Brooklyn Nets Move Up in NBA Draft Lottery Standings With Top Odds at No. 1 Pick

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to solidify themselves as the top team to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Mar 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Josh Minott (00) stumbles during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Losing is winning for the Brooklyn Nets at this point in the season. The players may not feel that way, but the fans certainly do.

Tanking has become a major problem in the NBA, but all the teams in the basement can do is take full advantage of the opportunity. The end of the regular season hasn't just become a battle for playoff contenders, but lottery dwellers as well. The Nets are at the forefront of this competition, especially after Wednesday's 109-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

It was a 'perfect' loss for Brooklyn, as the team watched young players show off potential and keep things close with a postseason team. Ben Saraf's missed layup kept the Nets from staying put in the lottery standings because the Washington Wizards defeated the Utah Jazz not long before, their first win since Feb. 20.

The NBA's bottom three teams all have a 52.1% chance at a top-four pick in June, as well as 14% at No. 1. Maybe the odds to land at the peak of the draft aren't so high, but to be favored within the top tier of the order is everything. Brooklyn is so close to sealing its fate with nine games left in the regular season.

A pivotal moment in March had to be the Nets' 126-122 loss to the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday. The two will face each other again at the end of the weekend, but Brooklyn is ahead in the lottery standings by two games.

At 17-56, the Nets are one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the league. Brooklyn, Indiana and Washington have each lost nine of their last 10 games, but that has made up all of the Nets' most recent streak. They haven't won a game since March 9 against the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Pacers and Wizards have victories within the last week.

If Brooklyn can land the top pick in 2026, it will have the chance at its next franchise cornerstone. Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer have been the consensus top-three since the start of the college basketball season.

Landing No. 2 or No. 3 is a great consolation prize, but the freedom to take anyone is the ultimate goal. Peterson and Dybantsa have been in recent debates for No. 1, each providing unique potential and garnering comparisons to some of the sport's greatest players.