The Memphis Grizzlies faced a daunting two-game stretch over the weekend.
It began at home against the Boston Celtics on March 20 before a quick turnaround trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a March 21 matchup against the Hornets.
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After a narrow loss to Boston, Memphis was overwhelmed by Charlotte’s offense in a 124-101 defeat at Spectrum Center.
The Grizzlies (24-46) have now lost 10 of their past 11 games.
A team that once looked like a play-in lock is now firmly focused on draft positioning. If there’s a silver lining to the recent skid, it’s Memphis improving its odds in what is expected to be a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class.
With the two weekend losses, the Grizzlies have moved ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for lottery positioning.
Grizzlies rise in draft lottery standings
Memphis now holds the seventh-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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The Grizzlies had been stuck in the No. 8 slot, but a recent surge by New Orleans (25-47) combined with Memphis’ continued struggles have flipped the standings.
Though the teams are tied in overall record, the Grizzlies own the tiebreaker. The season series was split 2-2, pushing the decision to division record — where the Grizzlies (6-7) hold a slight edge over the Pelicans (7-8).
The move up comes with meaningful odds changes. At No. 8, Memphis had a 26.3% chance to jump into the top four and a 6% shot at the No. 1 pick. Now at No. 7, those odds increase to 32% and 7.5%, respectively.
The chase for No. 6
Can the Grizzlies climb even higher? It’s possible.
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The Dallas Mavericks currently occupy the No. 6 position at 23-48. For Memphis to pass them, Dallas would need to win more games down the stretch.
Because Memphis won the season series, Dallas holds the tiebreaker in reverse standings. That means the Grizzlies must finish with a worse record than the Mavericks to move ahead.
The remaining schedules could play a role. Memphis has the third-toughest slate left in the league based on opponent winning percentage, while Dallas ranks seventh.
At No. 6, the Mavericks currently hold a 37.2% chance to jump into the top four and a 9% shot at the No. 1 pick.
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What’s ahead for Memphis
Six of the Grizzlies’ next seven games come against teams currently above .500. The stretch begins with a road matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on March 23.
Injury updates also could shape the remainder of the season. Memphis is expected to announce the statuses of Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain) and Brandon Clarke (right calf) in the coming days.
Both players have been sidelined for more than two months but have not yet been officially ruled out for the season.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies draft lottery odds improve after winless weekend