NBA's Race to the Bottom Closing in on Six Favorites, Including the Nets

With just 26 games left in the season, Brooklyn is in competition with about six teams for the No. 1 overall pick.

Jan 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) and forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) and center Nic Claxton (33) and forward Noah Clowney (21) sit on the bench late during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Say what you want about the NBA's tanking problem, but you can't blame the league's teams for taking advantage of rules (or lack thereof) that offer little to no punishment. The fact of the matter is that organization's near the bottom of the standings will always put itself in position to land a top draft pick, and dropping games is the result.

The 2026 NBA Draft is one of the most hyped-up classes we've seen in years, which gives teams in the league's basement even more of an incentive to lose. The Brooklyn Nets, who are 15-41 heading into Tuesday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks, are one of about six favorites to get the best odds at No. 1.

The Nets are currently the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference and third in the lottery standings. The top-three teams each have a 52.1% chance at a top-four selection, as well as a 14% chance at No. 1. Lucky for Brooklyn, the consensus trio of prospects in 2026 each has a case to be the first off the board.

Darryn Peterson, the versatile scorer for Kansas, is currently projected No. 1 on most mock drafts, but is No. 2 on the latest from Draft Digest.

AJ Dybantsa, BYU and the nation's leading scorer at 24.9 points per game, is making more of an argument to be the first selection. Cameron Boozer, the overwhelming favorite to win National Player of the Year, is an all-around big man with great versatility, leading the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils.

The Nets' outlook for the rest of the decade would drastically improve if they landed one of those three prospects, but even if they slipped a bit, there are still potential franchise-changers in the lottery. Kingston Flemings, Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. are just a few of the freshmen in contention to be the No. 4 pick.

Brooklyn is in competition with about five other franchises for the best lottery odds. In the East, the Nets, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards are miles ahead of the rest of the bottom-feeders when it comes to the basement race.

Over in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are the bottom three seeds, each with less than 20 wins on the season.

With teams starting to separate themselves, Brooklyn is putting itself in a better position to land the No. 1 pick. While nothing is guaranteed, the Nets could at least look back on the season and be happy with the results if they can continue to both drop games and watch their young core grow.