The NBA Draft Lottery is set for a pivotal Sunday night, with franchise futures hanging in the balance. As the lottery order is determined this weekend, several organizations are in urgent need of a lucky break. Here are the teams that most require the top selection.
**Sacramento Kings**
Odds for No. 1: 11.5%
Despite the brief excitement surrounding the 2023 Beam Team, Sacramento remains a franchise stuck in perpetual struggle, with a long-suffering fanbase accustomed to letdowns. Since drafting Tyreke Evans in 2009, the Kings have made 14 lottery picks, but only one landed in the top three. The front office traded Tyrese Haliburton in a bid for short-term gains, and Luka Dončić slipped through their fingers. After recording their lowest win count since 2012, few teams are as devoid of talent or as desperate for the lottery balls to finally fall their way.
**Brooklyn Nets**
Odds for No. 1: 14%
The 2025-26 Nets were a mix of unproven talent and constant experimentation—a youthful core brimming with potential but lacking a clear short-term path to success. With Jordi Fernández guiding the team from the sidelines, the missing piece is the right personnel to forge an identity and build from scratch. After being outnumbered by Knicks fans in their own arena, general manager Sean Marks needs a drawcard to restore some of the grandeur he cultivated earlier in the decade.
**Chicago Bulls**
Odds for No. 1: 4.5%
Following the long-overdue departure of executive Artūras Karnišovas, the cycle of mediocrity that has gripped Chicago since the early 2010s may finally be ending. Patrick Williams is their only top-five pick since selecting Derrick Rose in 2008, leaving the Bulls with few premium prospects (unless you’re more optimistic than most about Matas Buzelis). Adding a top-tier talent in the draft would offer Chicago a direct route back to relevance.
**Memphis Grizzlies**
Odds for No. 1: 9%
Despite having one of the best draft-pick track records in recent years, the Grizzlies find themselves in significant turmoil. They acknowledged the hard ceiling of their previous star trio by selling high on Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. while recalibrating. With Ja Morant’s star power and trade value at a low point, the only viable path for a small-market team like Memphis is to hope for a top draft pick. The Grizzlies already have promising building blocks in Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Taylor Hendricks, and Walter Clayton Jr., but they still lack a true cornerstone with clear star upside.
**Golden State Warriors**
Odds for No. 1: 2%
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the Warriors face the arduous task of maximizing Stephen Curry’s late prime with limited resources. Their two-timeline approach collapsed after the 2022 championship, with hopes hinging on James Wiseman. Landing the No. 1 pick in 2026 would be akin to lightning striking twice. However, with Curry aging as gracefully as any 38-year-old point guard ever has, Golden State desperately needs good fortune to buy him time and extend their title window.
