The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on Sunday, May 10th, with the Kings hoping the ping-pong balls bounce their way as the franchise seeks to secure the top overall pick for the first time since 1989.<\/p>\n
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(Tankathon.com)<\/a><\/p>\n How The Odds & NBA Draft Lottery Work<\/p>\n The NBA Draft Lottery is designed to give the league\u2019s worst teams the best chance at landing the top pick, while discouraging outright tanking.<\/p>\n For a team like the Sacramento Kings, lottery odds come into play only if they miss the playoffs and finish in the bottom 14 of the standings.<\/p>\n The three teams with the worst records each have a 14 percent chance to win the No. 1 overall pick, with odds decreasing incrementally by record.<\/p>\n If the Kings finish, for example, with the fourth-worst record, they would have a 12.5 percent chance at the top pick and a much higher likelihood of falling outside of the top five.<\/p>\n The NBA Draft Lottery itself only determines the top four picks. After that, selections are ordered by regular-season record.<\/p>\n This system means Sacramento can move up, stay roughly where projected, or slide back\u2014sometimes significantly\u2014depending on how the lottery balls bounce. It\u2019s why even small differences in late-season standings matter. One extra win can slightly reduce top-pick odds but also protect against a big drop.<\/p>\n For the Kings, who often operate in the league\u2019s competitive middle class, the lottery represents both hope and risk. It\u2019s a reminder that draft position isn\u2019t guaranteed\u2014only probabilities are.<\/p>\n That said, it\u2019s in Sacramento\u2019s best interest to lose as many games as possible the rest of the way. Why?<\/p>\n The 2026 NBA Draft is projected to be a top-five-heavy draft, with each of the top-five picks posing as a potential franchise-altering talent.<\/p>\n One of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU\u2019s AJ Dybantsa, Duke\u2019s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina\u2019s Caleb Wilson, Houston\u2019s Kingston Flemings, or Arkansas\u2019 Darius Acuff Jr. could be donning a Sacramento Kings jersey come NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this June.<\/p>\n It all depends on draft position, and if the Kings want to bring in a new face of the franchise, this could be the draft to do so.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for more NBA Draft Lottery coverage right here on Sactown Sports.<\/p>\n More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports<\/p>\n When is the next Sacramento Kings game?<\/p>\n The Sacramento Kings will conclude its final road trip of the season on Wednesday night when the face the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.<\/p>\n Sacramento dropped a 122-109 contest to the Raptors at Golden 1 Center back on January 21st as Scottie Barnes scored 23 points in the win.<\/p>\n Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 5:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Toronto.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season<\/p>\n Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors \u2013 5:00 PM PT Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n
\nFriday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nSunday, April 5th vs. Los Angeles Clippers \u2013 6:00 PM PT
\nTuesday, April 7th @ Golden State Warriors \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nFriday, April 10th vs. Golden State Warriors \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nSunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers \u2013 5:30 PM PT<\/p>\n
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