Washington wins NBA draft lottery, chance to pick first on June 23
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery, securing the No. 1 pick for the first time since 2010, after finishing with the league’s worst record this season at 17-65.
- Michael Winger, president of Monumental Basketball, was the Wizards’ representative during the lottery and confirmed the winning combination of 4-2-1, which gave Washington the top pick.
- The Wizards aim to rebuild their franchise after three difficult seasons, with hopes that the No. 1 pick will help improve the team’s competitiveness and reward loyal fans.
- Top prospects for the No. 1 pick include BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, all of whom are one-and-done college players.
- The NBA is expected to change the draft lottery format next season to reduce the odds for the worst teams and discourage tanking, potentially expanding the lottery to 16 teams with lower chances for the bottom three.