Overview
- The lottery, held Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Chicago on ABC/ESPN, will set the top four picks for a deep class led by AJ Dybantsa with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson close behind.
- Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn hold the best odds at 14% for No. 1, with Utah and Sacramento next at 11.5%, while the rest of the field ranges from Memphis at 9% to Charlotte at 0.5%.
- Key trade conditions will be resolved, including Indiana’s pick conveying to the Clippers if it lands 5–9, the Clippers’ own first going to Oklahoma City regardless, and New Orleans’ pick transferring to Atlanta or Milwaukee with Hawks–Bucks swap rights in play.
- The Bucks cannot keep the No. 1 pick because Atlanta holds swap rights, so a Bucks win would shift that top selection to the Hawks and send Milwaukee the Pelicans pick instead.
- The NBA plans to vote later in May on a 3‑2‑1 reform expected to start in 2027, and under that proposal the worst team could fall as low as No. 12, making today’s draw the last under the current ping‑pong‑ball format that assigns only the top four picks.