The Washington Wizards won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft lottery on Sunday, giving the franchise its first top selection since 2010. Utah, Memphis and Chicago filled out the rest of the top four, while the Indiana Pacers’ protected top-four pick slid to the LA Clippers at No. 5.
For Washington, the result marks another turn in a rebuild that has stretched across multiple front offices and head coaches. The Wizards have not finished above.500 since 2017-18, and they lost 26 of their final 27 games to maximize their lottery positioning. The reward is the clearest chance yet to reset a roster that also added veteran stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis at the trade deadline.
The number matters because this is the draft’s first major sorting point. All 30 NBA teams will gather in Chicago for the draft combine beginning Monday and running through the end of the week, giving front offices a first full look at how the board may shake out before the NCAA withdrawal deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27. College players then have 10 more days to make final decisions on turning pro.
That clock adds pressure to a class still taking shape. ’s latest mock draft has AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, while Darryn Peterson, who opened the season projected there, remains in the mix near the top. Peterson told’s Ramona Shelburne this week that his doctors determined creatine usage played a role in the cramping issues that limited him at Kansas. His stock has already moved this season, and the next two weeks will determine how much.
Utah’s rise to No. 2 is its highest selection since 2011, a useful turn for a team that also improved its draft position after adding Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline. Washington got the headline. The rest of the league now has to decide whether the board at the top is set or still moving.
