2026 NBA Draft Lottery, Combine Event Dates Announced, Current Odds for No. 1 Pick

The NBA has announced the dates for this year's draft lottery (Sunday, May 10) and NBA draft combine (Sunday, May 10-Sunday, May 17), both of which will take place in Chicago.

Per NBA draft lottery rules, the worst three teams in the NBA standings get the best odds to land the No. 1 pick at 14 percent apiece. The 11-34 Washington Wizards are at the bottom.

However, the 24-25 Atlanta Hawks are next in line since they own the 12-37 New Orleans Pelicans' first-round pick by virtue of a 2025 draft day trade that eventually landed star rookie Derik Queen in New Orleans.

Right now, the 12-36 Sacramento Kings and 12-36 Indiana Pacers are tied for the third spot. Any ties in the standings to determine a better lottery position are decided via random drawings.

The rest of the current draft lottery is as follows through games played on Wednesday, Jan. 28:

• 5. Brooklyn Nets (12-33): 10.5 percent
• 6. Utah Jazz (15-33): 9.0 percent
• 7. Memphis Grizzlies (18-27): 6.8 percent (tie with Milwaukee would be decided by random drawing, winner gets 7.5 percent odds, loser 6.0 percent)
• 8. Milwaukee Bucks (18-27): 6.7 percent
• 9. Dallas Mavericks (19-28): 6.0 percent
• 10. Charlotte Hornets (20-28): 3.0 percent
• 11. Oklahoma City Thunder (via trade from the 22-24 Los Angeles Clippers): 2.0 percent
• 12. Portland Trail Blazers (23-25): 1.5 percent
• 13. Chicago Bulls (23-24): 1.0 percent
• 14. San Antonio Spurs (via trade from the 24-25 Atlanta Hawks): 0.5 percent

This draft class looks loaded on paper, and teams that lose out on the No. 1 overall pick can still get a blue-chip talent.

The latest NBA mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman for Bleacher Report has Darryn Petersen of Kansas going first, Cameron Boozer of Duke going second and AJ Dybantsa of BYU going third. UNC's Caleb Wilson and Houston's Kingston Flemings round out the top five. All are freshmen.

Petersen has dealt with some leg injury issues this year, but the shooting guard has been phenomenal on the court, averaging 21.6 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting.

Boozer leads a Duke team that could very well win the national title. The freshman forward and son of ex-NBA star Carlos Boozer is posting 23.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Dybantsa was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, and he's showing why with 23.6 points on 53.0 percent shooting and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Wilson, a 6'10" forward out of UNC, is posting a double-double with 19.9 points on 58.8 percent shooting and 10.1 rebounds. He also averages 3.0 combined steals and blocks.

Flemings leads the No. 10 Cougars, currently sitting with an 18-2 record. He's averaging 17.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals.