NBA Draft tiebreaker rules: Why coin flip determines whether Knicks, Lakers, more get higher draft pick
TL;DR
The NBA uses tiebreaker rules, including a coin flip, to determine draft order for teams with identical records. This process affects teams like the Knicks and Lakers in the upcoming draft.
Key points
- NBA uses tiebreaker rules for draft order
- Coin flip determines higher draft pick
- Identical records lead to tiebreaker situations
- Knicks and Lakers may be affected
- Tiebreakers are decided off the court
NBA Draft tiebreaker rules: Why coin flip determines whether Knicks, Lakers, more get higher draft pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ties are a wretched word in sports. Three of the four major U.S.-based leagues reject the result's existence outright, while the fourth -- the NFL -- only permits its emergence after space and time itself has been exhausted (but only in regular-season games).
And yet, ties are an inevitable part of the sporting calendar. In the NBA, every team plays 82 games. There are bound to be some teams whose entire campaign comprises of ties.
To make things sharper: every year, spectators are presented with two teams that finish the year with matching records. The draft order is the easiest way to see that carnage unfold. In 2025, the Suns and Trail Blazers posted identical 36-46 records. Yet, when the draft was read out, Phoenix -- whose pick initially belonged to the Rockets due to a prior trade -- held a better draft position than Portland.
That ordering was decided by tiebreakers, a proverbial "coin flip" that sees team's standing in the draft order decided far from glistening hardwood.
With that, here's what you need to know about the set of tiebreakers set to be decided ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
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NBA Draft tiebreakers, explained
Six sets of team finished the regular season with identical records. While tiebreaker scenarios exist to dictate how the playoff bracket shakes out, the draft order takes on a different approach. The NBA teams up with Ernst & Young, one of the world's largest consultancy firms.
As insider Marc Stein notes, the "coin flip" is actually a random drawing. Sides with identical records see their ties broken by the process of random drawings.
In 2025, five ties were separated via the system. No tie proved more consequential than the one between the Mavericks and the Bulls, both of whom finished with 39-43 records. Dallas won the random drawing, taking ownership of the 10th-best odds to land the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. Chicago, meanwhile, sulked to 11th-best odds.
The Mavericks ended up winning the lottery, setting the stage for the franchise to select teenage phenom Cooper Flagg. The Bulls, meanwhile, fell to No. 12, selecting French forward Noa Essengue.
Here's a look at the ties set to be decided in Secaucus, New Jersey on Monday afternoon:
- Utah Jazz (22-60) vs. Sacramento Kings (22-60)
- Atlanta Hawks, via New Orleans Pelicans (26-56) vs. Dallas Mavericks (26-56)
- Memphis Grizzlies, via Orlando Magic (45-37) vs. Charlotte Hornets, via Phoenix Suns (45-37) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, via Philadelphia 76ers (45-37)
- San Antonio Spurs, via Atlanta Hawks (46-36) vs. Toronto Raptors (46-36)
- Atlanta Hawks, via Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) vs. Philadelphia 76ers, via Houston Rockets (52-30)
- New York Knicks (53-29) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29)
NBA Draft order
Here's a look at the first round draft order based solely on regular-season record:
| Round | Pick | Overall | Team | Record |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Washington Wizards | 17-65 |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | Indiana Pacers | 19-63 |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Brooklyn Nets | 20-62 |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Utah Jazz | 22-60 |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Sacramento Kings | 22-60 |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Memphis Grizzlies | 25-57 |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans) | 26-56 |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Dallas Mavericks | 26-56 |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Chicago Bulls | 31-51 |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | 32-50 |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Golden State Warriors | 37-45 |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles) | 42-40 |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Miami Heat | 43-39 |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | Charlotte Hornets | 44-38 |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Chicago Bulls (from Portland) | 42-40 |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando) | 45-37 |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Charlotte Hornets (from Phoenix) | 45-37 |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Oklahoma City Thunder (from Philadelphia) | 45-37 |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta) | 46-36 |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Toronto Raptors | 46-36 |
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Detroit Pistons (from Minnesota) | 49-33 |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | Atlanta Hawks (from Cleveland) | 52-30 |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | Philadelphia 76ers (from Houston) | 52-30 |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | New York Knicks | 53-29 |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Los Angeles Lakers | 53-29 |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | Denver Nuggets | 54-28 |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Boston Celtics | 56-26 |
| 1 | 28 | 28 | Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit) | 60-22 |
| 1 | 29 | 29 | Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio) | 62-20 |
| 1 | 30 | 30 | Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City) | 64-18 |
H3: NBA Draft Lottery odds
Here's a look at the odds of landing the No. 1 pick for each of the 14 sides slated to take part in next month's draft lottery.
| No. 1 Pick Odds | Team | Record |
| 14.0% | Wizards | 17-65 |
| 14.0% | Pacers | 19-63 |
| 14.0% | Nets | 20-62 |
| 11.5% | Jazz | 22-60 |
| 11.5% | Kings | 22-60 |
| 9.0% | Grizzlies | 25-57 |
| 6.8% | Hawks (via Pelicans) | 26-56 |
| 6.7% | Mavericks | 26-56 |
| 4.5% | Bulls | 31-51 |
| 3.0% | Bucks | 32-50 |
| 2.0% | Warriors | 37-45 |
| 1.5% | Thunder (via Clippers) | 42-40 |
| 1.0% | Heat | 43-39 |
| 0.5% | Hornets | 44-38 |
Q&A
What are the NBA Draft tiebreaker rules?
The NBA Draft tiebreaker rules include a coin flip to determine draft order for teams with identical records.
How does a coin flip affect NBA draft picks?
A coin flip is used to decide which team gets a higher draft pick when two or more teams finish with the same record.
Which teams are impacted by the NBA Draft tiebreakers in 2025?
Teams like the Knicks and Lakers could be impacted by the tiebreaker rules in the 2025 NBA Draft.
What happens when two NBA teams have the same record?
When two NBA teams have the same record, tiebreakers, including a coin flip, are used to determine their draft order.
