The 2026 NBA Draft order is set after the highly-anticipated 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, which allotted picks to the bottom-14 teams in the NBA. The Washington Wizards saw the lottery Gods smile on them as they were awarded the No. 1 pick, with the Utah Jazz getting No. 2, and the Memphis Grizzlies getting No. 3.
The Chicago Bulls also jumped into the top four, which means there are quite a few teams that ended up getting the short end of the stick on lottery night. Fadeaway World’s post-lottery mock draft has AJ Dybantsa going as the No. 1 pick to the Wizards.
Having a top pick in the stacked 2026 NBA Draft is a good thing, so it’s hard to say anyone really lost out on anything, but some teams were definitely eyeing a better position than the one they wound up getting. Let’s take a deeper look at the five teams that left lottery night with something to complain about.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers had a lot riding on the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. They made a trade in February 2025 with the LA Clippers, where Indiana acquired center Ivica Zubac by sending Bennedict Mathurin alongside their 2026 first-round pick with top-four protections. They had a 52% chance of remaining in the top-four, but the 48% odds that the Clippers had to get that pick in their control were what came true instead.
The Pacers ideal offseason would’ve included having Zubac and one of the highly-touted top-four prospects in the Draft, which is why they added that protection on the pick. Losing the pick is a significant blow to the franchise since it means they tanked their 2025-26 season for no discernible reward. One could argue that they could’ve made the Zubac trade in the offseason anyway by using other assets, which would allow them to control their first-round pick.
The Pacers went to the NBA Finals just last season, so the core of their roster is likely going to be strong enough to contend next season when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles tear. However, they will be feeling upset about losing their pick and putting their fans through a losing season without a reward at the end of it. If the franchise president has to come out with a public apology, it’s safe to say the Pacers are one of the biggest losers coming out of draft night.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with the same odds as the Wizards and the Pacers for the No. 1 pick, but wound up falling all the way to No. 6. They also fell in the draft last season to No. 8, so the Nets have to go through another offseason where they couldn’t acquire their future franchise cornerstone in the Draft.
With rumors of the Wizards potentially looking to move off the No. 1 pick for future assets, there’s a chance the Nets could capitalize with a tempting offer.
The Nets had to send the Houston Rockets multiple future first-round picks to regain control of their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks so they could tank for the top-tier prospects across the two drafts. They have nothing to show for it so far, outside the potential long-term use for a prospect like Egor Demin.
The Nets haven’t moved closer to returning to contention with the No. 6 pick, and their best way forward might be to part with even more future assets to try to move into the top four to get the pick that they would’ve wanted.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings were tied with the Utah Jazz for the worst record in the Western Conference in the 2025-26 season. While the Jazz received the No. 2 pick in the lottery, the Kings fell all the way to No. 7 in a devastating development for the franchise.
Their 22-60 record, despite having a veteran core, proved that the team needs to be rebuilt beyond the Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan core that they have. Unfortunately, they won’t be rebuilding through the services of the top-four prospects, given how low their pick has fallen.
The Kings hadn’t been at the bottom of the lottery for a few years, as they started to look like a potential Playoff contender a few seasons ago. However, decisions like trading De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine and then acquiring DeMar DeRozan saw the team take a massive step backwards in terms of on-court success. This team needed a new franchise cornerstone to help lead them into the future, but that dream will not come true.
While landing a guard like Darius Acuff Jr. gives the Kings someone to build around, the franchise needed to get one of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, or Wilson. Unfortunately, that won’t be happening unless they also get involved in trade talks with the Wizards.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks were the biggest winners of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery when they jumped from No. 11 to No. 1 to get the right to draft Cooper Flagg. They entered the 2026 Draft Lottery with the eighth-best odds at the No. 1 pick, but wound up falling to No. 9. This isn’t a big enough fall for them to be called losers, but once you examine how they ended the season in this position, you can’t help but feel the Mavericks hurt their own chances.
The Mavericks could have had the odds that the Grizzlies got to jump into the top three if they had lost their final game of the season against the Bulls. While teams like the Grizzlies did everything they could to lose every possible game to ensure the Mavs moved ahead of them in the standings, the Mavericks were trying to win to help Cooper Flagg’s rookie of the year campaign.
That one win over the Bulls meant the Mavericks went from having the sixth-best odds for No. 1 to the eighth-best, which ultimately resulted in them ending up with the ninth pick. The Grizzlies have a top-three pick, and the Mavericks are at No. 9 despite being one win apart in the standings.
This is the last year the Mavs control their own first-round pick for the rest of the decade, so maximizing this pick was in their best interests. Flagg would’ve fit next to any of the top-four prospects in the 2026 Draft, so the Mavericks will feel like they missed out on something. Thankfully, their new front office with Masai Ujiri should be well-equipped to maximize what they can get with the No. 9 pick.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans were absent from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery because they had already traded their first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks during last year’s draft to acquire Derik Queen (No. 13 pick, 2025 NBA Draft). While Queen had strong flashes as a rookie, it’s hard to say he could be as good as the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But that isn’t the only 2026 lottery pick that the Pelicans traded away without good reason.
The Pacers’ pick that was conveyed to the Clippers at No. 5 was also controlled by the Pelicans this time last year, with the Pels choosing to trade it back to the Pacers right before Tyrese Haliburton’s injury was confirmed. There’s a word where the Pelicans would’ve had the No. 5 and No. 8 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but they chose to move on from both picks for a very small price in return.
New Orleans wasn’t tanking this season; they were just genuinely bad. Their front office decisions are not doing them any favors heading into the 2026 Draft, as they don’t control a single first-round pick, let alone one in the lottery positions.
