NBA Draft scenarios 2026: How Nets, Wizards or Pacers can clinch best lottery odds in tank sweepstakes
In a season defined by tanking, three NBA teams appear set to have the top lottery odds. Who will win the tank-off?
NBA Draft scenarios 2026: How Nets, Wizards or Pacers can clinch best lottery odds in tank sweepstakes originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The NBA's race to the bottom isn't exactly heating up — for months, the league's worst teams have been losing at historic rates.
Commissioner Adam Silver has indicated over the 2025-26 campaign that soon, the league will be implementing new "anti-tanking" rules to more heavily penalize teams who are more focused on losing than winning games. But because those rules haven't yet arrived, and the 2026 draft class is considered a strong one, there have been a lot of struggling franchises. Among the non-playoff contenders, however, three teams appear set for a chance to own the NBA's worst record in 2025-26: the Indiana Pacers , Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards .
With the regular season winding down, the draft lottery odds could be altered based on how the teams perform in their final games. Here's an updated look at the bottom of the NBA standings and which teams will have the best draft lottery odds. SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule Who will get the No.
1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? Regardless of how the rest of the regular season plays out, no team will be officially awarded the No. 1 pick until the draft lottery on May 10, 2026.