Ranking 5 Teams Most Deserving of No. 1 Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

Who will get the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? It’s a question that has become an even bigger point of discussion this season due to the blatant amount of tanking around the NBA. While the lottery isn’t until May 17, we’re looking at the teams who are truly the most deserving of the No.

1 overall pick. Let’s dive into our list of the five teams most deserving of winning the NBA Draft lottery and landing the rights to the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. 1.

Memphis Grizzlies Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Memphis Grizzlies are the team most deserving of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Ja Morant’s injuries and his questionable commitment to the game truly thrust this team into a position where it needed to rebuild.

So, the organization rightfully embraced that by trading away Desmond Bane and later Jaren Jackson Jr. We’ve seen what Memphis can do for the likes of Jaylen Wells (39th overall pick in 2024) and Cedric Coward (11th overall pick in 2025), they know how to maximize player development. Plus, the city of Memphis deserves a new franchise cornerstone it can rally behind.