Washington Wizards celebrate NBA Draft Lottery victory after finishing with the league’s worst record
The Washington Wizards have won the NBA Draft lottery to secure the first selection in next month’s event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
With the worst record in the NBA, the Wizards were among three teams with 14-percent odds of getting the top pick heading into the lottery.
Meanwhile, several teams jumped up in the lottery, including the Utah Jazz, who got the No. 2 pick, as well as the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls, who will pick third and fourth, respectively.
Next month’s draft has a number of elite recruits, including BYU swingman AJ Dybantsa, Kansas combo guard Darryn Peterson and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer, the son of retired NBA forward, Carlos.
‘Standing here is kind of crazy,’ Dybantsa told reporters in New York on Sunday, as quoted by The Associated Press. ‘One of these teams is going to be home.’
In addition to the top pick in next month’s NBA Draft, the Wizards also enter the 2026-27 season with former All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis, both of whom were acquired in trades during the 2025-26 campaign.
With the league’s worst record, the Washington Wizards have now won the NBA Draft lottery to secure the first selection in next month’s event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa is considered one option for the Wizards with the first pick
Interestingly, this marked the second consecutive year that a team that acquired Davis in a mid-season trade went on to get the first pick in the following draft. Last season, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Davis and ultimately picked Rookie of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg first overall.
No team suffered more on Sunday than the Indiana Pacers, who also had a 14-percent chance at the top pick, but will now surrender the fifth-overall selection in next month’s draft by virtue of a conditional February trade for center Ivica Zubac. That deal specified that the Pacers’ first-round pick would convey to the Clippers if it fell between picks No. 5 and No. 9.
The Brooklyn Nets also got some bad news on Sunday, landing the No. 6 selection despite also having a 14-percent chance at the top spot.
The Sacramento Kings will pick at No. 7, while the Atlanta Hawks, Mavs, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets found out selections No. 8 through No. 14, respectively.
Cameron Boozer, the son of former NBA star Carlos, is expected to be taken high next month
Darryn Peterson was plagued by cramping issues throughout the 2025-26 season at Kansas
The NBA plans to implement anti-tanking rules in 2027 after a number of teams, including the Wizards, were accused of limiting their rosters in an effort to capture this year’s No. 1 overall pick.
Washington has not reached the playoffs since Scott Brooks coached the team in 2021. Brooks was fired after that season and replaced with the son and namesake of franchise legend Wes Unseld, who was then replaced with Brian Keefe in 2024.
Keefe is expected to retain his job on the Wizards sideline heading into next season despite a record of 43-160 in Washington.
The Wizards were represented on Sunday by John Wall, the retired point guard they picked the last time the team won the lottery.
Washington also had the top pick in 2001, when they made the ill-fated decision to pick Kwame Brown, as well as 1961 and 1962, when they added Walt Bellamy and Bill McGill, respectively.
