th. 

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NBA mock draft 2026

Here's a look at the mocked lottery picks from Sporting News' Steph Noh, whose latest mock draft came after the end of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. It is worth noting that the draft order could vary from the current standings. 

PickTeamPlayerSchool1.WizardsAJ DybantsaBYU2.NetsCameron BoozerDuke3.PacersDarryn PetersonKansas4.JazzCaleb WilsonNorth Carolina5.KingsDarius Acuff Jr.Arkansas6.MavericksKingston FlemingsHouston7.Hawks (from Pelicans)Keaton WaglerIllinois8.GrizzliesBrayden BurriesArizona9.BullsYaxel LendeborgMichigan10.BucksMikel Brown Jr.Louisville11.WarriorsJayden QuaintanceKentucky12.HornetsNate AmentTennessee13.HeatAday MaraMichigan14.Grizzlies (from Magic)Koa PeatArizona

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