The New York Knicks came into Philadelphia Sunday, May 10, looking to close out a series sweep over the 76ers. Miles McBride made it look like they were trying to get out of there fast to beat traffic on the turnpike back to New York.
McBride hit four three-pointers in the first quarter Sunday, including three straight that forced the 76ers into a timeout. He finished with six threes and had 20 points at the half. New York made 11 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc after one quarter and went into the halftime having hit 17 three-pointers to lead 78-53 at the half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
New York shot 84.6% from three in the first 12 minutes and 69.6% from the floor overall.
The Sixers had no answer.
McBride, who stated in place of the injured OG Anunoby, came back from sports hernia surgery in late March and barely registered in eight appearances before Anunoby’s injury forced him into the lineup in Game 3.
Anunoby was hurt in Game 2 of the series driving to the basket. He has been listed as day-to-day since, but he has missed the last two games. Anunoby was averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 rebounds a game in the postseason before being hurt.
A win on Sunday would give the Knicks their first playoff sweep since 1999.
The NBA Draft Lottery is now behind us and while I think I can speak for EVERYONE when I say that I wish it went a little differently, we have to look toward the future. I’ll be linking all of our in-depth draft profiles to each player (we worked really hard on these, after all) so let’s break down who I think each lottery team will select in this year’s NBA Draft now that we know the order.
There’s an argument for a couple of guys to go #1 overall, but what isn’t a debate is which one has the least amount of concerns, and that would be AJ Dybantsa. It would have been really nice for the BYU product to make his way to Utah for the Jazzmen, and it even looked like he was hoping that we’d get the #1 spot, but his fit in Washington would be seamless.
Bilal Coulibaly has not developed offensively during his time in the league, so Dybantsa will take the starting SF spot in DC, and in doing so solidifies their future. Trae Young and Anthony Davis will be fun additions for the upcoming season(s) but once Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, and Dybantsa are ready to take the leap, we may finally see a Wizards team that wins 50 games for the first time in over 50 years.
Just an incredible talent: the most NBA ready scorer in this year’s draft, pro-level offensive skillset, and undeniably a walking bucket. His only concern this entire year was his durability.
He was plagued with muscle cramps for the majority of his time at Kansas, but recently it was reported that the cause of all that cramping was high does of creatine. Better late than never, I say. I have no other choice but to be hopeful that the issue is now behind him, and if it truly is, a backcourt of Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson is enough to make my mouth water.
The Memphis Grizzlies are… struggling as of late. After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz this year, their role players not developing the way they hoped, and the impending trade of Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies just need a star level talent in the building.
After winning the College Player of the Year with averages of 22/10/4 it would be safe to say that Cam Boozer is one of those star level talents. After watching Nikola Jokic manhandle the league for the last few years it’s hard to imagine a world where Boozer doesn’t succeed. Now I’m not saying that he’ll be a future 3x MVP, but at bare minimum I think Memphis has an All-Star and potential perineal All-NBA level player on their horizon.
There are questions about Wilson’s fit in a modern NBA offense, but there’s a reason that he’s drawing Kevin Garnett comparisons. His defensive tenacity is unmatched, he stuffs the stat sheet, and he’s a very underrated playmaker.
Much like Memphis, Chicago is in need of true star power, and while I understand being a little shy to select a player with huge defensive upside but questionable offensive skillset again (*cough* Patrick Williams *cough*), Caleb Wilson is no Patrick Williams. Paring Wilson up with what we’ve seen from Matas Buzelis could be very dangerous in the future, and Chicago should be joyous.
The Clippers seem to be heading towards a Kawhi Leonard divorce this offseason, and while the defensive concerns of the two guards you traded for in Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin are very visible, it would make sense here to draft a more reliable defender in Mikel Brown Jr.
Is he the next Gary Payton? No. Is he going to be a traffic cone on defense? Also no. He has the ability to fill up the stat sheet, have great shooting splits, and if it goes as well as I want it to for him, he could very well be the “face” of the Clippers franchise for the next decade.
The Brooklyn Nets have some sins to atone for after drafting 5 decent to unplayable Rookies last year. Being in a bigger market means that you have to and get a superstar, and Darius Acuff could certainly be that.
He has his problems, sure. He’s not an All-World defender, but he’s undeniably one of the best offensive engines that the college game has seen from a guard in quite some time. Statistically Acuff had the greatest season that any Coach Calipari guard has ever had, and I don’t think I have to tell you how insane that is. In my opinion they should draft the obvious offensive superstar, and figure out the rest later.
The Kings have been stuck in basketball purgatory for a while now, and I think it’s time that they just start fresh. Get rid of EVERYONE and draft a high upside guy like Flemings.
I’ve written about my concerns with him and his consistency, but he certainly knows how to put the ball in the hoop. On top of that he’s a very good playmaker and rebounds well for his position. It may be a few years before they could compete given the history of this franchise, but I could see a world where a Flemings led Kings team is back in the playoffs just as long as they’re able to surround him with the right tools.
The further down we go on this list the less upside there is for players, and that’s why teams that are getting ready to take a leap need to draft talent that will help you win immediately. Enter: Brayden Burries.
He isn’t a superhuman athlete or a top 3 playmaker in the draft, but he is a reliable option at the SG position AND knows how to play a role. Adding someone like him to the Jalen Johnson Hawks could be really interesting in the near future.
After winning the Rookie of the Year, the Dallas Mavericks are looking to add more talent to Cooper Flag and Wagler could help in many departments.
He’s got great size, he does a little bit of everything, he’s efficient, and he can play either guard position. In the immediate he would be a great aid to a healthy Kyrie Irving in the Mavericks’ backcourt, and in the future he could be a great facilitator next to Cooper Flagg.
Hannes has shot up a lot of people’s draft boards as of late and for very good reason. He’s an elite rebounder, he’s got great shooting splits, and he’s a very solid defender despite his lack of vertical athleticism.
He’s certainly not going to be mistaken for fellow German Dirk Nowitzki anytime soon offensively, but he has shown flashes of offensive ability and his shooting mechanics are very solid. He would be a fantastic piece to add to this young core, and if Giannis stays, he would be a great sidekick in the frontcourt.
#11 – Golden State Warriors: Labaron Philon Jr.
A Steph Curry-less future is approaching in Golden State so now it’s time to consider a replacement. Steph Curry would still run the show for a few years, but after that? Labaron Philon could be a guy in The Bay.
He was great during his second season at Alabama averaging 22 points and 5 assists a night. He was hyper efficient as well with 50/39/79 shooting splits. His defensive effort/ability and his frame are cause for concern but can we think of any other team/front office that’s been able to overcome a short/defensive liability point guard before??? Oh, that’s right.
Yaxel has slipped in many mock drafts for one simple reason: his age. He was part of the Cade Cunningham high school draft class and while Cade was in MVP considerations this year and is leading his team (potentially) to the NBA Finals, Lendeborg is just now becoming a professional.
The ONE team that age couldn’t possibly matter to is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will always need players that are ready to contribute right away, and Lendeborg can certainly do that. Yaxel does a little bit of everything on the floor and if there’s one thing that OKC loves, it’s a do it all forward.
There have been rumors that the Heat will be moving on from Tyler Herro this offseason in favor of “Big Game Hunting”, so they could very easily replace that archetype with Cameron Carr.
He averaged nearly 19 points per game on very solid shooting splits. He isn’t a great defender, but he does rebound well for his position. I believe that the Heat like what Herro has to offer their team in terms of style, but if they wanted to keep a similar scheme while getting cheaper in the process, I think that Carr could be a great selection.
#14 – Charlotte Hornets: Nate Ament
Ament arguably had the longest fall from grace in this draft process, but his upside is still as present as ever. He had an up-and-down season at Tennessee but a 6’10” forward who can do what he can is hard to pass on.
The Charlotte Hornets already have a lot of talent so it isn’t super important that he hit on this pick here, and Ament is one of those players that you almost have to take a chance on.
With the NBA Draft Lottery coming to a close that just means we’re one step closer to the NBA season returning, and I couldn’t be more pumped. Who do you think the Jazz will draft? What are you expecting from the other teams? Sound off in the comments!
USA TODAY's instant reaction mock draft showed projections for where each player is predicted to land during the first round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on June 23. But outside of the biggest names like AJ Dybantsa as well as Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson, who are the other most important prospects to know?
These rankings generally reflect how front offices may view these players, though the order is likely to change after the 2026 NBA Combine concludes in Chicago. After these events, scouts will have a better idea of athleticism and true measurements from each prospect while also watching key performances in five-on-five scrimmages.
Unlike a mock draft, these rankings also do not reflect team fit or need but rather just a general range for each player.
2026 NBA Draft Big Board
The following rankings are based on a blend of consensus projections from trusted evaluators as well as impact metrics such as box plus-minus and publicly available analytic models.
May 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
The drama of the NBA Draft Lottery came and went Sunday afternoon, and the most likely landing spot for the Bucks is what they get: they will select 10th in next month’s NBA Draft. As I’ve written about extensively, including this morning, the first-round pick swap they traded to New Orleans—which became property of Atlanta last year—will not happen, as they received the eighth pick. Atlanta receives the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks, which ended up being the former’s at eight. The disaster scenario where the Bucks leaped into the top four but had to swap back thankfully did not occur.
Two teams just a few spots ahead of the Bucks with the sixth- and ninth-best odds got all the lottery luck: the Grizzlies at third and the Bulls at fourth. They each rose into the top four, hitting on 37.2% and 20.2% chances of jumping up, respectively. Those two go right after the two big winners: first overall goes to Washington, who finished with the league’s worst record, and hit on the 14% chance of grabbing no. 1. Next up will be Utah, who was tied with Sacramento for fourth-worst, had an 11.4% chance of receiving no. 2. Right now, FanDuel has BYU’s AJ Dybantsa as the favorite to be taken by the Wizards at -550, followed by Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, and Duke’s Cameron Boozer. Those three, plus UNC’s Caleb Wilson, have long been the consensus top four in this class.
With those two teams rising into the top four, that meant teams with worse records fell out. This will be music to Bucks fans’ ears: the biggest loser is definitely the Pacers, who finished with the league’s second-worst record and second-best lottery odds but fell to fifth, which was their most likely outcome (27.8%). Recall that at the deadline, they traded two first-round picks (plus a second, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson) to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac. Those two firsts were their 2026 pick, top-four protected, and their 2029 pick, unprotected. If Indiana had stayed in the top four (52.1% chance), they’d have kept this year’s first and instead sent LA their 2031 first unprotected. But in the 47.8% of outcomes where they fell to fifth or sixth, they’d send this year’s first to the Clippers, and that’s exactly what happened.
Here is the full lottery order:
Washington Wizards
Utah Jazz
Memphis Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers (via Pacers)
Brooklyn Nets
Sacramento Kings
Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)
Dallas Mavericks
Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City Thunder
Miami Heat
Charlotte Hornets
Brooklyn had the third-best odds and fell to sixth (their most likely spot at 26%). That might seem like a big blow, but the Nets have had eyes for Giannis for a long time, and if the Bucks decide to listen to offers on their star, the Nets have the best draft asset to dangle. The other loser is Sacramento, who had the same record as Utah but lost the tiebreaker coin flip to determine who received the fourth-best odds, slipped to seventh (also their most likely spot at 25.5%) despite having the fifth-best odds.
Other teams long rumored to be interested in Giannis didn’t see their slim hopes of moving up, thus having a primo lottery pick to offer Milwaukee, come to pass: Golden State got 11th, and Miami got 13th. I have a hard time thinking that their packages, headlined by 2026 picks that are worse than the Bucks’, would be the winners in a potential sweepstakes, especially over Brooklyn. Atlanta also might be interested and can offer eight, but again, Brooklyn would outbid them. I don’t think anyone else in the top 10 would either want Giannis or be willing to give up their pick for him, especially anyone in the top four, which is seen as so loaded.
Back to the pick itself, though. Milwaukee can draft someone there or trade it after the draft concludes, to comply with the Stepien rule. If they stick with 10, my hope is that one of the four guards who many mock drafters have going between five and nine is still available: Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Houston’s Kingston Flemings, or Arizona’s Braden Burries. It’s very likely all will be off the board by the time the Bucks select, though.
Assuming those guys are gone, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. would also be a good get—he was in many top 10s before a late-season back injury. Then there are two guys from Michigan: center Aday Mara and forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Mara is a big riser thanks to the Wolverines’ national title run, and even if the 7’3” Spanyard doesn’t develop an outside shot, his ceiling is high enough that he could force the Bucks to trade Myles Turner towards the end of his contract, which runs through 2029 (Turner can opt out in 2028, though).
Lendeborg is on the old side for a draft prospect at 23, but the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year was a two-way monster whose development across six years of amateur play (three in junior college) impressed me. His ceiling probably isn’t an All-Star, but of the names I’ve mentioned, he might be the most NBA-ready. At 6’9” and 240 pounds, his frame and skillset suggest he could become a productive role player pretty quickly, perhaps even as a rookie.
I’ll let our draftnik writers delve more deeply into prospects over the next six weeks. Lastly, let’s touch on trading the pick. They could offer it post-draft to another team, either as part of a package for someone already in the NBA, or for additional firsts. Maybe Joe Dumars wants to get the Pelicans back into the draft, and would take no. 10 and Kyle Kuzma for Trey Murphy. The Bucks could also trade down and get a future first for their troubles. For example, maybe the Thunder want to move up from 12. They could trade that selection, plus one of their many other firsts, to Milwaukee for the chance to pick at 10. OKC also owns Philly’s pick this year, which was already slotted in at no. 17. Or they could send any of the five firsts they’ve received from other teams (Nuggets, Clippers, Spurs, Mavs) in 2027–29.
We’ll have a lot of draft coverage in the weeks ahead, including the return of our community draft board. Until then, what should the Bucks do with this pick: keep it or move it? If you want them to keep it, who do you think they should take at 10? Who would you pick between Brown, Mara, and Lendeborg? If you want them to move it, what do you want in return?
With the Oklahoma City Thunder in cruise control against the Los Angeles Lakers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't need to force the issue tonight.
This Thunder vs. Lakers same-game parlay doesn't expect a dud from the OKC star, but an efficient, low-exposure game that doesn't require his full effort to get the sweep.
SGP leg #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 28.5 points (-115)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does not need to score in bunches. One of the NBA’s most clutch players — and that is putting it lightly so as to avoid debate from any De’Aaron Fox or Anthony Edwards fans — Gilgeous-Alexander is more likely not to play in the fourth quarter than he is to find himself in a clutch moment.
The presumptive MVP has averaged just 21 points per game in this series because he does not need to average more. The Oklahoma City Thunder are blowing out the Los Angeles Lakers so handily that Gilgeous-Alexander can coast in this series.
SGP leg #2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 3.5 rebounds (+120)
Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed only two rebounds in each of Games 1 and 2. Then he exploded in Game 3 with … four rebounds.
Again, SGA does not need to do more. Rebounding is an effort-forward task, and Gilgeous-Alexander does not need to put in the effort in this series.
That comes in the next round, no matter the opponent. Oklahoma City is simply being prudent by letting its star coast this week.
SGP leg #3: Thunder moneyline (-525)
The Thunder know better than most how vital some rest can be this time of year. They should put this series to bed as quickly as possible so as to add a few days of quiet before the Western Conference Finals.
With any luck, the Timberwolves and Spurs will stretch to seven games, giving Oklahoma City that much more of an advantage.
Get Douglas Farmer's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Thunder vs Lakers predictions for Game 4.
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Los Angeles Lakers are running out of answers against the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder, and even another vintage performance from LeBron James may not be enough to keep their season alive tonight at Crypto.com Arena.
My Thunder vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks expect Oklahoma City to stay firmly in control — to the point where OKC’s biggest star may not need to carry a massive offensive load.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Thunder vs Lakers Game 4 prediction tonight
Who will win Thunder vs Lakers Game 4?
Thunder: There has been nothing “gentlemanly” about how thoroughly Oklahoma City has dominated this series. It should not become a gentleman’s sweep. Put the Lakers out of their misery.
Thunder vs Lakers best bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 28.5 points (-115)
This is doubt in the Los Angeles Lakers. The Oklahoma City Thunder are so dominant in this series that the MVP does not need to pour in points.Gilgeous-Alexander does not need to throw himself to the floor to draw foul calls.
SGA has scored just 18, 22, and 23 points in the three games of this series, yet OKC has covered the spread in each game. Winning Games 1 and 2 by 18 points apiece did not stress the Thunder.
Gilgeous-Alexander should stay in cruise control for now. The stress will come in the next round.
Maybe this can be construed as doubt in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Then again, much like throwing yourself to the hardwood to draw foul calls, finding rebounds takes effort. And neither SGA nor OKC needs to expend much effort to beat the Lakers.
Gilgeous-Alexander has cleared this modest rebounding prop just once in this series, grabbing all of four rebounds in Game 3. He is not living at the rim; his defensive assignments cannot get into the paint, and the Thunder might sit SGA for the entire fourth quarter, given how lopsided this game should be.
Thunder vs Lakers SGP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 28.5 points
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 3.5 rebounds
Thunder moneyline
Our "from downtown" SGP: Later, LeBron
Even LeBron James cannot win this series on his own. But he can go down swinging.
James cleared this modest points prop in the first two games of this series. Given the obvious stakes of, ya know, elimination, expect James to get to the rim until the score is too lopsided to dream about.
Given Oklahoma City turned an 11-point lead into a 23-point win in the fourth quarter of Game 3, covering the spread is always possible for the Thunder in this series.
Oklahoma City has not merely covered the spread in this series. The Thunder have now covered the spread in all seven meetings with the Lakers this regular season and postseason. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Lakers.
How to watch Thunder vs Lakers Game 4
Location
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Monday, May 11, 2026
Tip-off
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Thunder vs Lakers latest injuries
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The Brooklyn Nets will be picking sixth in the 2026 NBA Draft, following the results of the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday afternoon. Mr. Whammy’s valiant efforts to butter up Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum before the drawing were not fruitful…
After posting the NBA’s third-worst record this season, this was a poor outcome for Brooklyn. (I opted for “nauseating” above.) Technically, this was a bottom-third outcome for the Nets, who had a 7% chance of falling to #7 and a 26% chance of falling to #6.
The Nets also have two second-round picks this season, which they posted on social media just after the results…
Nearly two years ago on June 24, 2024, Sean Marks made a pair of franchise-altering trades to kick off the summer. Brooklyn shipped Mikal Bridges across the East River for a whopping five first-round picks (and a swap!), then announced almost simultaneously that they had traded four Phoenix Suns picks and swaps to Houston, in exchange for their own ‘25 and ‘26 first-rounders.
One day later, the Houston Rockets selected Reed Sheppard at No. 3 overall. They still owned the 2024 Nets pick, after all, which had spiked in the lottery after Brooklyn had a good ‘ol fashioned miserable season, no tanking involved. It was time for GM Sean Marks to get in on that sort of luck, setting the team up to tank hard over the next two seasons. The move was lauded; the following spring, Marks was voted the 8th-best executive in the NBA by his peers.
Now, the Nets’ two year tank is over. In 2025, after starting the season 9-10, they received the #8 pick, just two spots ahead of the Suns pick they traded away. This June, they’ll be picking at #6, missing out on a consensus top-four of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson, while the New York Knicks could be coming off an NBA Finals trip.
The Nets traded three first-round picks and one first-round swap to regain control over their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks so they could tank.
They move down a combined five slots in those two lotteries. Absolutely brutal.
The Houston Rockets own Brooklyn’s 2027 first-round pick, in the form of a swap. Hence this two-year window. With the NBA Draft Lottery set to undergo drastic reform next season, you could argue the Nets did not tank hard enough; the league-worst Washington Wizards won the #1 overall pick. The Indiana Pacers had the second-worst record and fell, but only to #5 (thus relinquishing their pick to the Los Angeles Clippers).
But the Chicago Bulls and their ninth-worst record shot up to four. The Memphis Grizzlies traded places with the Nets, jumping from #6 to #3….
As we reported earlier, one NBA insider told NetsDaily that they believe Brooklyn could trade up now that disaster has struck. I personally don’t see it — everybody loves the top four prospects — but you never know.
“The only reason you bank firsts like that is to be able to strike opportunistically,” he said. “Now, [moving up] in this draft, they will have to find a dance partner. But say they land in the dreaded fifth spot. They have enough draft capital to get them to the third.”
Was this outcome inevitable? No. All the Nets needed was a bit of good fortune to swing their way, and they didn’t get it. Okay, maybe it was inevitable.
Update: Sean Marks speaks
Erik Slater of Locked on Nets and ClutchPoints was in Chicago for this latest misfortune, and spoke to Sean Marks after the drawing. Here was Marks’ immediate reaction to landing the sixth pick…
Sean Marks on the Nets falling to the sixth pick:
"There's going to be some really good options for us, whether we were picking one or ten. With multiple assets that we have in this draft and multiple future assets, we're going to continue to build this team up into hopefully… pic.twitter.com/q3MRs5OYGC
Slater then asked if this outcome would lead to more aggression in the trade market…
Sean Marks on whether the Nets are more likely to be aggressive on the trade market after falling to the 6th pick:
“Hard to tell. I think it’s all about how these guys develop, right? I don’t think you want to make rash decisions before you’ve seen how they look. I think we all… pic.twitter.com/HSxFOTU4ek
Two teams that took steps at the trade deadline to add veteran talent so they wouldn't tank next season — then glued those guys to the bench for the rest of this past season, ensuring they would tank this year — were rewarded by the basketball gods with the top two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Washington Wizards — who traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis at the trade deadline, then basically benched them and had the worst record in the NBA this past season — won NBA Draft Lottery and now have the No. 1 pick in next's month's deep NBA draft.
Utah jumped up to No. 2 pick after trading for (and sitting) Jaren Jackson Jr. for the stretch run of the season. The Jazz can now add an elite player — likely Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson — next to Keyonte George with a front court of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler. Even in the West, that lineup is going to win some games.
The Memphis Grizzlies jumped up to the No. 3 pick with the sixth-best odds, and the Chicago Bulls jumped from ninth to fourth.
That means the Sacramento Kings and the Brooklyn Nets — two teams that didn't tank but were just bad and needed talent — fell in this draft.
Here is how the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery shook out:
1. Washington Wizards 2. Utah Jazz 3. Memphis Grizzlies 4. Chicago Bulls 5. LA Clippers (via Indiana Pacers) 6. Brooklyn Nets 7. Sacramento Kings 8. Atlanta Hawks 9. Dallas Mavericks 10. Milwaukee Bucks 11. Golden State Warriors 12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers) 13. Miami Heat 14. Charlotte Hornets
Some other notes on how the NBA Draft lottery broke down.
• This is the second year in a row that the team with Anthony Davis on their roster got the No. 1 pick.
• This is the first time the Wizards have selected No. 1 since they took John Wall back in 2010 — and Wall represented them on stage Sunday.
• Most teams have BYU's AJ Dybantsa at the top of their board. If that's the case in Washington, next season they could start Young, Kyshawn George (or Bilal Coulibaly), Dybantsa, Davis and Alex Sarr — that's a quality starting five that could make some noise in the East.
• Memphis and Chicago jumping up can help them get players to start the retooling (or, for Memphis, rebuilding) that will come.
• The LA Clippers get a big win as they get set to retool for whatever is next (and whatever happens with Kawhi Leonard this summer). The Clippers should be able to land a top point guard — Kingston Flemmings, Darius Acuff Jr. — to be part of the foundation going forward.
• Not ideal for Indiana, but they got Ivica Zubac to be the big they need with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton next season. That team will be a contender, they just are not adding a top-four pick.
• Oklahoma City — the defending champions who are undefeated in these playoffs (7-0) after winning 64 games this season, will have two first-round draft picks, Nos. 12 and 17, both via trade. Sam Presti is a wizard.
• Charlotte, coming off a breakout season after drafting Kon Knueppel No. 4 a year ago, will have two first-round picks, Nos. 14 and 18. They are just getting deeper and better.
• Atlanta has two picks as well, Nos. 8 and 23; while Dallas has 9 and No. 30.
• This is the last time we will see this NBA Draft Lottery format. Whatever comes forward next season — the league appears to be leaning toward a modified “3-2-1" system with 18 teams in the mix — it will be different. For better or worse. (You can be sure Adam Silver and the league will take a victory lap about how there is less, if any, tanking next season, but that is far more about the quality and depth of the draft than the lottery system.)
• Here is what the rest of the first round looks like:
15. Chicago Bulls (via Portland) 16. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix) 17. Oklahoma City (via Philadelphia) 18. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando) 19. Toronto Raptors 20. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta) 21. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota) 22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Houston) 23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland) 24. New York Knicks 25. Los Angeles Lakers 26. Denver Nuggets 27. Boston Celtics 28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit) 29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via San Antonio) 30. Dallas Mavericks (via Oklahoma City)
• The NBA Draft occurs on June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Here’s a stat you might appreciate: This will be the last 76ers stat column of the year.
The 76ers did things in this series and in particular in their 144-114 Game 4 loss to the Knicks that they’ve never done before and in one case that nobody has ever done before.
And we’ve got all the numbers to prove it. If you’re reading this, please sit down. It’s not pleasant.
MOST POINTS ALLOWED IN 56 YEARS: The Knicks’ 144 points are the 2nd-most the 76ers have ever allowed in a playoff game and the most in 56 years. On March 30, 1970, they lost 156-120 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks at the Spectrum in Game 3 of their Eastern Division Semifinal series. The 144 points are tied for the most the 76ers have allowed in any game – regular season or playoffs – in 33 years, since a 149-93 loss to the Super Sonics at Seattle Center. And the most points they’ve allowed at home in any game in 52 years, since a 146-127 loss to the Celtics at the Spectrum in March 1974. It’s the 4th-most points ever allowed by a home team in the postseason, behind the Raptors in a 150-122 loss to the Nets in Bay Lake, Fla., during the 2020 Bubble, that 76ers’ loss to the Bucks in 1970 and the Pistons’ 145-101 loss to the St. Louis Hawks at Olympia in 1958.
NOBODY ELSE HAS EVER DONE THIS: In NBA history before this year, only six teams had lost multiple games in a postseason series by 30 or more points. Then the 76ers did it twice in a month. With 123-91 and 128-96 losses to the Celtics in Games 1 and 4 and 137-98 and 144-114 losses to the Knicks, also in Games 1 and 4, the 76ers lost multiple games by 30 or more points in two consecutive series. The only other team to lose by 30 or more points in a series multiple times in franchise history is the Nuggets, who did it 38 years apart in 1987 and 2025. The 76ers are now the only team in NBA history to lose four playoff games in a season by at least 30 points. They lost as many playoff games by 30 or more points in the last 22 days as they did in the previous 16,069 days. A third of the franchise’s 30-point losses have come in the last month – four of 12. The 76ers lost more games by 30 or more points this offseason (four) than the regular season (three).
WORST START EVER: The 76ers’ 19-point deficit after the first quarter is the 3rd-largest in 76ers postseason history and largest since they trailed the Bucks by 26 points (40-14) in that 156-120 loss to the Bucks in 1970. The Knicks’ 43 points in the first quarter are the most the 76ers have ever allowed in a postseason first quarter. The previous high was 42 in a 128-124 loss to the Hawks at Wells Fargo Center in 2021. It’s the most points they’ve allowed in any quarter of a playoff game since the Bulls scored 45 in the fourth quarter of a game the 76ers won 118-112 at the Spectrum in 1990. The Knicks’ 81 points at halftime are tied for 7th-most in NBA history and the most the 76ers have ever allowed in a postseason first half. They allowed 77 in that 156-120 loss to the Bucks in 1970. It’s also tied for 3rd-most points the 76ers have ever allowed in the first half of any game – regular season or postseason. The 76ers’ 24-point halftime deficit (81-57) is 3rd-worst in franchise postseason history behind two losses to the Bucks. They trailed by 36 at halftime of that 156-120 game and by 29 in a loss to the Bucks in Game 6 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals.
BREAKING A RECORD NOBODY WANTS TO BREAK: Paul George and Tyrese Maxey each finished at minus-35, the two worst plus-minus figures in 76ers postseason history. No 76er had ever been worse than minus-34 before in a playoff game. That was Tobias Harris, who was minus-34 in a loss to the Raptors in Game 5 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Additionally, V.J. Edgecombe was minus-33, making the 76ers the 19th team in NBA history with three players at minus-33 or worse in a playoff game.
WORST 3-POINT DEFFENSE EVER: The Knicks made 25 of 44 shots from 3 for 56.8 percent. That’s the highest shooting percentage in NBA playoff history by a team attempting at least 40 attempts. The previous high was 55.6 percent by the Cavs, who made 25 of 45 3’s in a win over the Hawks in the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks’ 25 3’s tied the NBA record shared by those 2016 Cavs and the Bucks, who made 25 in a win over the Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference first round. The 76ers, conversely, shot just 22.9 percent from 3, 6th-worst in franchise postseason history (minimum of 30 attempts).
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 10: An overall view of the signage during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, 2026 at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks officially landed the 9th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Sunday, falling one spot from where they entered the lottery after finishing with the eighth-best odds. And honestly, it felt fitting. Not because Dallas got robbed or because the lottery “screwed” them, but because this outcome is the direct result of the season they chose to have. The Mavericks spent too much of the year stuck in the middle. They waited too long to fully commit to losing, picked up a handful of meaningless late-season wins, lost the tiebreaker with New Orleans, and ultimately gave themselves a much shakier lottery position than they probably should have had.
That’s the frustrating part.
The Mavericks already understood how important lottery positioning could be because they literally lived the dream scenario last year. Dallas won a tiebreaker with Chicago, moved into slightly better odds, jumped all the way to No. 1 and landed Cooper Flagg despite only having a 1.8% chance entering the night. That tiny edge changed the trajectory of the franchise. This year, they went the other direction. Instead of maximizing their odds, they hovered in that awkward in-between space where they were too bad to compete but not disciplined enough to bottom out fully.
The result? A drop to ninth in what may end up being the most important draft of the Cooper Flagg era outside of the year they drafted him. And make no mistake, this offseason is absolutely pivotal.
The Mavericks are entering the beginning of their build around Flagg, and they do not have the luxury of endless draft flexibility. Dallas has very limited control over its future first-round picks over the next several years, which means it cannot afford to miss on opportunities like this. This is not a team sitting on a mountain of assets waiting to cash them in later. This is a front office that needs to maximize every meaningful pick it gets, especially while Flagg is still on a rookie contract and developing into the centerpiece they believe he can be.
That’s why landing ninth instead of staying in that 7–8 range stings.
Because while the Mavericks still have a chance to land a really good player, this draft has a clear upper tier, and every spot you fall matters more once you move outside the top group. Prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are likely going near the top. At the same time, Dallas now enters the range where projection, fit, and scouting become even more important.
Because of that, the Mavericks are now shifting toward a different hope entering the combine season: that one of the better guards in the class falls into their range. Dallas desperately needs more creation, point-of-attack defense, and long-term backcourt upside around Flagg, and the ninth pick suddenly places them directly in the middle of that conversation.
Two names that immediately stand out are Labaron Philon Jr. and Brayden Burries, both of whom fit a lot of what Dallas lacks right now. Philon’s pace, playmaking, off-ball ability, and ability to pressure defenses downhill would immediately help stabilize a roster that struggled all season to consistently organize offense. Burries brings more scoring upside and physicality as a bigger, guard-creator, while still fitting the timeline Dallas is building toward.
As the combine approaches, those are exactly the kinds of names Mavericks fans should start paying close attention to, because the draft board now feels a lot more centered around finding Flagg’s long-term backcourt partner instead of chasing the very top tier of the class.
Which is where the new front office comes in.
This draft will be the first real test for the Mavericks’ new basketball leadership group led by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, two names with strong reputations for talent evaluation and player development. Ujiri built much of Toronto’s success through aggressive drafting and finding value outside obvious spots, while Schmitz has long been viewed as one of the best evaluators in basketball circles. Dallas is betting heavily that this new regime can identify the right fit alongside Flagg, even without elite lottery positioning.
And honestly, that’s now the entire challenge of this rebuild.
The Mavericks have already found the hardest piece to get. Cooper Flagg looks like a future superstar and legitimate franchise engine. The next step is to build the right infrastructure around him. They need more guard creation. They need point-of-attack defense. They need shooting, athleticism, and players who can thrive next to a high-usage playmaker. More importantly, they need a roster with a real identity, something they completely lacked for most of this disastrous season.
So while lottery night itself was disappointing, the bigger story is what comes next.
Because this isn’t just another draft pick, this is one of the few premium opportunities Dallas is going to have over the next several years to shape the roster around Cooper Flagg meaningfully. Only this time, there’s a lot less margin for error.
2026 NBA Draft Lottery results:
No. 1: Washington Wizards No. 2: Utah Jazz No. 3: Memphis Grizzlies No. 4: Chicago Bulls No. 5: Los Angeles Clippers (via Pacers) No. 6: Brooklyn Nets No. 7: Sacramento Kings No. 8: Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans) No. 9: Dallas Mavericks No. 10: Milwaukee Bucks No. 11: Golden State Warriors No. 12: Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers) No. 13: Miami Heat No. 14: Charlotte Hornets
The Cleveland Cavaliers looked dead in the water after the first two games vs. the Detroit Pistons, but a home win in Game 3 injected new life into Donovan Mitchell & Co.
We've cooked up a Pistons vs. Cavaliers same-game parlay that's bullish on Mitchell and Jarrett Allen as Cleveland draws even with another win at Rocket Arena tonight.
Our best Pistons vs Cavaliers SGP for today's Game 4
SGP leg #1: Jarrett Allen Over 12.5 points
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has thrived when tasked with playing opposite Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren. While the scoring upside didn't materialize against the Raptors in Round 1, Allen has cleared this total in two of three vs. Detroit, easily topping 12.5 points in back-to-back games.
In 11 career matchups with Duren, Allen has averaged 14.6 points. He scored 13+ in seven of those head-to-heads, including four of five at home.
SGP leg #1: Donovan Mitchell Over 27.5 points
Donovan Mitchell has scored 30+ points in back-to-back games. In five matchups with the Pistons, he’s averaged 30.8 points and scored 29+ four times. Mitchell has been a more potent scorer at home, and I expect him to come through in a big way as the Cavs look to even up the series.
SGP leg #1: Cavaliers moneyline
The Cavaliers built momentum after a win in Game 3, and they can tie the series at two games apiece with a win in front of the home crowd. The home team has won five straight in this head-to-head, and Cleveland is 31-12 straight up as the home favorite this season.
Cleveland has been a Jekyll & Hyde act this postseason between its home and away matchups. On the road, the Cavs are 0-4. But at Rocket Center, they're 5-0, and I like that undefeated streak to continue here.
Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Pistons vs Cavaliers predictions for Game 4.
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The NBA draft lottery is a time of great anticipation for the entire league, but especially for 14 of the 30 teams.
The Washington Wizards received the No. 1 pick in the lottery on Sunday, May 10 during a full production in Chicago hosted by the league. They were one of three teams with a 14 percent chance of capturing the top pick after going 17-65 in the 2024-2025 NBA season. Former All-Star John Wall, who retired last season, was on hand to represent the franchise.
There were several future draft picks in attendance, including AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer, who were with their mothers on Mother's Day.
Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder are on the brink of eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, they still had a 1.5 percent chance of getting the No.1 pick. This is because they are still reaping the benefits of trading Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. They will pick 12th in the draft.
The Dallas Mavericks, who had last year's No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history, will have the No. 9 pick this summer.
The 2026 NBA Draft will be held on June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
What is the 2026 NBA Draft order?
The Washington Wizards will have the first pick in the NBA draft after winning the lottery. This year, there is not a clear top player for them to choose. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer each have a case as the best athlete in this draft class. The large talent pool offers other teams an opportunity to make a significant impact on their roster this summer.
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:
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.
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.
Let’s give Danny Ainge some credit (after he got a dose of good luck). The Jazz fully embraced the tank, pulling their starters in the fourth quarters of games, and now they’ll hold the No. 2 overall pick.
Utah already had some solid, young pieces, especially after it made the trade to acquire Jaren Jackson Jr. Pairing him with Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey, center Walker Kessler (who will be returning from a shoulder injury) and the No. 2 overall pick instantly gives the Jazz a fascinating and dynamic roster — and one that could be sneaky competitive as soon as next season.
Jumping up three spots – from No. 6 to No. 3 – could put the Grizzlies in an excellent spot to feel comfortable moving on from Ja Morant, whom the team reportedly made available in trade talks before the February deadline.
If Darryn Peterson falls to No. 3, he could be an excellent fit. Peterson has plenty of size at 6-foot-5, can handle the ball and has a natural scoring ability. Perhaps the thing Memphis would like most about Peterson is that he protected the ball, committing just 1.6 turnovers per game.
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.
I'm really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember - this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.
It also puts a ton of pressure on Zubac to deliver and make the deal worth it. In essence, the Pacers traded away Bennedict Mathurin and a couple of first-round draft picks – one of which became the No. 5 selection in a deep draft – for Zubac.
A fall of three spots might not initially appear to be so terrible, but in this draft it likely means the difference between a great player and a generational one.
The Nets had the third-worst record in the NBA (20-62) and are a very young team, one that made first first-round selections last season. Assuming most pre-draft projections hold true, the third pick could’ve netted Brooklyn someone like Caleb Wilson, the North Carolina star who is climbing up draft boards because of his blend of size, skill and athleticism. The Nets should still secure a very good player at No. 6, but the lottery wasn’t kind to a team that has won just 46 games over the last two seasons.
Put another way: the Nets have lost 118 games in the last two seasons and their highest draft picks were the No. 8 selection last year (Egor Dёmin) and the No. 6 pick this year.
The drawn-out melodrama about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee is only going to intensify. All signs are pointing to an eventual divorce here, though there was perhaps the hope that a high draft pick would entice Antetokounmpo to re-commit to the team.
Instead, the Bucks will select No. 10. And while that isn’t a bad pick at all, it’s likely not enough to convince Antetokounmpo to stay. So expect the Bucks to field offers this offseason, especially now that we know what kind of draft assets prospective suitors will hold.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils battles for the ball in the second half against Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskiesduring the Elite Eight round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Draft lottery is over, and here’s who will be picking where.
#1 Pick: Washington Wizards
#2 Pick: Utah Jazz
#3 Pick: Memphis Grizzlies
#4 Pick: Chicago Bulls
#5 Pick: Los Angeles Clippers
#6 Pick: Brooklyn Nets
#7 Pick: Sacramento Kings
#8 Pick: Atlanta Hawks
#9 Pick: Dallas Mavericks
#10 Pick: Milwaukee Bucks
#11 Pick: Golden State Warriors
#12 Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder
#13 Pick: Miami Heat
#14 Pick: Charlotte Hornets
There’s still some sifting and sorting to do, but there’s a chance that Duke’s star Cameron Boozer could end up with one of his father’s former teams, either Utah or Chicago. He might have been a ball-boy there or something, so that might be pretty cool for him.
Former Blue Devil Kon Knueppel repped Charlotte on stage, but the Bugs weren’t as lucky this year as they were last time out: the Hornets were the #1 envelope, meaning they’ll draw last.
However, Charlotte clearly has competent people running things now, so we’ll see who they find, and they could try to bundle the #14 and #18 picks and move up.
Picking at #9, Dallas won’t get an elite prospect to pair with Cooper Flagg unless something surprising happens, but they might get Nate Ament or Mikel Brown.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 31: Guard Darryn Peterson #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots over forward AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse on January 31, 2026 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
An instant reaction to the NBA draft lottery results.
The integrity! Won’t someone please think of the integrity? The Utah Jazz have moved up in the draft for the first time in franchise history. They will be picking 2nd overall. The tanking, resting starters in the fourth, and fines have all lead to this moment. We should also appreciate that all the teams picking in the top 4 are well deserving. The 42-40 Clippers did secure the 5th pick since the Pacers fell out of the top 4. Let us also be appreciative that OKC is picking 12th and the Mavericks are picking 9th. All is right with the world.
The question now facing the front office is: who will the be available at the 2nd spot. AJ Dybansta, or Darryn Peterson? The question now facing every Jazz fan is: just how far can this team make it in the playoffs next season? In the meantime we should all celebrate this monumental occasion, and be kind to our mothers.
COVERS INTEL:
