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Wizards Secure No. 1 Pick in NBA Lottery

5/11/2026

Summary

Wizards Win Lottery

The Washington Wizards won the NBA lottery on Sunday, earning the No. 1 pick in the June 23-24 2026 Draft.
They entered with a 14 percent chance, matching Utah, Brooklyn and Indiana.
Top prospects are BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 51 percent shooting.
Washington added veterans Anthony Davis, Trae Young and rookie Tre Johnson.

Summary

NBA Overhauls Lottery

The NBA announced a forthcoming overhaul of the draft lottery that will sharply cut the worst-team’s odds from 14 % to 5.4 % in an effort to curb tanking.
Under the proposed “3-2-1” format, the three lowest-record teams will receive two lottery balls each, while the next seven teams will receive three balls each, giving them an 8.1 % chance at the top pick.
The league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 this season for deliberately benching star players to improve lottery odds.
The NBA’s Board of Governors is slated to meet in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss and likely ratify the new lottery rules in the coming weeks.
The revised system would expand the lottery pool from 14 to 16 teams, with the three worst teams holding a 5.4 % chance and the following seven teams an 8.1 % chance of landing No. 1.
Because the Wizards secured the No. 1 pick this year, they become the final franchise to benefit from the current lottery structure before the changes take effect.

History

Historical Context

After the NBA introduced its first lottery in 1985—giving the seven non-playoff teams equal 14.3% odds and awarding the New York Knicks the top pick—the league later adjusted odds and expanded the lottery to four picks in 2019. Today the Washington Wizards secured the No. 1 slot with a 14% chance, echoing the original anti-tanking intent.

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Wizards Win Lottery

The Washington Wizards won the NBA lottery on Sunday, earning the No. 1 pick in the June 23-24 2026 Draft.
They entered with a 14 percent chance, matching Utah, Brooklyn and Indiana.
Top prospects are BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 51 percent shooting.
Washington added veterans Anthony Davis, Trae Young and rookie Tre Johnson.

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