The Toronto Raptors have won a tiebreaker with the Atlanta Hawks for an improved pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Because the Raptors and Atlanta Hawks both finished with identical 46-36 regular-season records, the teams had to have a tiebreaker to determine which team would get the No. 19 and No. 20 picks in the NBA Draft. The Raptors won the tiebreaker, so they will pick at No. 19, while the Hawks will pick at No. 20. It is worth noting that the Hawks previously traded their pick to the San Antonio Spurs, so the Spurs will be the ones getting the No. 20 pick, while the Raptors still own the No. 19 pick heading into the draft.
In addition to the Raptors beating the Hawks in their draft-picking tiebreaker, the NBA announced several other tiebreakers for the upcoming NBA Draft in a press release.
- The Utah Jazz won a tiebreaker with the Sacramento Kings
- The New Orleans Pelicans won a tiebreaker with the Dallas Mavericks
- The Phoenix Suns won a tiebreaker with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers
- The Houston Rockets won a tiebreaker with the Cleveland Cavaliers
- The New York Knicks won a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers
It is worth noting that for the teams that won the tiebreaker for their first-round picks, they will pick inversely in the second round. For example, the Hawks will now have the No. 49 pick (though the Denver Nuggets control this pick), while the Raptors will pick at No. 50.
Toronto Raptors Have Nailed Their Last Few First-Round Draft Picks
The Raptors have done well with their first-round draft picks in recent years. Last season, the team selected No. 9 overall and picked Collin Murray-Boyles, who had an outstanding rookie season and is considered a candidate for the NBA All-Rookie team. The year before, the Raptors took Ja’Kobe Walter at No. 19, and he looked much improved in his second year in the NBA. Gradey Dick, the Raptors’ first-rounder in 2023, has been a disappointment, and the team didn’t have a first-round pick in 2022. But they absolutely nailed their 2021 first-rounder when they took Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick. Barnes has since turned into the Raptors’ franchise player, having made two All-Star teams since being drafted, while being considered one of the league’s premier defenders. He was also recently praised by Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who compared Barnes to NBA superstar Nikola Jokic.
Raptors in Tough Against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Playoffs
The Raptors are currently playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and it’s a very difficult matchup for them. The Raptors lost Game 1 by a score of 126-113, and are huge underdogs to win the remainder of the series. The team certainly has the talent to push the Cavaliers in a seven-game series, but they lack in playoff experience, something which the Cavaliers have plenty of. Look for the Raptors to play better the remainder of this playoff series, but it would certainly be a pleasant surprise for Raptors fans if they were able to pull off the upset against the higher-ranked Cavaliers.
Toronto Raptors Win Tiebreaker for Improved Pick in 2026 NBA Draft