Category: Sports News

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…

Whammy meets assistant commissioner Tatum. pic.twitter.com/0ndXAqS9IC

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) May 10, 2026

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…

Our picks are set. pic.twitter.com/YnNuNY4S64

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 10, 2026

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.

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 10, 2026

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….

pic.twitter.com/I3mOBsm15C

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 10, 2026

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

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) May 10, 2026

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

— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) May 10, 2026

Where do we go from here? Standby for the analysis.

• Washington wins NBA draft lottery, chance to pick first on June 23 – Tim Reynolds – AP
• Nets’ tank fails again as Wizards land No. 1 pick in NBA draft lottery – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets land No. 6 pick in NBA Draft Lottery after another painful slide ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Kings, Nets get absolutely screwed in 2026 NBA Draft Lottery – Benjamin Adducchio – Clutch Points
• Nets get No. 6 overall pick in deep 2026 NBA Draft after Lottery – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
• Nets Crap Out Again At Lottery ($) – Steve Lichtenstein – Steve’s Newsletter

Roob's 76ers Stats: The horrifying stats from a horrifying season-ending loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

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 2^nd-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 4^th-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 3^rd-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 7^th-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 3^rd-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 3^rd-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 19^th 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, 6^th-worst in franchise postseason history (minimum of 30 attempts). 

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

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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.

It's all part of our favorite Pistons vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for this playoff clash on Monday, May 11.

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.

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See our full Pistons vs Cavaliers Game 4 preview

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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NBA Championship odds

Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

NBA Finals MVP odds

See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.

Live NBA Playoff bracket

Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round. 

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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.

The Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls rounded out the top four.

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.

NBA DRAFT LOTTERY WINNERS, LOSERS: Did tanking pay off for teams?

NBA MOCK DRAFT: New projections following Sunday's NBA lottery

The event took place ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals where the New York Knicks seek to sweep the Philadelphia 76ers.

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.

Here is the order for the 2026 NBA Draft:

1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via IND)
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks (via NOP)
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI)
18. Charlotte Hornets (via ORL)
19. Toronto Raptors
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU)
23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE)
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. Denver Nuggets
27. Boston Celtics
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS)
30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC)
31. New York Knicks (via WSH)
32. Memphis Grizzlies (via IND)
33. Brooklyn Nets
34. Sacramento Kings
35. San Antonio Spurs (via UTA)
36. Los Angeles Clippers (via MEM)
37. Oklahoma City Thunder (via DAL)
38. Chicago Bulls (via NOP)
39. Houston Rockets (via CHI)
40. Boston Celtics (via MIL)
41. Miami Heat (via GSW)
42. San Antonio Spurs (via POR)
43. Brooklyn Nets (via LAC)
44. San Antonio Spurs (via MIA)
45. Sacramento Kings (via CHA)
46. Orlando Magic
47. Phoenix Suns (via PHI)
48. Dallas Mavericks (via PHX)
49. Denver Nuggets (via ATL)
50. Toronto Raptors
51. Washington Wizards (via MIN)
52. Los Angeles Clippers (via CLE)
53. Houston Rockets
54. Golden State Warriors (via LAL)
55. New York Knicks
56. Chicago Bulls (via DEN)
57. Atlanta Hawks (via BOS)
58. New Orleans Pelicans (via DET)
59. Minnesota Timberwolves (via SAS)
60. Washington Wizards (via OKC)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wizards win No. 1 pick in 2026 NBA draft in lottery. Full draft order

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:

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.

The Utah Jazz are about to turn the corner

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.

Memphis Grizzlies may find their Ja Morant replacement

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.

LOSERS

Indiana Pacers and the trade for Ivica Zubac

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.

— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) May 10, 2026

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.

Brooklyn Nets

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 Milwaukee Bucks’ prospects of convincing Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay

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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA draft lottery winners and losers: Did tanking work this time?

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.

We’ll have more later.

• NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Picking the entire first round immediately after the lottery
• Where Cameron Boozer likely lands following NBA draft lottery
• Grizzlies Land 3rd Pick in 2026 NBA Draft, Projected to Select Cam Boozer
• Duke Forward Cameron Boozer Leads 2026 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings
• NBA Mock Draft Updated After Lottery: Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa Battle for No. 1 Pick
• Who the Wizards Could Draft with the No. 1 Pick
• Who the Bulls Could Draft with the No. 4 Pick

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