The NBA has officially set the draft order following its 2026 tiebreaker process, bringing clarity to both lottery positioning and the rest of the first round. For the Toronto Raptors, the result is confirmed — they will pick No. 19 overall after winning a random draw against the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz secured one of the most significant outcomes of the day, winning a crucial tiebreaker over the Sacramento Kings and ensuring they keep their protected first-round pick.
The tiebreakers, conducted at the league office in Secaucus, New Jersey, resolved six ties between teams that finished the regular season with identical records. While the lottery on May 10 will still determine the top four picks, Monday’s results locked in the order from No. 5 through No. 30 and clarified several important draft implications.
Jazz secure edge, protect key draft asset
The most important result involved Utah and Sacramento, who both finished the season at 22-60. The Jazz won the tiebreaker, earning the fourth-best lottery slot, while the Kings dropped to fifth. Although both teams will share the combined lottery odds for those positions, each still holds a 45.2% chance of jumping into the top four and an 11.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.
However, the real impact goes beyond percentages. Because of the tiebreaker result, Utah is guaranteed not to fall below the eighth pick in the lottery. That means the Jazz will retain their top-eight protected selection, which would have otherwise been conveyed to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it slipped to ninth. For a rebuilding team, keeping that pick is a significant outcome heading into the offseason.
Sacramento, on the other hand, remains in a similar odds range but loses the added protection advantage, leaving its final position more exposed depending on how the lottery unfolds.
Raptors land No. 19, full order takes shape
Toronto’s position is now fully confirmed at No. 19 after winning its tiebreaker against Atlanta. Both teams finished with a 46-36 record, but the Raptors secured the higher selection through the draw. The Hawks will pick No. 20, though that selection is owed to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a prior trade.
While the Raptors are outside the lottery, the No. 19 pick still holds value in a draft where teams often look to find rotation players or develop long-term contributors. With the order now finalized, Toronto’s front office can narrow its scouting focus to a more realistic range of prospects and evaluate potential trade scenarios with greater certainty.
Elsewhere in the lottery picture, the New Orleans Pelicans won their tiebreaker against the Dallas Mavericks to secure the seventh slot, with Dallas landing eighth. Both teams carry similar odds — roughly a 29% chance of moving into the top four and just over a 6% chance of winning the No. 1 pick.
However, New Orleans will not keep that selection. The Pelicans previously traded the pick, meaning it will be conveyed to either the Atlanta Hawks or the Milwaukee Bucks depending on how the draft order ultimately settles. Atlanta will receive the better of the two picks, while Milwaukee will take the lesser, adding another layer of complexity to the draft landscape.
Other tiebreakers also played a role in shaping the middle and back end of the first round. The Phoenix Suns came out ahead in a three-team tie with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, while the Houston Rockets won their tiebreaker over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The New York Knicks also edged the Los Angeles Lakers, determining their positions at No. 24 and No. 25 respectively.
The results also confirmed several traded picks. Memphis will select 16th using a pick tied to Phoenix and Orlando, Oklahoma City will pick 17th via Philadelphia, and Charlotte will take the 18th selection through a multi-team sequence involving Orlando and Phoenix. The Philadelphia 76ers will pick 22nd using a selection originally belonging to Houston, while Atlanta holds the 23rd pick from Cleveland.
With all ties resolved, the non-lottery portion of the draft is now set from No. 15 through No. 30, allowing teams to begin detailed preparation ahead of the lottery and draft combine.
The full draft lottery order is now led by Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn, each holding a 14.0% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick. Utah and Sacramento follow with 11.5%, while Memphis, New Orleans and Dallas round out the next tier of contenders.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on May 10 in Chicago, coinciding with the league’s annual draft combine, which runs from May 10 to May 17. The 2026 NBA Draft itself will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with the first round scheduled for June 23 and the second round on June 24.
Teams now enter a critical stretch of scouting, workouts and trade discussions, armed with a finalized order that removes uncertainty from the equation. For the Raptors, that means preparing around the No. 19 pick. For the Jazz, it means holding onto a valuable asset. And for the rest of the league, it sets the stage for what could be a pivotal draft cycle.
More details on the official draft order and tiebreaker results are available via the NBA’s official announcement.
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