2026 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results
Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.
The NBA has posted a video of the tiebreaking procedure (Twitter link). The results are as follows, according to a press release from the league (Twitter link):
- Utah Jazz (No. 4) over Sacramento Kings (No. 5)
- The Jazz’s pick will land in the top eight, meaning their obligation to the Thunder will be extinguished.
- New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7) over Dallas Mavericks (No. 8)
- The Pelicans will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Mavericks.
- The Pelicans’ pick will be sent to the Hawks (if it’s more favorable than Milwaukee’s) or Bucks (if it’s not).
- Phoenix Suns (No. 16) over Philadelphia 76ers (No. 17) over Orlando Magic (No. 18)
- The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Grizzlies.
- The Sixers’ pick will be sent to the Thunder.
- The Magic’s pick will be sent to the Hornets.
- Toronto Raptors (No. 19) over Atlanta Hawks (No. 20)
- The Hawks’ pick will be sent to the Spurs.
- Houston Rockets (No. 22) over Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 23)
- The Rockets’ pick will be sent to the Sixers.
- The Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Hawks.
- New York Knicks (No. 24) over Los Angeles Lakers (No. 25)
While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round.
For instance, the Magic’s second-round pick will be at No. 46, followed by the Sixers’ pick (traded to Phoenix) at No. 47, and the Suns’ second-rounder (traded to the Mavericks) at No. 48 — that’s the opposite of their order in the first round.
For lottery teams that finished with identical records, the second-round order is still to be determined depending on the lottery results.
For example, if the Jazz’s first-round pick stays at No. 4 and the Kings’ first-rounder stays at No. 5, Sacramento’s second-round pick would be at No. 34 and Utah’s (traded to San Antonio) would be at No. 35. But if the Kings win the No. 1 overall pick on lottery night, moving ahead of Utah in the first round, then the Jazz’s second-round pick (to San Antonio) would be No. 34, while Sacramento would move down to No. 35.
We’ll publish the full lottery odds and pre-lottery draft order for 2026 later today.
Nets Coach Jordi Fernandez, Assistants Receive Extensions
The Nets have signed head coach Jordi Fernandez and the entire coaching staff to multiyear contract extensions, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Fernandez was hired as Brooklyn’s head coach prior to the 2024/25 season after assistant coaching stints with the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Kings. He posted a 26-56 in his first season with the Nets and 20-62 this season.
Of course, the Nets were focused on player development and protecting their lottery status rather than victories this season. Brooklyn drafted five players in the first round last June. They had the third-worst record in the league, giving them a 14 percent shot at the No. 1 overall pick and a 52.1% chance of being in the top four — those are the same odds that the Wizards and Pacers, who finished with the two worst records, possess.
Brooklyn’s assistant coaching staff includes Steve Hetzel, Juwan Howard, Jay Hernandez, Dutch Gaitley, Deividas Dulkys, Ryan Forehan-Kelly, Connor Griffin, Corey Vinson and Travis Bader.
“Jordi is a tremendous leader who, along with his coaching staff, put his stamp on this franchise from the moment he arrived in Brooklyn,” GM Sean Marks said, per a team press release. “Over his first two seasons, Jordi has built a strong foundation rooted in player development, a competitive spirit and honest communication, all of which have been embraced throughout our roster. The energy and passion the entire staff relentlessly pour into our players reverberates throughout the organization, and we are excited to have this group continue to lead our franchise into the future.”
Bulls Get Permission To Interview Five Front Office Candidates
The Bulls have received permission to interview several candidates in their search for a new head of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Charania reports that Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Pistons senior vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham, Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep will make up the initial group. He adds that the Bulls also hope to talk with agent Austin Brown, the head of CAA’s basketball division.
Lloyd began his career with the Bulls in 1999 as a media coordinator and worked his way up to the scouting staff and then senior manager of basketball operations. He became assistant GM in Orlando in 2012 before joining Minnesota in 2022 as senior VP of basketball operations. He was promoted to GM two years ago.
Lindsey’s NBA career began in 1996, and he spent time with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas before joining the Pistons in 2024. He has been part of a remarkable rebuilding project that saw Detroit go from the league’s worst record to the East’s top seed in two years.
Graham spent 15 years with New Orleans, including one season as general manager, before moving to Atlanta last summer. He earned a reputation in the Pelicans’ front office for identifying young talent in the draft.
Gansey took over as general manager in Cleveland when Koby Altman was promoted to team president in 2022. He previously served as assistant GM and ran the Cavs’ G League affiliate.
Telep has 13 years of experience with San Antonio and formerly served as VP of basketball operations, director of player personnel and director of scouting. He was the senior national recruiting analyst for ESPN.com and a sideline reporter for ESPNU before joining the Spurs.
A Chicago native, Brown is one of the NBA’s top agents with a client list that includes Donovan Mitchell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cooper Flagg, Trae Young and OG Anunoby. He has received offers for numerous front office roles, according to Charania, including the Bulls’ GM position in 2020.
Chicago launched a complete front office overhaul by firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on April 6.
Kerr’s Decision Could Lead To Major Changes For Warriors
The Warriors could be embarking on an “organizational reset” if head coach Steve Kerr decides not to return, several team sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater of ESPN. That could involve significant changes to the roster and coaching staff as the team tries to find a new direction following a 37-45 season and an exit in the play-in tournament.
After Friday’s loss at Phoenix, Kerr indicated that he’ll take a week or two before deciding whether to continue coaching. Team sources tell Shelburne that timeline is respectful to Kerr while giving the organization enough time to address its coaching situation before moving on to roster decisions. The sources also state that staff and philosophy questions will be discussed if Kerr returns, as management believes the team has become too reliant on three-point variance and wants to see more diversification in the offense and a greater emphasis on winning the possession battle.
There are lingering concerns about the 13-15 start when the roster was mostly healthy, Shelburne adds. Late-game performance, turnover problems and a sub-.500 record during a season when so many opponents were tanking were also worrisome.
“We didn’t find it earlier in the season,” Kerr said after the team was eliminated. “We were blowing some games we should’ve closed out. I could’ve done a better job. But when Jimmy (Butler) got hurt, it felt like we were finding it.”
Sources tell Shelburne that a wide search is expected for Kerr’s successor if he opts for retirement. College coaches could be in the mix, although Shelburne cites concerns about pairing someone who has no NBA experience with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler as they move into the final stages of their careers.
Changes to the coaching staff are expected even if Kerr stays, per Shelburne. Long-time assistant Chris DeMarco has already left to become head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and sources tell Shelburne that former Pelicans head coach Willie Green could return to the Warriors to work under Kerr again.
When Kerr discusses his future with management, owner Joe Lacob will want him to exhibit a strong desire to handle the day-to-day responsibilities of the job rather than stay out of loyalty to Curry and Green, according to Shelburne’s sources. They add that Lacob will ask Kerr to sign a multiyear contract instead of returning for a brief farewell tour.
According to Shelburne, the Warriors remain committed to general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., despite some outside rumors that he may be a candidate to run Chicago’s front office. She reports that Dunleavy recently signed an extension without any fanfare and has multiple years remaining on the deal.
Shelburne also notes that if Golden State’s roster remains largely intact next season, there will still be the issue of having three players in their late 30s who take up nearly 80% of the payroll. Curry will be eligible for an extension of up to two years this summer and has already talked about wanting to keep playing for multiple seasons. Butler will become extension-eligible in February, which is about when he’s projected to return from an ACL tear. Shelburne hears that he’s expected to focus on getting healthy again and work out his future next summer.
Green has a $27.6MM player option for next season that he’s expected to either exercise or use as the basis to negotiate a longer deal. He was reportedly included in the Warriors’ offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline and while there’s a still a chance he could be moved for a star, sources tell Shelburne there is “no desire or mandate” to trade Green.
Shelburne suggests that Golden State could make another offer to the Bucks this summer or try again for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who became a target in February after the Antetokounmpo deal fell through. She adds that LeBron James could also be a possibility in free agency if he decides to leave the Lakers.
NBA Announces Finalists For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has announced the finalists for this season’s major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year.
The MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year finalists were announced at halftime of the NBC broadcast of Game 1 between the Pistons and Magic, while the league’s official account tweeted the rest.
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The leaders of the three top teams in the Western Conference all have strong arguments for MVP. Jokic became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game while also averaging 27.7 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31.1 PPG and led the Thunder to the league’s best record despite the fact that multiple starters missed substantial time this season. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game while emerging as a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
This race is expected to come down to the former Duke teammates. Knueppel played a key role for a resurgent Hornets squad, becoming the first rookie to lead the league in made three-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances. Flagg’s Mavs finished well out of the postseason picture, but he showed massive star upside, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG while scoring at least 42 points in four separate games. Edgecombe averaged 35.0 minutes per game over 75 contests, posting a well-rounded 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Mazzulla and Bickerstaff each led massively overperforming teams that managed to dominate the Eastern Conference despite having players in and out of the lineup all year. Johnson helped navigate a tricky guard rotation and spacing issues as the Spurs posted the second-best record in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to win this award, ranking first in total blocks, blocks per game, defensive rating, and defensive rebounding percentage this season. Holmgren was second in blocks per game for the league’s top defense, while Thompson proved himself to be arguably the best perimeter defender in the league with his combination of off-ball defensive play-making and point-of-attack dominance.
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Both Avdija and Duren were first-time All-Stars this season, while Alexander-Walker earned a starting spot on his new team and raised his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 PPG this season on .459/.399/.902 shooting splits, all career high percentages.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
Hardaway cracked 40% from three this season for the first time in his career while shooting 6.9 attempts in his 26.6 minutes per game. Most importantly for the injury-plagued Nuggets, he played 80 games, including six starts, and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Jaquez had an impressively well-rounded contribution off the bench, posting career-highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Johnson was a crucial scoring hub for the Spurs bench units while adding offensive pop when the starters struggled to score.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards ranked first and second, respectively, in clutch scoring per game, while Murray was second in total clutch points behind the Thunder star and shot the most efficiently from three of the guards.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points notes (via Twitter) that the awards will be announced in the coming days and weeks, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, April 20.
Houston’s Kingston Flemings Declares For 2026 NBA Draft
Houston guard Kingston Flemings announced Sunday that he’s declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, per Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter video link).
Flemings comes in at No. 7 on ESPN’s best available players list, making him a probable mid-lottery pick. He earned numerous accolades for his stellar freshman campaign with the Cougars, whose season ended after losing to Illinois in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
The San Antonio native averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 37 games (31.7 minutes per contest) for the Cougars in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .476/.387/.845.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo praises Flemings’ “size, pace and upside” and calls him a “winning player” who’s also an “explosive play-maker.” There are some question marks about the 19-year-old’s outside shot (he only attempted 2.9 threes per game), but Flemings largely had excellent season on team that went 30-7, Woo writes.
This coming Friday, April 24, is the deadline for early entrants to declare for this year’s draft.
Kristaps Porzingis Unsure About Returning To Warriors
Kristaps Porzingis is uncertain of his next step as he heads toward unrestricted free agency after the Warriors‘ season ended Friday with a play-in loss at Phoenix, writes Melissa Rohlin of The California Post.
The health problems that have followed Porzingis through most of his career continued after he was traded to Golden State in February. A lingering battle with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) contributed to him playing just 15 of a possible 31 regular season games after joining the Warriors. It’s also causing him to reflect on the current state of his career before making any decisions about his future.
“That’s a good question,” Porzingis responded when Rohlin asked if he wants to re-sign with Golden State. “I do love my time here, honestly. Not one bad thing I can say about the organization, the team, the teammates. I really love it here, I really do. As I said before, I haven’t had a good year. If I had a good year, I think I’d have a more clear picture of what I want to do. Because I’ve had an up-and-down year like this, this is an offseason in my career that I think I’m just going to take a step back, look at the whole picture and then see what’s the best direction for me.”
Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with the Warriors and showed occasional flashes of brilliance despite the health issues. One of them came during Wednesday’s play-in victory over the Clippers when he contributed 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes and looked like a natural fit alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“[Wednesday] honestly was a big step forward for me,” Porzingis said. “To have a game like this, it means a lot. To pull it out of somewhere, and it was there. Definitely a big step in the right direction.”
Rohlin notes that if Porzingis wants to remain with Golden State, he’ll likely have to accept a large reduction in salary. He made $30.7MM this season in the final year of an extension he got from Boston, but the Warriors are unlikely to offer him nearly that much on an annual basis. They’re also facing other roster decisions such as a potential extension for Curry and the possible trade of Green or Jimmy Butler in pursuit of a superstar.
Even with Porzingis’ frequent absences, Rohlin states that the team likes the way he fit in over the past two months and will have interest in keeping him if the money can be worked out.
“Kristaps was fantastic,” coach Steve Kerr said after Friday’s loss, which saw Porzingis struggle with ankle soreness. “He changed our team. The dynamic of having that floor spacing and shot-blocking.”
Knee Injury To Sideline Kevin Durant For Game 1
Rockets star Kevin Durant will miss Saturday night’s series opener against the Lakers due to a right knee contusion, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). “Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” coach Ime Udoka told reporters.
Durant was injured on Wednesday when he bumped knees with a teammate during practice, relays Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Udoka said Durant underwent testing on the knee and is just dealing with soreness, adds Don Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Houston was 4-0 with0ut Durant this season, defeating Phoenix and Golden State in November, Indiana in February and Memphis in the season finale, notes Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It’s still a huge loss for Houston heading into what appeared to be a favorable matchup against an L.A. team that has Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined with injuries. With Durant unavailable, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun will make up the Rockets’ starting lineup.
“It’s soreness. It’s very tender. It’s tough to bend in certain ways,” Udoka said, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Not a lot of swelling. He hit it in a very awkward spot, I guess, more than anything. It could’ve been a regular bumped knee and he would’ve played through that. But it was right above the knee, the patellar tendon area.”
Durant has been the focus of the offense in his first season with Houston after being acquired from Phoenix last summer. At age 37, he appeared in 78 games and averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while playing 2,840 minutes, the second-highest total in the league. He continued his typical stellar shooting by connecting at 52% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range.
The Rockets tend to rely heavily on Durant, particularly late in possessions. The team was a +88 with him on the court, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Game 2 of the series is Tuesday and Game 3 won’t take place until Friday, so the schedule will provide a chance for Durant’s contusion to heal.
Kerr Uncertain Whether He’ll Remain Warriors’ Coach
Steve Kerr isn’t sure if he’ll be coaching the Warriors next season. He is certain he won’t be coaching any other NBA team.
Golden State’s longtime head coach discussed his uncertain future after the Warriors were eliminated from postseason contention following Friday’s play-in loss in Phoenix.
There’s been plenty of speculation regarding Kerr, whose contract expired with the end of the Warriors’ season. The situation won’t be resolved immediately, as Kerr plans to take a week or two to gather his thoughts before meeting with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. regarding a new contract.
“We’ll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason,” Kerr said, per The Associated Press. “And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date.
“There’s a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that. And, if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach (Draymond Green) and the whole group.”
Kerr has been the Warriors’ coach for 12 seasons. He has won four championships with Curry Green and Green leading the way.
Both of them are hoping Kerr will be back for a 13th season and beyond. Each player has one year remaining on his contract, though Green could become a free agent if he declines his $27.7MM player option.
“I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe you know he’s the right guy for the job,” Curry said. “I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does. So, whatever that means for him, you know, everybody’s plan is their own. And I’m not going to try to tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”
“I just don’t deal with change well,” Green said. “I don’t love it. So, I don’t want to think about that. I hope that’s not the case. but we’ll see what happens.”
Before the game ended, Kerr hugged both players and stated, “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you.”
Kerr indicated that coaching Curry the remainder of the Hall of Fame guard’s career is a consideration.
“That’s part of the equation,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. “I don’t want to walk away from Steph. I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph. But all this stuff has to be aligned and right. Those are all discussions that will be had.”
Magic, Suns Advance; NBA’s Playoff Field Set
After losing their first play-in games earlier in the week, the Magic and Suns bounced back in impressive fashion on Friday, winning home games against the Hornets and Warriors, respectively, to clinch their spots in the playoffs. Orlando and Phoenix will enter the first round as No. 8 seeds, with the Magic taking on Detroit in round one and the Suns facing Oklahoma City.
The Magic ran out to a 22-point lead by the end of the first quarter in Friday’s early game and expanded that cushion to 31 points by the end of the second quarter. Their defense set the tone early by allowing the Hornets to make just 5-of-20 (25.0%) shots from the floor in the first period and 13-of-41 (31.7%) in the first half. Orlando maintained that significant lead in the second half, winning by a score of 121-90.
“When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you’re either going home or extending your season, that’s what it looks like,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “There (are) no second chances.”
Paolo Banchero contributed 25 points and a team-high six assists to lead a balanced offensive attack that saw all five of the Magic’s starters score in double-digits. Franz Wagner added 18 points and matched Banchero’s six assists, while Desmond Bane was a team-best plus-30 in his 35 minutes of action despite scoring just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
In the late game, the Suns emulated the Magic by building a big lead in the first quarter, though Phoenix gave most of that 18-point edge in the second quarter before putting the win away in the second half by a score of 111-96.
Suns guard Jalen Green, who struggled in his first taste of playoff action with Houston a year ago, was excellent in this week’s play-in games, scoring 35 points in Tuesday’s loss and then pouring in 36 more in Friday’s win over Golden State. Green made 14-of-20 shots, including 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and also contributed six rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. His eight three-pointers matched a career high.
The Suns also did an admirable job holding Warriors star Stephen Curry in check after he went off for 35 points in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. Curry made just 4-of-16 shots from the field in Phoenix and had as many turnovers as assists (four apiece).
The Suns and Thunder will tip off their series in Oklahoma City at 3:30 pm Eastern time on Sunday, with Game 1 of the Magic/Pistons matchup to follow in Detroit at 6:30 pm.
While Phoenix and Orlando will enter the series as massive underdogs, their regular season results against their first-round opponents offer a sliver of hope — the Suns went 2-3 against the Thunder, while the Magic went 2-2 vs. the Pistons.