Nets Clinch Top Odds in 2026 NBA Draft Lottery in Loss to Bucks

For the first time since 2010, Brooklyn controls its own draft pick while having the best odds to land the No. 1 overall selection.

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Trevon Scott (13) holds onto the ball during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets fans can rejoice now that their fate in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery has been sealed. In their second-to-last game of the season, the Nets have clinched the top odds at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft after a 125-108 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

The Nets are now 20-61, and hold a two-game lead over the fourth-worst team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz. But with just one game left for teams around the league, Brooklyn will share the best odds at No. 1 with the Indiana Pacers (19-62) and Washington Wizards (17-64).

The last time the Nets had the worst record in the league and the best odds in the draft lottery was 2017, when they finished 20-62. However, that pick belonged to the Boston Celtics, who ended up trading down with the Philadelphia 76ers. Markelle Fultz was the first prospect off the board.

The last time Brooklyn had the worst record and actually owned its pick was 2010, finishing 12-70. With a 25% chance at No. 1, the Nets fell to No. 3, drafting Derrick Favors.

It has been nearly 26 years since the franchise actually landed the top pick in the draft. In 2000, the Nets finished 31-52, the seventh-worst record in the NBA. They were hit with some major lottery luck, jumping all the way up to the first selection.

The top prospect off the board was Kenyon Martin, who ended up becoming a crucial piece in the then-New Jersey Nets' back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.

Fast forward to today, and Brooklyn couldn't have a better time to be this deep in a rebuild. The 2026 NBA Draft class is loaded with generational talent, including Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Cameron Boozer (Duke). Even if they slipped back to No. 2 or No. 3, the Nets would still land a potential superstar.

The discourse surrounding the NBA's leniency with tanking has reached an all-time high, and it looks like Adam Silver and the league are going to take action very soon. However, organizations can't be blamed for taking advantage of the opportunity. If a team can land the best prospect in a rebuild, it's going to drop games.

The Nets played their cards right and are now in a prime position to draft their next franchise player. Brooklyn hasn't had a legitimate homegrown star since Brook Lopez, and fans are starved of winning basketball.