New York (AFP) – The Washington Wizards, who had the worst record in the NBA this past season, won the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday to claim the top pick in next month’s draft. Washington went 17-65 in the 2025-26 campaign, their second-worst record in team history after a 15-win season in 2023-24. The Wizards lost 26 of their last 27 games, including the final 10 in a row. That gave the Wizards a 14% chance at the top pick, and they bagged the selection that could add a star player to their struggling lineup.
The Wizards obtained star guard Trae Young from Atlanta in a January trade and power forward Anthony Davis in a February trade with Dallas. The top pick would be another key player in trying to bolster a squad that has not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since reaching the 1979 NBA Finals. The Wizards have not reached the playoffs since 2021 and have not won a playoff series since 2017.
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A.J. Dybantsa, a 19-year-old forward of Congolese and Jamaican origin, and Darryn Peterson, a 19-year-old guard, are considered the most likely US college stars to be taken first overall. The NBA Draft, the annual allocation of top available talent, will be staged on June 23-24.
Utah received the second pick with Memphis third and Chicago fourth, all three clubs moving up despite longer odds of doing so in the selection process. The fifth pick went to the Los Angeles Clippers from Indiana in a trade for Croatian center Ivica Zubac. Brooklyn received the sixth pick followed in order by Sacramento, Atlanta (from New Orleans), Dallas, Milwaukee, Golden State, Oklahoma City (from the Clippers in a trade for Paul George), Miami, and Charlotte.
All 14 teams that missed the NBA playoffs were entered into the lottery, with teams that finished worst in the regular season given the best chance at landing the first selection. Washington, Indiana (19-63), and Brooklyn (20-62) each had a 14% chance at the first choice, with Utah and Sacramento, both 22-60, each having an 11.5% opportunity. The current system ensured the worst overall team selected no lower than fifth, but concerns over late-season tanking to boost lottery hopes have led NBA commissioner Adam Silver to say there will be changes to the lottery system before next season.
© 2024 AFP
