2026 NBA Draft Lottery results that would trigger the biggest conspiracy theories

Tons of chatter surrounds the NBA Draft Lottery. The NBA is eying a new lottery system aimed at eliminating tanking. The proposed system would increase the lottery to 16 teams, flatten odds, and add a relegation zone where the worst teams have worse odds for the number one pick. For now, the lottery is utilizing the same set of rules that have been in place since 2020. The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 10. This comes on the heels of a huge race for last between league-bottom dwellers that were attempting to secure the best odds for the number one pick.

The 2026 NBA Draft is one of the best draft classes in recent memory, and teams would love to walk away with any of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cameron Boozer. Even Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, and Nate Ament are premier prospects.

It is a big deal when any team secures the right to pick number one, and ultimately, the lottery is a luck of the draw. There was plenty of controversy when the Dallas Mavericks were awarded the first overall selection last year, though. Dallas had just the 11th-best odds and a 1.8% chance to secure 1-1. They were also fresh off trading away Luka Doncic, their franchise player, in a jaw-dropping move that shocked the masses. The Mavericks didn’t rig the system, but fans couldn’t help but think that they were rewarded for dealing one of the best players in the NBA to a Los Angeles-based team. Are there any hypothetical lottery results for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery that would cause as much controversy?

Atlanta Hawks

Remember the aforementioned Doncic trade? That technically wasn’t the first time the Slovenian superstar was dealt. On draft night in 2018, the Atlanta Hawks traded back from pick three, where Doncic was taken by the Mavericks, to select Trae Young with the number five pick. A fellow offensive genius and former All-Star, Young was also traded recently because of underwhelming defensive abilities.

Atlanta traded their franchise player to the Washington Wizards for a very lackluster package. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert ended up in Atlanta, and although McCollum has played well with the team, everybody was shocked that the Hawks weren’t able to bring in any draft picks. In that matter, it was a move reminiscent of the Doncic trade, as the Mavericks only added one first-round pick in that deal that everyone considered a fleece by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Therefore, if anyone thought the NBA Draft Lottery was rigged when the Mavericks won it last year, they might formulate similar conspiracies if the Hawks won it this year. In fact, the Hawks are arguably in an even better place than the Mavericks were when they guaranteed themselves Cooper Flagg. The Duke product and Naismith Player of the Year became the clear-cut franchise player when the Mavericks took him, whereas the Hawks’ new number one pick would have the luxury of joining Jalen Johnson, a player who has already established himself as one of the best young studs in the league.

Dallas Mavericks

If the NBA were rigged and the league wasn’t done rewarding the Mavericks, then perhaps Dallas would get the number one pick yet again. That would certainly cause a lot of drama just one year after Dallas took Flagg, one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory.

Dallas’ odds are a little better than they were last year. They have a 6.7% chance at pick one, which is the eighth-best odds in the lottery. They also have a 29% chance to get a top-four pick. Still, those odds aren’t astronomical, so even a top-four selection by Dallas would turn heads.

Dallas would have the chance to pair Flagg with one of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, or Wilson, and the nightmare that was the Doncic trade would be a thing of the past because Dallas would have one of the brightest futures in the league. A top-four pick for the Mavericks would be a little bit fishy in the opinions of some NBA fans.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA world would be downright irate and calling for Adam Silver’s head if the Oklahoma City Thunder ended up with the number one overall selection. The Thunder are already in the midst of a dynasty. They won the NBA Finals last year and seem destined to repeat as champions this go around. They are loaded with talent, too. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely win his second straight MVP trophy this year, and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are stars in their own right. With Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams, Nikola Topic, Alex Caruso, Jared McCain, Aaron Wiggins, Ajay Mitchell, and Thomas Sorber also on the roster, there isn’t a team that comes close to competing with the Thunder’s depth.

Despite how many great players are already on the roster, the Thunder are built for the future, too. They still have a surplus of draft picks as a product of Sam Presti executing the greatest rebuild in sports history. One such pick coming the Thunder’s way is a 2026 lottery-bound selection from the Los Angeles Clippers. This is one of many picks the Clippers owe the Thunder from the Paul George-for-Gilgeous-Alexander trade.

Adding yet another lottery prospect is devastating enough for the rest of the league, but if luck is on Oklahoma City’s side and they end up with the number one pick, basketball fans around the world would lose their minds. The Thunder’s winning ways have translated into them becoming arguably the biggest villains in the league, and another premier prospect would ensure more championships are to come their way for the next decade or so. Considering fans already complain about the way the Thunder are refereed, there is no telling the accusations they would make if Oklahoma City ended up picking atop the draft.