A bizarre trend continued on Sunday as a third team associated with Anthony Davis, the Washington Wizards, won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.
In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans won the Draft Lottery after trading Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, which led to them drafting Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick.
Then, in 2025, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Davis and shockingly won the NBA Draft Lottery before selecting Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall.
Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban reacted to Sunday’s news by writing “The Anthony Davis Effect!” on social media before deleting his post.
Davis, too, had a hilarious reaction, as seen below.
2025: Mavericks trade for Anthony Davis, win the No. 1 pick in the draft
2026: Wizards trade for Anthony Davis, win the No. 1 pick in the draft
2019: Pelicans trade Anthony Davis, win the No. 1 pick in the draft
2025: Mavericks trade for Anthony Davis, win the No. 1 pick in the draft
2026: Wizards trade for Anthony Davis, win the No. 1 pick in the
Wizards Could Trade Pick: Report
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Wizards are not opposed to the idea of trading down in the deep 2026 NBA Draft class. A big part of that reasoning is that the Wizards will start the 2026-27 season with two bona fide stars in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, and could prefer to make a playoff push rather than build young talents.
“[Michael] Winger told me directly that the Wizards will at least consider trading down,” Fischer wrote on the “Stein Line” substack.
“He insisted that this is ‘not a savior moment’ for Washington given that the franchise just traded for two former All-Stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis on top of the slew of recent lottery picks it already has accumulated.
“He added that, in accordance with Wizards general manager Will Dawkins’ prospect evaluations, Washington will not rule out a move downward if Dawkins determines there are two or three players that the Wizards are eager to come away with.”
Wizards Win NBA Draft Lottery
While the Wizards won Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls rounded off the top 4 picks. As a result, the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets — who had the same odds as the Wizards to win the No. 1 pick — fell to fifth and sixth in June’s draft, respectively. However, the Pacers will send their pick to the LA Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.
“It’s our fans that have endured the most,” Wizards top basketball executive Michael Winger said after the NBA Draft Lottery, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“And to me, this No. 1 pick is for them. It’s a reward for hanging in there with us. It’s a reward to continue to support us despite sometimes really bad basketball. They knew and they supported a multiyear teardown, a multiyear reinvention of the franchise.”
The 2026 NBA Draft will be held on June 23-24.
Anthony Davis Reacts to Major NBA Announcement on Sunday