Monday was the day the NBA determined the tiebreakers among multiple teams for draft lottery positions in the 2026 draft. The Utah Jazz came out with the best news, winning their tiebreaker over the Sacramento Kings.
According to Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports, the Utah Jazz earned the tiebreaker over the Sacramento Kings for the No. 4 spot in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans beat out the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 7 spot.
The order of the 14 teams in the NBA Draft Lottery will be determined on May 10.
Outside of the 14 lottery picks, the Phoenix Suns won tiebreakers over the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Memphis Grizzlies will take this pick at No. 16. The Toronto Raptors won their tiebreaker over the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 19 pick, the Houston Rockets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 22, and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 24.
Three of the Most Historic Draft Lottery Wins in NBA History
Although the Jazz were given better odds for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, both the Jazz and Kings have an 11.5% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in June. The top selection isn’t certain, but they have better odds than some of the craziest lottery outcomes in history.
- 2025 Dallas Mavericks
These positions for draft odds have turned out to be a big deal in recent history. Just last year, in 2025, we saw this play out in favor of the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas carried the No. 11 draft lottery spot with a 1.80% chance of landing the No. 1 pick, beating out the Chicago Bulls in their tiebreaker. Although the odds were against the Mavericks, this boost ultimately helped earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which was used to select Cooper Flagg.
- 1993 Orlando Magic
After missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker, the Magic had the worst lottery odds among all 14 teams in 1993. This resulted in the No. 1 overall pick and the biggest upset in NBA Draft Lottery history.
Michigan prospect Chris Webber was the No. 1 pick this year. However, the Magic traded Webber to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks. The decision turned out to be a win-win for both sides of the deal.
- 2008 Chicago Bulls
Finishing just three games from a playoff bid in 2008, the Bulls entered the lottery with a 1.70% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. They defied the odds and landed the top pick.
Chicago went on to select Derrick Rose out of the University of Memphis this year. Rose would become the youngest NBA MVP in history at 22 years old and help lead the franchise to its most successful seasons outside Michael Jordan’s reign in the 1980s and 90s.
Top Prospects of the 2026 NBA Draft
Multiple players are in the running to be selected first overall heading into the 2026 NBA Draft, which takes place on June 23 and 24.
- AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Dybantsa was one of the best freshmen in college basketball last season. As the leader of BYU, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game with 51/33.1/77.4 shooting splits.
He is the most popular name being floated for the No. 1 pick among NBA executives, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. His ability to score at all three levels and provide support on defense makes the 19-year-old a convincing case for the top selection in the draft.
- Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Aside from the health concerns in his freshman year with Kansas, Peterson may be the most gifted prospect in terms of offensive ability. While averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 43.8/38.2/82.6 shooting splits, he only appeared in 24 of 35 games for the Jayhawks in 2025-26. It’s also worth noting that his jumpshot looks very familiar to that of the late Kobe Bryant.
With uncertainties in health, the 6-foot-6, 19-year-old has the chance to improve his stock in the pre-draft process.
- Cameron Boozer, Duke
As a freshman, Boozer was the workhorse for the Duke Blue Devils this season. He played in all 38 games for Duke this season while leading the team in points (22.5), rebounds (10.2), and assists (4.1) on 55.6/39.1/78.9 shooting splits.
His role for the Blue Devils was very similar to that of the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, Paolo Banchero’s. Jeremy Woo wrote that Boozer’s ceiling in terms of talent is a concern compared to other top prospects.
- Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
Hand surgery cut Wilson’s first year in Chapel Hill short, but this hasn’t cut him short of being a top talent in this year’s NBA draft.
Averaging 19.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 57.8/25.9/71.3 shooting splits, his talent on both sides of the floor may be the best among the other prospects that are listed. Wilson’s inconsistency from three (7-for-27 in 2025-26) is a concern, but averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game will make teams interested.
The Utah Jazz will have the chance to secure one of these players if a top-four selection is granted.
Jazz Get Beneficial 2026 NBA Draft Lottery News in Tiebreaker