Wizards, Pacers and Hawks Grab Early Lead on NBA Draft Odds

Each NBA Draft infuses the league with talent, sending a bevy of stars, contributors and projects across the association.

While each is guaranteed to send some star-level talent, the 2026 NBA Draft class has been billed as one that could be future-altering for several franchises.

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, prior to dealing with a hamstring injury, looked like a two-way player worthy of hearing his name called first. Duke forward Cameron Boozer is prepped to be one of the more statistically dominant true freshmen we’ve ever seen. And BYU wing AJ Dybantsa jumps off the screen with his innate athleticism and potential three-level scoring ability.

And plenty more prospects, such as Caleb Wilson, Koa Peat, Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings and more, are banging on the door to the top tier.

As always, while some teams are grappling for postseason positioning, others will be vying for the top draft odds. And with the class looking so well-rounded, the race for those top odds seems to have kicked off slightly earlier this year.

Three teams have jumped off to an early lead, with several others in tow: the Pelicans — whose pick conveys to the Hawks — as well as the Wizards and Pacers.

After nabbing two high-usage rookies, New Orleans is off to a league-worst 3-20 record. They’ve lost five in a row, their head coach was ousted earlier in the season and star Zion Williamson is yet again set to miss more time.

19 years old, 0 Fears. https://t.co/1dkfPJ1maS pic.twitter.com/bnDRK2s6Fp
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 5, 2025

Having traded their 2026 unprotected first for Queen, things are looking especially good for the Hawks, who instead sit at a fine 13-10.

There’s still a great chance the Pelicans’ pick yields Atlanta a great pick, though other teams are sure to join the draft race, and the Pelicans have no real incentive to ever lose games. Though right now, it seems they have little choice.

The other two teams in Washington and Indiana are very much there by design. The Wizards have frequented the top ranks of the NBA Draft in recent years, and while they’ve accrued some decent talent, they still feel a major piece away from pressing the “Go” button in the East.

The Pacers are fresh off the NBA Finals, though they sit at just 4-18 through 22 games. Superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season, they lost Myles Turner in free agency, and have been more injury-plagued than most. Though landing a top pick in what should be one down year would be seen as a major win for Indiana.

Other teams close behind include the Kings, Nets, Hornets and Clippers. Sacramento is dis-jointed and seemingly in the early stages of a fire-slate, the Nets and Hornets were largely expected to be here, and LA is similar to NOLA in that they have no real incentive to give the 21-1 Thunder a top pick.

There will undoubtedly me plenty of shaking up as the NBA season progresses, with teams like Utah, Dallas and others potentially joining the fold.