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NBA draft lottery winners and losers: Did tanking pay off?
TL;DR
The NBA draft lottery highlights the fortunes of teams, revealing winners and losers in the quest for top draft picks. This year's lottery raises questions about the effectiveness of tanking strategies.
Key points
- NBA draft lottery coincides with spring
- Opportunity for disadvantaged teams to improve
- Noteworthy developments in this year's lottery
- Discussion on tanking strategies
NBA draft lottery winners and losers: Did tanking pay off?
Follow along for live updates and results from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.
It’s fitting that the NBA draft lottery coincides with spring.
It’s the chance for some of the most disadvantaged teams in the league to have their fortunes revived through the draft. And this year is particularly noteworthy for a few reasons.
For one, this is projected to be a generational draft class loaded with elite talent like AJ Dybantsa from BYU and Darryn Peterson of Kansas, though it’s also a very deep group.
For another, this year was also noteworthy because of the overt tanking that took place in the final months of the regular season, when the league’s worst teams not-so-subtly self-sabotaged their on-court performance with the hopes of securing one of these top picks. The lottery Sunday, May 10 determined whether all that tanking was worth it.
Here are the winners and losers from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery:
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
2 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
3 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
4 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
5 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
6 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
7 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
8 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
9 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
WINNERS
Chicago Bulls
No team saw a bigger jump in the lottery than the Bulls, who entered with the ninth-best odds to sneak into the top four. The Bulls did just that, leaping up to No. 4.
Chicago does have some nice pieces, but has lacked a star player who can create his own shot. The draft should fix that. Also, after Billy Donovan stepped down as coach, this leap up the board suddenly makes the vacant Chicago job a lot more appealing.
John Wall delivers for the Washington Wizards
Wall, the last player Washington selected No. 1 overall, had represented the Wizards in the 2011 lottery, a year when Washington fell to No. 6 and drafted Jan Veselý. This time, Wall came through.
The Wizards, who had the worst record in the NBA at 17-65, secured the No. 1 selection and suddenly are in an enviable position. They brought on some veterans in Trae Young and Anthony Davis, have some young pieces in Alexandre Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson and will now get the chance to take their pick of Dybantsa or Peterson.
LOSERS
Indiana Pacers
The entered the draft with a 14% chance to claim the No. 1 overall selection and a 52.1% chance to land a top-four pick, tied for highest among all teams. Yet, the Pacers landed in the worst possible place.
They sent their first-round selection to the Los Angeles Clippers in the trade that landed center Ivica Zubac. That pick, however, was protected for picks No. 1-4 and 10-30. That means that if the pick fell anywhere between that 5-9 range, it would go to Los Angeles.
Indiana nearly made it, but with its selection landing at No. 5, it was the last hurdle the Pacers had to clear to secure a top-four pick. So instead of pairing an elite talent with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Zubac, Indiana’s gap year ends up as a significant letdown.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA draft lottery winners and losers: Who hit big — and who didn’t
Q&A
Which teams benefited from the 2026 NBA draft lottery?
The article discusses the teams that emerged as winners in the 2026 NBA draft lottery, showcasing those who improved their draft positions.
Did tanking strategies succeed for any NBA teams in 2026?
The piece examines whether teams that engaged in tanking were rewarded with favorable draft outcomes in the 2026 lottery.
What are the implications of the 2026 NBA draft lottery results?
The results of the lottery could significantly impact team strategies and future performance as they prepare for the upcoming draft.
When is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery scheduled?
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on May 10, 2026.