The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery delivered a major shake-up across the league, with the Washington Wizards landing the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Bulls jumping into No. 4 to boost their rebuild around Josh Giddey, and the Indiana Pacers sliding to No. 5 only to lose their selection entirely after a pre-lottery trade.
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It’s a day that reshapes three very different trajectories, from Washington’s chance at a franchise cornerstone to Chicago’s fast-tracking rebuild and Indiana’s costly gamble.
WHY POTENTIAL NEW RUNNING MATE COULD BE ‘PERFECT’ FOR GIDDEY
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery has reshaped the outlook of the Chicago Bulls, with a stroke of fortune handing the franchise the No. 4 overall pick in what is widely regarded as one of the deepest draft classes in years.
Speaking on ALL NBA Podcast, Bulls beat writer Will Gottlieb said the result could prove to be a major turning point for the Chicago Bulls, especially given how the franchise has approached its rebuild.
“I mean this is huge for the Bulls and they really have been one of the few teams that has operated in this way, like ‘we’re going to be ethical. We’re not going to tank,’” Gottlieb said.
“To move up in this draft, especially the way that they cleared out at the trade deadline, just getting rid of a bunch of guys. And I know there’s been a lot of criticism about not getting enough back, I think that’s true. Would have been hard to do that if you wait until they’ve got two months left on their deals. So, they needed to act sooner. They didn’t do it.
“But now they’re in a situation where they don’t really have to worry about re-signing any of their guys. They don’t have to have any stressful negotiations and they can really move forward here with Bryson Graham at the helm.
“You get the number four pick. You got the 15th pick. 38 is going to be a good one in the second round. And then 56. They can really turn this thing around and it will be very fascinating to see how Bryson Graham sort of starts to build this thing in his image.”
Chicago entered the lottery with just a 4.5% chance of landing inside the top four, a position that would have more realistically seen them fall closer to pick nine based on pre-lottery projections. Instead, the Bulls leapfrogged expectations and walked away with a selection that could significantly accelerate their rebuild.
It is a timely boost for a young roster still taking shape around Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, with the organisation also holding an additional first-round pick after the Portland Trail Blazers’ playoff qualification pushed a previous selection their way.
One name already rising into serious consideration is Caleb Wilson, who has positioned himself as a potential top-four selection thanks to his explosive athletic profile and defensive versatility.
At 6-foot-10, Wilson offers rare power and mobility, attacking the rim with force while maintaining impressive control in transition.
Offensively, he has also shown developing touch in the mid-range and flashes of post scoring craft, along with encouraging passing instincts for his size.
Defensively, Wilson projects as a high-impact presence, capable of switching across multiple positions, protecting the rim and generating extra possessions through effort and activity.
The main question remains his perimeter shooting, which is still a work in progress, but his overall physical tools continue to outweigh that concern for most front offices.
Despite injury setbacks late in the season, Wilson’s stock remains strong after averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game before a broken thumb and broken hand ended his year early.
If the Bulls do land Caleb Wilson, his pairing with Josh Giddey could quickly develop into one of the most exciting young duos in the league.
In a frontcourt featuring Wilson and Matas Buzelis, the fit looks natural on paper. All three bring pace, floor-running ability and a willingness to attack the rim, giving Chicago a more dynamic transition identity.
Wilson, in particular, adds a different layer of athletic force. He is not shy about finishing above the rim, as shown by his 67 dunks in just 24 games at North Carolina, a clear reflection of how often he puts pressure on the defence as a cutter and finisher.
With Giddey’s playmaking and Buzelis’ scoring versatility, Wilson’s energy and vertical threat would give Chicago another weapon in transition and help turn defensive stops into easy offence.
New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham has already stressed patience in the rebuild, but even he admitted the timing of landing such a pick changes the picture.
“We are in the rebuilding phase and we’re extremely young, too,” Graham said.
“I hope that, as fans, we kind of understand where we’re at and we’re going to get there. But like I said – I want to keep on saying this – is that it’s going to take time.”
But the lottery outcome gives Chicago a chance to accelerate that timeline.
“I just got the job and I got the fourth pick,” Graham told reporters after the lottery. “This is crazy.”
With two first-round picks and $58 million in cap space, Chicago has the flexibility to shape its off-season around whoever falls into their range.
INTRIGUING SUMMER AWAITS WIZARDS AFTER NO.1 PICK
The Washington Wizards have landed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, giving the franchise a major boost as it continues building around a young core and a reshaped veteran group.
There is already growing optimism around Washington’s direction, with emerging talent such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson forming the foundation of the roster alongside established stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
Young was quick to react after the lottery result, posting an eyewink emoji on social media to signal his excitement about the franchise’s new position at the top of the draft.
Anthony Davis also chimed in on social media after seeing the lottery results.
Just a year ago, the Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 Draft Lottery with just a 1.8% chance, only months after acquiring Anthony Davis in a trade. They went on to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick, a move that ultimately delivered Rookie of the Year honours.
Even earlier, in 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans struck gold in similar fashion, winning the lottery shortly after trading Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. That pick became Zion Williamson, the No. 1 selection in that year’s draft.
It seems Davis is proven to be good luck for teams when it comes to landing the number one pick.
All signs point to Washington having the opportunity to select a franchise-changing talent, with AJ Dybantsa widely viewed as the leading candidate. However, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson remain firmly in the conversation depending on how the draft board unfolds.
On paper, Dybantsa appears to be the cleanest fit for a roster already blending youth and star power, giving Washington another high-upside piece to grow alongside its developing core.
Gottlieb also weighed in on the Washington Wizards landing the No. 1 pick, and what it means for the franchise’s direction moving forward.
“They made these big trades at the deadline to try to hurry up where they were headed, right? But they still didn’t have that guy. And so were you going to bank on Trae Young to be this long-term piece that you’re building your whole organisation around? And obviously Alex Sarr is a really good player and he showed a lot this year,” he said.
“Kyshawn George a nice player. Tre Johnson, you drafted sixth overall last year. Those are great pieces, but to go out and make moves, and it’s not like they overpaid or even paid a lot to get Anthony Davis and Trae Young in the door, but they’re still missing that A1 guy.
“And I think they can really find him number one overall. It’s just going to be fascinating to see if other teams start to replicate that with the new 3-2-1 lottery reform coming in, what happens with all that.
“So this being the last year of this version of the lottery and the draft, I think is also just kind of a fascinating component in that.”
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Young’s presence is also central to the Wizards’ future direction. As a natural playmaker, he provides the structure and pace to unlock the roster, while still offering elite scoring when needed. His balance as both facilitator and shot creator makes him a strong fit for a young group still finding its identity.
Davis, meanwhile, remains a key piece of the puzzle, particularly if he shares the frontcourt with Sarr. That pairing could give Washington significant size and versatility, but his long-term commitment to the franchise remains uncertain after recent comments suggesting a desire to win immediately.
Landing the No. 1 pick accelerates Washington’s rebuild, but it also adds a layer of pressure to align timelines across a roster that is still taking shape.
PACERS LOSE BIG TIME ON TRADE GAMBLE
There is no denying it, the Indiana Pacers emerged as the biggest losers of the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.
After enduring a miserable 19-63 season without injured franchise star Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana entered lottery night hoping to secure a top-four selection in a draft class widely viewed as loaded with elite talent.
Instead, the Pacers slipped to fifth, losing the pick entirely to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard wrote on X.
“I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
It is a brutal outcome for a franchise already coming off a heartbreaking stretch that included Haliburton suffering a serious injury during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, a series Indiana ultimately lost.
The reason the pick now belongs to the Clippers dates back to this season’s trade deadline, when Indiana traded away the rights to its 2026 first-round selection in exchange for underrated centre Ivica Zubac.
Continuing on, Will Gottlieb also addressed the Indiana Pacers sliding to the No. 5 pick and losing their selection, offering a more tempered view of the outcome.
“I don’t view this as quite so devastating because it just would have been such an unlikely home run had they kept the pick because of how good Ivica Zubac is and how well I think he fits there. But certainly, I mean, it was a 50-50 proposition. They lose out on that pick and it’s going to cost them,” he said.
The pick carried top-four protection, meaning the Pacers would have retained it had they remained inside the first four selections of the draft order. That outcome appeared realistic after Indiana finished with the NBA’s second-worst record during what many viewed as an unofficial tanking campaign without Haliburton.
However, once the lottery balls pushed the Pacers down to No. 5, the selection automatically conveyed to the Clippers.
For the Clippers, it marks a major win. Their gamble on acquiring Indiana’s pick as part of the Zubac trade has immediately paid off, handing the franchise a valuable top-five asset as they look to reshape their roster around Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland.
For Indiana, though, it is a nightmare scenario. Instead of adding another blue-chip prospect alongside Haliburton and their young core, the Pacers walk away empty-handed from one of the most talent-rich drafts in recent memory.
One of Indiana’s biggest priorities will be adding more size and versatility on the wing.
Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard have both become important pieces thanks to their physical perimeter defence and toughness, traits that have translated well to postseason basketball over the past two years. However, both players can be undersized in certain match-ups, particularly against bigger forwards.
Adding another wing, ideally someone capable of playing the three and four positions, would help balance a roster already built around strong back-court and frontcourt talent.
With Haliburton leading the offence alongside Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac, Indiana could benefit from a bigger, switchable forward who complements that core.
Perimeter shooting also remains a major focus.
While it is difficult to fully judge Indiana’s offensive numbers during a season largely played without Haliburton, the Pacers still finished in the bottom half of the NBA in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
Given Haliburton’s elite playmaking ability, adding another reliable catch-and-shoot weapon makes plenty of sense. Surrounding him with more floor spacing would not only improve Indiana’s half-court offence, but also create more room for Siakam and Zubac to operate inside.
‘ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL’ NETS RUN CONTINUES
The Brooklyn Nets endured another frustrating day at the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, sliding down the order despite entering Sunday with strong odds to move up.
Brooklyn finished the season among the league’s bottom three teams at 20-62, tying with the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers for the highest 14% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 40.1% shot at a top-three selection.
Instead, the Nets fell to No. 6 overall, landing just one spot above their worst possible outcome of No. 7.
It marks another setback in a lottery system that has rarely favoured the franchise. Brooklyn has now held top-eight odds 10 times and moved up only twice, a trend that again worked against them on draft night, despite strong representation from club legend Vince Carter in attendance.
The result means Brooklyn misses out on the consensus top-tier prospects, including AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, and instead drops into the next group of available talent.
In a draft class widely considered one of the strongest in recent memory, that is a significant blow for a team still searching for a clear franchise cornerstone.
While the Nets have accumulated a solid collection of young players, they still lack a true centrepiece capable of leading them into contention.
Now, attention shifts to how they respond at No. 6.
Brooklyn will still have opportunities to extract value, with the draft board expected to lean heavily toward guard and shot-creation talent in that range. Prospects such as Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. are all likely to be in consideration.
The front office is also not locked into simply making the pick, with flexibility still on the table depending on how the board falls.
Even so, after entering the night hoping for a leap into elite territory, Brooklyn now faces another defining decision point in its rebuild.