Josh Giddey’s Bulls rise as Wizards win NBA lottery

• Track Australians in the NBA through our Player Hub
• Visit our Latest Aussie News hub for NBA signings and updates
• Check the NBA Schedule + Results for every game and score

Australian Josh Giddey’s Chicago Bulls won the fourth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery today, but it was former NBL Next Star Alex Sarr’s Washington Wizards who hit the jackpot – winning the No1 pick in New York.

The Washington Wizards won the lottery after finishing 18–64, securing the No. 1 pick for the first time since selecting John Wall in 2010.

The lottery produced major movement:

• The Utah Jazz jumped to No. 2 despite being fined earlier in the season over conduct linked to tanking.
• The Memphis Grizzlies rose to No. 3.
• The Chicago Bulls climbed to No. 4 despite having only the ninth-best odds.
• The Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets, who entered tied for the best lottery odds, fell to fifth and sixth, respectively. Indiana’s pick goes to the Los Angeles Clippers because it landed outside the top four.

The 2026 draft is considered one of the strongest classes in years, led by:

• AJ Dybantsa – BYU forward and national scoring leader at 25.5 points per game.
• Darryn Peterson – Kansas guard who averaged 20.2 points despite injuries.
• Cameron Boozer – Duke forward and son of Carlos Boozer.
• Caleb Wilson – North Carolina forward with elite two-way production.

NBL Next Star and former New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez is projected to go at pick 11 to the Golden State Warriors.

There are no Australians in the 2026 Draft. The Bulls are projected to draft North Carolina’s big man Caleb Wilson.

Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale’s Atlanta Hawks won the 8th pick and are projected to land point guard Mikel Brown Jr out of Louisville.

Josh Green’s Charlotte Hornets bottomed out in the lottery but will still pick 14th with ESPN projecting the North Carolina franchise will take centre Aday Mara out of 2026 NCAA Men’s National Champion Michigan.

2026 NBA Draft Order

Lottery Picks

1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana Pacers)
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans)
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets

First Round

1. Chicago Bulls (via Portland Trail Blazers)
2. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix Suns)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Philadelphia 76ers)
4. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando Magic)
5. Toronto Raptors
6. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta Hawks)
7. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota Timberwolves)
8. Philadelphia 76ers (via Houston Rockets)
9. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland Cavaliers)
10. New York Knicks
11. Los Angeles Lakers
12. Denver Nuggets
13. Boston Celtics
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit Pistons)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (via San Antonio Spurs)
16. Dallas Mavericks (via Oklahoma City Thunder)

Second Round

1. New York Knicks (via Washington Wizards)
2. Memphis Grizzlies (via Indiana Pacers)
3. Brooklyn Nets
4. Sacramento Kings
5. San Antonio Spurs (via Utah Jazz)
6. Los Angeles Clippers (via Memphis Grizzlies)
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Dallas Mavericks)
8. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans)
9. Houston Rockets (via Chicago Bulls)
10. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks)
11. Miami Heat (via Golden State Warriors)
12. San Antonio Spurs (via Portland Trail Blazers)
13. Brooklyn Nets (via Los Angeles Clippers)
14. San Antonio Spurs (via Miami Heat)
15. Sacramento Kings (via Charlotte Hornets)
16. Orlando Magic
17. Phoenix Suns (via Philadelphia 76ers)
18. Dallas Mavericks (via Phoenix Suns)
19. Denver Nuggets (via Atlanta Hawks)
20. Toronto Raptors
21. Washington Wizards (via Minnesota Timberwolves)
22. Los Angeles Clippers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)
23. Houston Rockets
24. Golden State Warriors (via Los Angeles Lakers)
25. New York Knicks
26. Chicago Bulls (via Denver Nuggets)
27. Atlanta Hawks (via Boston Celtics)
28. New Orleans Pelicans (via Detroit Pistons)
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (via San Antonio Spurs)
30. Washington Wizards (via Oklahoma City Thunder)