Draft - 1d
The wait is finally over for Washington.
The Wizards won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, securing the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since John Wall walked across that stage back in 2010. Wall was right there in the building to watch it happen.
Washington entered with a 14% shot at the top pick, the same odds shared by Brooklyn and Indiana, and roughly a coin flip between landing top four or sliding to fifth. The basketball gods chose kindly.
It's a reward that's been a long time coming. Three straight seasons of historically bad basketball, the worst three-year stretch in the franchise's 65-year existence, finally turned into something. The Wizards went 17-65 this year, a season so rough it included allowing Bam Adebayo to drop 83 points, the second-highest single-game total in league history.
But the front office wasn't just tanking in place. Washington made aggressive moves last season to acquire both Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and now they get to stack a No. 1 pick on top of that core. The Eastern Conference just got more interesting.
Rounding out the lottery: Utah at No. 2, Memphis at No. 3, and Chicago at No. 4. The Clippers, picking fifth via their trade with Indiana, lead the non-lottery order, followed by Brooklyn, Sacramento, Atlanta, Dallas, Milwaukee, Golden State, Oklahoma City, Miami, and Charlotte at 14.
The 2026 NBA Draft goes down June 23 in New York. The combine kicks off in Chicago on Monday.
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Chiefs Shuffle the Deck After Rookie Minicamp
Fresh off rookie minicamp, the Chiefs are already tinkering with the roster. They scooped up three undrafted free agents: wide receiver Xavier Loyd from Mizzou, defensive back Marlen Sewell out of Vanderbilt, and Indiana offensive lineman Kahlil Benson. To make room, they released quarterback Jake Haener, who'd been with the team since February.
These moves aren't a shocker. After drafting defensive lineman Peter Woods and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, some veterans became expendable. It's the usual drill for Kansas City constantly shuffling the bottom of the roster to build depth and keep everyone battling for their spot.
Draft - 1w
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery airs Tuesday at 4 PM ET on ESPN, and the prize is generational prospect Gavin McKenna — a 6-foot freshman out of Penn State who put up 51 points in 35 games after years of WHL domination. The Vancouver Canucks lead the odds at 25.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%), New York Rangers (11.5%), and Calgary Flames (9.5%). The Toronto Maple Leafs sit at 8.5%, though their pick is actually owed to Boston (top-5 protected). San Jose GM Mike Grier says he's open to trading his pick if the right deal comes along, but is equally comfortable staying put and adding to what's become a deep prospect pool. With the draft set for KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26, tomorrow's lottery draw sets the table for one of the most anticipated offseasons in recent NHL memory.
Draft - 1w
NIL Is Shrinking the Draft Pool — And Teams Are Scrambling
Something unusual happened this draft cycle: only 71 players declared as early entries for the 2026 NBA Draft which is the lowest number in years. The reason? NIL money. With college players earning up to $4 million per year at top programs, the calculus of risking a late first-round slot has completely changed. Teams are now scrambling to offer first-round promises earlier than ever to retain top talent in the class. The entire architecture of roster building through the draft is shifting in real time.
