The Washington Wizards have won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and will have the pick of the litter on draft day. Congrats to the Wizards and to the Utah Jazz, who will pick second.
The Grizzlies moved up to land the no.3 pick and the Bulls will pick at no.4
By far the biggest losers of the lottery are the Indiana Pacers who fall out of the top 4 and so loose their pick to the Clippers. After tanking hard all season long the Pacers will gift their pick to the Clippers…a team that really needed an influx of young talent.
Here is an in depth look at the top 14 picks now that the draft order is officially set!
| # | Player | Full Lottery Results |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Wizards | AJ Dybantsa | SF – BYU – HT: 6-9 – WT: 210 – WING: NA – Fr – The Wizards win the lottery sweepstakes and will have a tough choice between a number of elite level prospects. Dybantsa would give them a big wing who can score the ball in bunches and impose his will on the game. He’s an alpha dog who can set the tone for the team for the next decade. PLAYER COMP: T Mac |
| 2 Jazz | Darryn Peterson | SG – Kansas – HT: 6-5 – WT: 195 – WING: 6-10 1/2 – Fr – If the cramping issues are really behind him Peterson could/should be a superstar for the Jazz. He’s a rare talent with elite shooting touch and ability to get buckets whenever he wants. The Jazz have a strong young core in place and are a franchise that is heading in the right direction. PLAYER COMP: Kobe lite, Ray Allen |
| 3 Grizzlies | Caleb Wilson | PF – UNC – HT: 6-10 – WT: 205 – WING: 6-11 – Fr – Wilson is a special talent with as much upside as anyone in this draft class. The Grizzlies moved on from JJJ and will now have a chance to replace him with an even more dynamic big forward, to pair with Edey up front. PLAYER COMP: Kevin Garnett, Shareef Abdur-Rahim |
| 4 Bulls | Cam Boozer | PF – Duke – HT: 6-9 – WT: 250 – WING: 7-0 – Fr – The Bulls were big winners of the lottery moving into the top four and getting a shot at Boozer, or whoever falls out of the top 3. Boozer would be a bit of a change of pace for the team but is far too talented to pass on, if he falls this far. PLAYER COMP: Michael Beasley, Al Horford, Kevin Love |
| 5 Clippers (Pacers) | Darius Acuff Jr. | PG – Arkansas – HT: 6-2 – WT: 190 – WING: NA – Fr – The Pacers have to be hurting real bad right now. After tanking all season they made a bone-headed trade at the deadline and risked losing this pick. And sure enough the pick will be shipped to the Clippers after it fell out of the top 4. What a mess for the Pacers and what a huge win for the Clippers. Acuff would be an awesome addition in L.A. and give them a new younger face of the franchise. PLAYER COMP: Stephon Marbury, Coby White, Damian Lillard |
| 6 Nets | Kingston Flemings | PG – Houston – HT: 6-4 – WT: 190 – WING: NA – Fr – The Nets added a lot of guards last year but in this range of the lottery the top prospects are all guards. They could look to maneuver up or down but if they stand pat Kingston Flemings would be an awesome addition. He’s more talented than anyone on their roster and is the type of dynamic athlete at the lead guard position that can change the course of a franchise. PLAYER COMP: prospect Markelle Fultz, bigger De’Aaron Fox |
| 7 Kings | Mikel Brown Jr. | PG – Louisville – HT: 6-5 – WT: 190 – WING: 6-6 1/2 – Fr – Brown Jr. is a nuclear scorer who can light it up as well as anyone in this draft. He seems to be over the back issues that hindered him this season and his draft stock is pointing up. The Kings need to hit on this pick and should be going for the best player available, regardless of position. And Brown Jr. is a borderline elite prospect. PLAYER COMP: faster D’Angelo Russell |
| 8 Hawks (Pelicans) | Keaton Wagler | SG – Illinois – HT: 6-6 – WT: 185 – WING: NA – Fr – Wagler would give the Hawks a versatile and highly talented big guard who has All Star upside. He’s been one of the most fascinating prospects to watch this season, rising from obscurity to a likely top 10 spot. PLAYER COMP: taller Ryan Rollins, a hint of SGA, Haliburton |
| 9 Mavs | Brayden Burries | SG – Arizona – HT: 6-4 – WT: 200 – WING: NA – Fr – The Mavs add a stud young guard to the rebuilding process to pair with Cooper Flagg. He would bring a great balance of scoring punch, two-way ability and the ability to play on or off the ball. He’d be an ideal fit in Dallas. PLAYER COMP: Jared McCain |
| 10 Bucks | Aday Mara | C – Michigan (Spain) – HT: 7-3 – WT: 233 – WING: NA – Jr – Whether Giannis remains in Milwaukee or not, Mara would be a nice addition with his ability to anchor a defense and make plays on the offensive end. He’ll be one of the most fascinating players to watch as he adjusts to the NBA game. PLAYER COMP: Zydrunas Ilgauskas |
| 11 Warriors | Labaron Philon | PG – Alabama – HT: 6-3 – WT: 175 – WING: 6-6 1/4 – So – The Warriors are hoping they still have a small championship window open and will look to add a NBA-ready player who can provide meaningful minutes right away. Philon would be top 10 in some draft classes but in this strong class he falls to the Warriors at 11. PLAYER COMP: Tyrese Maxey lite |
| 12 Thunder | Hannes Steinbach | PF – Washington (Germany) – HT: 6-11 – WT: 248 – WING: 7-0 3/4 – Fr – The Thunder look to be on their way to another championship and will have the luxury of another lottery pick to add to the mix. I’m a massive Steinbach fan and think he’ll be really productive in the NBA. He’d be an awesomely unfair addition to the emerging Thunder dynasty. PLAYER COMP: David Lee, Isaiah Hartenstein+ |
| 13 Heat | Yaxel Lendeborg | PF – Michigan – HT: 6-9 – WT: 235 – WING: 7-4 – Sr – The Heat have a few solid pieces in place but are sort of stuck in no-man’s land. I’d love to see them swing for the fences with one of the younger, higher upside players in this draft but Yaxel seems like more of a Heat pick and would be solid value at this point in the draft. PLAYER COMP: Kyle Kuzma, Obi Toppin+ |
| 14 Hornets | Karim Lopez | SF – NZ Breakers, NBL (Mexico) – HT: 6-8 – WT: 215 – WING: NA – Int.07 – One of the more underrated and unheralded players in the drat, Lopez has a chance to be really good as a do-it-all forward who contributes across the board. The Hornets are building something really good in Charlotte and this would be another nice piece to a winning team. PLAYER COMP: Tristan da Silva |
With about 6 weeks to go until the draft, watch for a late riser or two to fly up boards and ultimately crash the lottery party. It could be an international guy like Luigi Suigo, who ranked at no.24 in my most recent big board. Or it could be Dailyn Swain who is trending up.
Nate Ament is probably graded higher by NBA front offices than I have him…but I’m going to stick with my gut for now and keep him just outside the lottery.
See all the action in my latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft. And congrats again to the Wizards for winning the no.1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft!!!