The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is here, and for 14 franchises, today is one of the most important days of the entire calendar year. One combination is all that separates a rebuilding team from a potential franchise cornerstone at the top of one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory.
With BYU’s AJ Dybantsa widely projected as the top prospect and names like Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson not far behind, the stakes could not be higher. Here is everything you need to know going into today’s lottery.
Where to Watch the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
The lottery takes place today, Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET. It is being held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, just ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference playoff series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The lottery will air live on ABC. Fans who do not have cable can stream it on the ESPN app, Fubo, YouTube TV, or DirecTV. ESPN Unlimited subscribers can also access the broadcast through that platform at $29.99 per month.
The lottery determines the order of the first 14 picks in the draft. Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a machine, and four are drawn at a time to produce a combination. Out of 1,001 possible combinations, 1,000 are assigned to the 14 lottery teams in proportion to their odds.
The process is repeated to determine the second, third, and fourth picks. The remaining lottery teams pick in reverse order of their regular-season records, from 14th to 5th. The actual drawings take place in a private room with NBA officials, team representatives, and accounting firm Ernst & Young in attendance before the results are revealed live on air.
READ MORE: 2026 NBA Mock Draft: AJ Dybantsa Goes No. 1, Darius Acuff Jr. Replaces Ja Morant, More
The Washington Wizards (17-65), Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets each carry a 14% chance of winning the lottery, having posted the three worst records in the league this season. The Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, who tied for the fourth-worst record, each hold an 11.5% shot at the top pick.
The Memphis Grizzlies follow with the sixth-best odds, and the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks, who tied for seventh, each sit at approximately 6.8%.
One interesting point: the Milwaukee Bucks cannot win the No. 1 pick, as the Hawks hold swap rights via a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. Should Milwaukee draw the top combination, the pick goes to Atlanta instead.
The Los Angeles Clippers enter at 1%, though that pick belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder via the 2019 Paul George trade. The 14th seed sits at just 0.5%.
