The NBA completed its tiebreaking drawings for the 2026 draft on Monday afternoon, finalizing positions 15 through 30 and settling two lottery ties at the league’s office in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The most significant draw separated the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz for the fourth-best lottery odds. Utah won the toss, leaving Sacramento with the fifth-best odds. Because the league splits the probabilities assigned to the two slots, both clubs still carry a 45.2 percent chance of moving into the top four and an 11.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick.
By winning the tiebreaker, the Jazz cannot fall lower than eighth on lottery night, guaranteeing they will keep their top-eight-protected pick that otherwise would have been sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it landed ninth.
Other lottery slots
The New Orleans Pelicans were awarded the seventh slot and the Dallas Mavericks the eighth. New Orleans will not keep that selection; it was traded to the Atlanta Hawks during last year’s draft. Atlanta will receive the better pick between New Orleans and the Milwaukee Bucks, who hold the 10th lottery position. Milwaukee will receive the lesser of the two. Both the Pelicans’ and Mavericks’ lottery positions carry a 29 percent chance of jumping into the top four and a 6.3 percent shot at the first overall pick.
Non-lottery tiebreakers
The league also set the following order outside the lottery:
- 16th pick: Memphis Grizzlies (via the better of Orlando’s and Phoenix’s selections)
- 17th pick: Oklahoma City Thunder (owning Philadelphia’s selection)
- 18th pick: Charlotte Hornets (via the lesser of Orlando’s and Phoenix’s selections)
- 19th pick: Toronto Raptors
- 20th pick: San Antonio Spurs (holding Atlanta’s first-rounder)
- 22nd pick: Philadelphia 76ers (using Houston’s selection)
- 23rd pick: Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland)
- 24th pick: New York Knicks
- 25th pick: Los Angeles Lakers
Key dates ahead
The draft lottery is scheduled for May 10 in Chicago, coinciding with the NBA draft combine that runs May 10-17. The 2026 draft will be split into two nights at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with the first round on June 23 and the second round on June 24. Prospects have until Friday to decide whether to enter this year’s draft.
Source: ESPN
