2026 NBA Lottery Picks Who Could See the Playoffs in Year One

With no wins or losses on the board yet, you could make a case for all 30 teams across the NBA to make the playoffs this season. There's technically an argument to be made, whether it be 2026 NBA Draft picks becoming stars or the talent already on the roster.

But realistically, there's still a very good idea of which teams will end up in the playoffs purely based on last season. Quite a few 2026 lottery picks will fight for minutes on competitive rosters, attempting to help this year's class live up to the generational hype that followed for months.

This season, a few teams across both conferences could surprise everyone. Here are five lottery picks who could see the playoffs in year one:

Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets

There are questions as to whether or not the Hornets take a major step back after trading LaMelo Ball, but we've seen teams flip the script after moving franchise players in the past. Charlotte is putting more trust into the young core of Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Moussa Diabate, with Hannes Steinbach now in the picture.

The Hornets now have a forward/center room featuring Diabate, Steinbach and Naz Reid. It might be hard for the No. 14 pick in the draft to find significant time, but Steinbach's ability to space the floor and rebound at a high level could make things easier for both Diabate and Reid.

If Charlotte builds upon a 44-38 record, this organization could see the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Don't forget that the Hornets posted a 28-10 record from late January onward.

Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder

Mara is entering the perfect situation in Oklahoma City. Some may argue that becoming the starting center in Atlanta would have been better, but he can still develop in the Thunder's rotation. There's a world in which he beats out Jaylin Williams to be the backup center to Isaiah Hartenstein.

The former Michigan star will have limited responsibilities as a traditional big man, focusing on crashing the glass and playing defense. If Mara truly is the 'Wemby stopper,' Oklahoma City is in good hands for when Hartenstein departs, whenever that may be.

Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks had two major positional needs coming into the 2026 NBA Draft: a true point guard and a legitimate center. They opted for Flemings at the one, and while Atlanta's guard room is deep, the rookie from Houston could be a prominent facilitator right off the bat.

Flemings averaged 6.8 assists to 2.2 turnovers per game across four NBA Summer League games. He was a limited scorer, but Atlanta doesn't need that with Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading the offense. If he can star in a role, Flemings will get big minutes in the playoffs.

Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

Toward the top of the draft, this is where it's about the rookies panning out rather than them joining formidable rosters. Peterson is one of the most NBA-ready scorers we've ever seen, but he also has the responsibility of leading Utah's offense.

The Jazz have a good roster on paper. Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George led the way at the end of the NBA season. At the same time, a young core has plenty of potential with Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski.

The key will be Peterson standing out as a leading scorer, as many of these players are supplementary stars/role players rather than true bearers of the franchise. Head coach Will Hardy has a lot of pieces to work with.

AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards

Similarly to Utah, Washington has been building a postseason contender that is now ready to make that jump. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick, joins an All-Star duo of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. But the Wizards also feature that young insurance in the form of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington.

This is a rotation that could run 10 men deep with Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton also in the mix. Dybantsa doesn't have to be the leading scorer in year one, rather a two-way star who can complement Young, Davis and the rest of the veterans.

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