Winners and Losers From the Wild 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery delivered chaos, surprises, and a huge debate about tanking all over again. Ironically, the very season before the NBA plans to change the lottery format, the teams that leaned hardest into losing ended up landing the biggest rewards.

Here�s a quick look at the biggest winners and toughest losers from lottery night.

Winner: Washington Wizards

The Wizards hit the jackpot with the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since drafting John Wall in 2010 � and suddenly their future looks exciting again.

Washington already added experienced stars like Trae Young and Anthony Davis at the trade deadline while carefully protecting their lottery odds. Now they�re expected to land elite prospect AJ Dybantsa, a super-athletic 6-foot-9 wing with massive upside.

A young core featuring Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson suddenly makes Washington one of the league�s most interesting rising teams.

Why this matters:

First No. 1 pick in 16 years
Loaded young core
Playoff buzz is already starting

Winner: Tanking

The NBA wanted to discourage tanking, but this lottery basically rewarded it.

The Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies all made aggressive moves that clearly prioritized draft position over winning games. And guess what? Those teams walked away with the top three picks.

Utah even got fined $500,000 earlier this season for how obvious the strategy became. In the end, though, the ping-pong balls still worked in their favor.

That�s exactly why the league is preparing another lottery system overhaul next year.

Winner: Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls jumped from ninth-best lottery odds into the top four, giving the franchise a huge opportunity to reset its future.

New lead executive Bryson Graham now has a chance to land a franchise-changing talent like Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer.

After several disappointing years, Chicago desperately needed a win like this.

Winner: Utah Jazz

Despite becoming the face of tanking this season, the Jazz still walked away smiling with another premium pick.

Utah already has a strong young foundation:

Ace Bailey
Keyonte George
Walker Kessler
Lauri Markkanen
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Now add elite guard prospect Darryn Peterson, and the Jazz suddenly look like a real playoff threat in the West.

Winner: LA Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers quietly became one of the night�s biggest winners after landing the No. 5 pick from Indiana.

That pick could help reshape the roster around Darius Garland, who arrived earlier this season in a blockbuster deal involving James Harden.

The Clippers now have flexibility, young talent, and a valuable draft asset moving forward.

Biggest Lottery Losers

Loser: Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets desperately needed lottery luck and didn�t get it.

Brooklyn still lands a solid prospect at No. 6 � possibly guards Darius Acuff Jr. or Keaton Wagler � but missing out on elite talent hurts for a roster still lacking star power.

And with the NBA expected to flatten lottery odds even more next season, rebuilding may get tougher.

Loser: Indiana Pacers

This one stings.

The Indiana Pacers lost their top-four protected pick after trading for Ivica Zubac earlier in the year.

That means Indiana essentially gave up the No. 5 overall pick. While Zubac fits nicely alongside Tyrese Haliburton, that�s still a massive price to pay.

Loser: Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings struggled all season and only ended up with the No. 7 pick.

They�ll still get a talented player, but probably not the franchise-level star they hoped would jumpstart the rebuild.

Loser: New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are feeling the consequences of last year�s risky trade.

They gave up this pick to move up and draft Derik Queen, and now that selection officially became the No. 8 overall pick.

Queen showed flashes this season, but the deal is looking rough right now.