Wizards Win NBA Draft Lottery with 14% Odds, Nets Drop to No. 6

The Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, securing the top pick with just a 14% chance after finishing the season 17-65, the worst record in the league.

The victory caps what may be the final year under the current lottery system, as the NBA plans changes to combat tanking. Washington embraced its poor performance and now holds the rights to draft the class's top prospect, projected as BYU wing AJ Dybantsa. He led the nation with 25.5 points per game. Other potential No. 1 picks include Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.

The Wizards' future core includes Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Dallas sent Davis to Washington in an eight-player trade, according to reports.

Brooklyn Nets fared far worse. Despite a 20-62 record and tied for the best lottery odds, they landed the No. 6 pick. Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies passed them in the order. The Jazz had been fined by the league for tanking during the regular season but still gained a strong position.

Indiana Pacers suffered the harshest blow. Their pick, tied with Washington's at 14% odds, fell to No. 5. Because it sat just outside top-four protection, it transfers to the Los Angeles Clippers, who also hold the fifth pick. Indiana acquired center Ivica Zubac in the related deal. The Pacers join Utah among teams fined this season for tanking amid the league's efforts to curb the practice. They ended with 63 losses.

Pacers fans vented frustration online. One wrote on X, "Indiana tanked for nothing, should’ve done what the Celtics did and understood your team better." Another posted, "The Devil is collecting his debt from the pacers there’s no way ts [this s**t] just happened to them."

Speculation swirled about the top pick, from the NBA favoring host city Chicago to Oklahoma City Thunder bolstering their roster via the Clippers' selection. Instead, the Clippers gained from Indiana's misfortune, while Washington benefited from the old system.

The top 14 draft order and odds: Washington Wizards (14%), Utah Jazz (11.5%), Memphis Grizzlies (9%), Chicago Bulls (4.5%), Indiana Pacers (14%), Brooklyn Nets (14%), Sacramento Kings (11.5%), Atlanta Hawks (9.8%), Dallas Mavericks (6.7%), Milwaukee Bucks (3%), Golden State Warriors (2%), Oklahoma City Thunder (1.5%), Miami Heat (1%), Charlotte Hornets (0.5%).