While over half of the league is still fighting for seeding or preparing for the Playoffs, other teams are playing their final games before looking ahead to the NBA Draft Lottery.
The 2025-26 season feels like it’s been the ‘Year of the Tank,’ and the end is in sight for teams like the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and more.
With just ten games remaining, the Kings (19-53) are firmly in the mix for a top-four finish in the Lottery standings, but more movement could take place in the coming weeks.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on Sunday, May 10th, with Sacramento hoping the ping-pong balls bounce their way as the franchise seeks to secure the top overall pick for the first time since 1989.
How The Odds & NBA Draft Lottery Work
The NBA Draft Lottery is designed to give the league’s worst teams the best chance at landing the top pick, while discouraging outright tanking.
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.
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.
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.
The NBA Draft Lottery itself only determines the top four picks. After that, selections are ordered by regular-season record.
This system means Sacramento can move up, stay roughly where projected, or slide back—sometimes significantly—depending on how the lottery balls bounce. It’s 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.
For the Kings, who often operate in the league’s competitive middle class, the lottery represents both hope and risk. It’s a reminder that draft position isn’t guaranteed—only probabilities are.
That said, it’s in Sacramento’s best interest to lose as many games as possible the rest of the way. Why?
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.
One of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, Houston’s Kingston Flemings, or Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. could be donning a Sacramento Kings jersey come NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this June.
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.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will embark on their final road trip of the season with a five-game East Coast swing that begins on Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte.
Sacramento dropped a 117-109 contest to Charlotte at Golden 1 Center on March 11th as the Hornets used a 30-point effort from LaMelo Ball to hold off the Kings.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 4:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
- Tuesday, March 24th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
- Thursday, March 26th – @ Orlando Magic – 4:00 PM PT
- Saturday, March 28th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:00 PM PT
- Sunday, March 29th @ Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
- Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors – 5:00 PM PT
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