The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery and will pick first June 23 in New York, returning them to the top spot after 2010.
Washington is back on the clock at the top of the NBA draft after winning the lottery and earning the No. 1 pick for the first time since selecting John Wall in 2010.
The Wizards won Sunday’s draft lottery at Chicago’s Navy Pier, securing the first selection despite having just a 14% chance to do so. That odds package was shared with Brooklyn and Indiana, the report noted, giving Washington a slim but real path to the top slot.
The win closes out a run of setbacks that spans three consecutive losing seasons. including what the team experienced as the three worst years in franchise history over its 65-year existence.. This season finished at 17-65. and the Wizards’ struggles also included a night where Miami’s Bam Adebayo scored 83 points for the league’s second-highest single-game total.
Washington’s rebuilding momentum has included major roster moves. with the report stating the Wizards swung deals last season to bring in Trae Young and Anthony Davis.. With the No.. 1 pick now within reach. the franchise has the opportunity to add an immediate-impact player as it tries to reset its competitive direction.
The lottery results determine the top of the board for the June 23 draft in New York. Utah will pick No. 2, Memphis will select No. 3, and Chicago will take the No. 4 spot. The Los Angeles Clippers will be on the clock at No. 5 after receiving the pick via a trade with the Pacers.
After the top five, the remainder of the lottery order was set as follows: Brooklyn at No. 6, Sacramento at No. 7, Atlanta at No. 8, Dallas at No. 9, Milwaukee at No. 10, Golden State at No. 11, Oklahoma City at No. 12, Miami at No. 13, and Charlotte at No. 14.
The report also noted that the draft combine in Chicago begins on Monday, a fast-moving prelude to the June 23 event. That schedule will give prospects a short window to make their case in front of teams as the league’s order locks in.
Four players are generally viewed as front-runners for the No.. 1 pick, all entering the draft after their freshman seasons in college.. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game in his only college season. while Duke’s Cameron Boozer was the AP player of the year and averaged 22.5 points and 10.1 rebounds.
The other widely mentioned candidates include Kansas’ Darryn Peterson. who averaged 20.2 points in 24 games for the Jayhawks. and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. who posted 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 58%.. The report said all four, along with other likely first-round selections, were present in the studio for the lottery announcement.
For Dybantsa, the night carried a personal weight. Standing at the announcement, he said it felt “kind of crazy,” adding that whichever team wins will effectively make him “home.”
Sunday’s event also represented the eighth—and likely final—year of the lottery format that gives the worst teams a 14% chance at the top pick. That structure is set to change following adjustments designed to make tanking less rewarding.
The report stated that framework changes were put in place last month to further discourage tanking. and that the NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to ratify the plan in the coming weeks.. General managers are scheduled to meet in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss the proposal. which was described as being addressed “presumably for one last time.”
Under the updated approach, the three worst teams next season would have a 5.4% chance of winning the No. 1 pick, while the next seven teams would each have an 8.1% chance. The lottery would also expand from 14 teams to 16 if the plan is approved.
For the Wizards. the result lands at a pivotal moment: after years of trying to improve odds and assemble building blocks. Washington now controls the opening selection with the draft starting in New York on June 23.. For the rest of the league. the new lottery probabilities—if ratified as expected—could reshape how teams manage risk and rebuilding schedules going forward. even as this year’s lottery order sets the immediate course for talent acquisition.
NBA draft lottery Washington Wizards No. 1 pick Trae Young Anthony Davis June 23 draft NBA prospects