NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago: Wizards, Pacers, Nets share top odds at 14%

Lottery day. Chicago. The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery tips at 3 ET on ABC, with the Washington Wizards (17-65, the league's worst record), Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets each holding the top odds at 14%. Utah and Sacramento are next at 12.5% — Jazz won the coin-flip tiebreaker over the Kings.

The class is loaded. BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has separated himself as the projected No. 1 pick coming out of the weekend. Duke's Cameron Boozer, AJ Wilson, and Tre Johnson — names you'll be watching all summer. The Mavericks come in with 6.7% odds (8th-best) hoping to repeat last year's miracle that landed them Cooper Flagg with a 1.8% chance.

One subplot: this might be the last lottery under the current format. ESPN's Shams Charania reported the league has briefed GMs on a new "3-2-1" anti-tanking system — expanding the lottery to 16 teams with even flatter odds — that could be coming next year. The new system would be a direct response to the front-office strategy of bottoming out for top picks. Watch the picks unfold tonight, then watch the trade rumors light up immediately after.