How Kings' Upset Win vs. Raptors Impacts NBA Draft Lottery

After losing four straight games and six of their previous seven, the Sacramento Kings finally picked up a win on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors, playing without Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley, were upset by the shorthanded Kings 123-115, but did this win hurt Sacramento more than it helped?

The Kings are already eliminated from playoff contention, and with the league's fourth-worst record and in desperate need of a game-changing rookie from the 2026 NBA Draft, their focus should be on the draft lottery. With Wednesday's win, the Kings hurt their chances to move into the top three of the lottery.

After Wednesday's results, the Kings remain in fourth place in the lottery at 20-57, but sit 1.5 games out of the top three. If they lost to the Raptors, they would have been just half a game behind the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers, who are tied with the league's second-worst record. With a chance to potentially move into second in the lottery by the end of the season, the Kings likely secured their spot in fourth with the win over the Raptors.

FINAL: Kings defeat the Raptors 123-115.

👑 DeMar DeRozan: 28 PTS, 4 AST
👑 Precious Achiuwa: 28 PTS, 19 REB. 1 BLK
👑 Malik Monk: 18 PTS, 4 AST, 3 REB

Kings Win presented by @RedHawkCasino pic.twitter.com/eNSpe2OFxa
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 2, 2026

Updated top five NBA Draft lottery standings

Here's a look at how the top five of the draft lottery is shaking up with just over a week left in the regular season, and their odds to land the first-overall pick:

1. Washington Wizards: 17-59 (14.0%)
T2. Brooklyn Nets: 18-58 (14.0%)
T2. Indiana Pacers: 18-58 (14.0%)
4. Sacramento Kings: 20-57 (12.5%)
5. Utah Jazz: 21-56 (10.5%)

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson looks to pass against BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa — Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) looks to pass against BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

There is a 3.5 game gap between the fifth-place Jazz and the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks, the same distance between the Jazz and the first-place Wizards. The lottery is undoubtedly a five-team race down the stretch, but the Kings' win has hurt their chances. Oddly enough, the Pacers have won their last two games, dropping them from the top spot, similar to what the Kings did last month to take themselves out of contention for the best odds.

Even if the Kings finish the season in fourth place in the lottery, which is the way things are trending, they will still have a fair shot at the first-overall pick, and a 48.1% chance to land in the top four, but they can also fall to the eighth pick if things do not go their way. The beauty of finishing with the league's worst record is that you are guaranteed a top-five pick, but the Kings' 6-7 record in their last 13 games hurt their chances at that, despite previously holding the worst record.

Kings remaining schedule

To round out their 2025-26 campaign, the Kings are set to face the New Orleans Pelicans, L.A. Clippers, Golden State Warriors (twice), and Portland Trail Blazers. Four of their final five games are against Western Conference play-in teams, and with Steph Curry expected to be back in action for the Warriors, this will be a challenging stretch for Sacramento.

However, for a team that benefits from adding losses to their record, a challenging final stretch could be what they need.