Washington Wizards Win NBA Draft Lottery, Earn First Overall Pick
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The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery on Sunday, securing the first overall pick for the first time since 2010. The team, which finished the season with a 17-65 record, will select from a group of highly-touted college freshmen. The draft order for the top five picks is now set, with the Utah Jazz picking second and the Memphis Grizzlies third.
Facts First
- Washington Wizards win the NBA draft lottery and will pick first overall.
- The pick marks the franchise's first No. 1 selection since 2010, when they chose John Wall.
- Four top college prospects are considered front-runners for the selection, including BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Duke's Cameron Boozer.
- The Utah Jazz will pick No. 2, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3 and the Chicago Bulls at No. 4.
- The NBA draft begins on June 23 in New York, following the draft combine starting Monday in Chicago.
What Happened
The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery, earning the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. The team entered the lottery with a 14% chance of winning the top pick, a percentage tied with the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers. The Wizards' on-stage representative for the lottery was former player John Wall, whom the franchise selected with its last No. 1 pick in 2010. The full draft order for the top 14 picks is now set, with the Utah Jazz selecting second, the Memphis Grizzlies third, the Chicago Bulls fourth, and the Los Angeles Clippers fifth via a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
Why this Matters to You
If you're a Wizards fan, this development represents a pivotal moment to accelerate the team's rebuild. The franchise, which finished the current season with a 17-65 record—one of the three worst in its 65-year history—now has the opportunity to add a transformative talent to a roster that already includes recent acquisitions Trae Young and Anthony Davis. For followers of the league, the draft order sets the stage for a highly anticipated selection process beginning June 23, featuring a group of elite prospects who were present at the lottery announcement.
What's Next
The NBA draft combine starts on Monday in Chicago, offering teams a closer look at prospects. General managers are scheduled to meet in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss proposed changes to the lottery framework, which the NBA Board of Governors is expected to ratify in the next few weeks. Under the proposed plan, the three worst teams would have a reduced 5.4% chance of winning the No. 1 pick starting next season, and the lottery may expand from 14 to 16 teams. The Wizards' front office will now evaluate the top candidates for the No. 1 pick, a group that includes four freshmen: BYU's AJ Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring; Duke's Cameron Boozer, the AP player of the year; Kansas' Darryn Peterson; and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson.