NBA settles multiple draft-order tiebreakers ahead of 2026 lottery
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The NBA conducted random drawings on Monday, April 20, 2026, to separate teams that finished the regular season with identical records, locking in several first-round positions before next month’s draft lottery.
Key results
• Utah won its tiebreaker with Sacramento and will enter the lottery slotted at No. 4. The Kings will pick fifth. Because the Jazz are now guaranteed a top-eight selection, their previously owed pick to Oklahoma City is extinguished.
• New Orleans edged Dallas for the No. 7 position, giving the Pelicans one additional lottery combination. That pick will be conveyed to Atlanta if it ends up more favorable than Milwaukee’s, or to the Bucks if it is not.
• Phoenix topped Philadelphia and Orlando in a three-team draw and settled at No. 16. The Suns’ pick is headed to Memphis. Philadelphia’s choice (No. 17) goes to Oklahoma City, while Orlando’s selection (No. 18) will be sent to Charlotte.
• Toronto claimed No. 19 over Atlanta, and Houston secured No. 22 ahead of Cleveland. The Cavaliers will pick 23rd, with that selection owed to the Hawks.
• New York defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in their draw and will select No. 24.
Second-round implications
For tied teams, the order reverses in the second round, placing clubs that pick later in the first round ahead of their counterparts in Round 2. Final second-round positions for lottery teams with matching records will remain unsettled until the lottery results are known.
Source: Hoops Wire
