This is how the fight for the pick 1 of the NBA Draft 2026 looks like

A batch of highly talented young players is looming in the NBA Draft 2026 and franchises are aware of it, acting accordingly. A clear struggle for tanking has already broken out in order to reach the Draft Lottery with the best possible chances of securing the pick 1. Let's review which teams may have more room to achieve this.

Currently, if the competition ended as the standings are now, the Atlanta Hawks would be the franchise with an 18.5% chance of getting the pick 1. This is because they would acquire it from the Pelicans and Bucks. Both teams have no incentives to lose games for the remainder of the season but are very lacking in reasons to win them, so it wouldn't be surprising if they ended up granting this great gift to the team from Georgia.

Following them, we would find the Sacramento Kings with a 14% chance, along with the Washington Wizards. The Californians, especially, need it as they lack a solid project. The Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets would also have over a 10% chance of securing this pick 1, which seems to be pointing towards Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer. There is still time left in the season for these records to change, but it's important to understand how things currently stand.

Current top odds to land the 2026 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick:

Hawks (via Pelicans or Bucks): 18.5%
Kings: 14%
Wizards: 14%
Pacers: 12.5%
Nets: 10.5% pic.twitter.com/9yLKmr96Bz

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 16, 2026

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así está la pelea por el pick 1 del NBA Draft 2026