The Dallas Mavericks will pick ninth in the 2026 NBA Draft after slipping one spot in Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, capping a 56-loss season.
CHICAGO — The Dallas Mavericks slipped one spot in Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier, resulting in holding the No. 9 overall pick in June's draft.
Dallas held a 6.7% chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 28.9% chance at a top-four selection, but neither was conveyed. The Washington Wizards won the lottery and will hold the No. 1 pick.
The result follows a 26-56 season for the Mavericks, the franchise's second-worst regular-season record of the 21st century and tied for the eighth-worst in team history. Making matters worse, Dallas held a better record than the Memphis Grizzlies with about a week left in the regular season. Memphis passed Dallas in the standings late, then climbed into the top four Sunday. The Grizzlies will pick third.
It is the fifth time in franchise history the Mavericks have picked ninth overall and the first time Dallas has selected in the top 10 in consecutive years since 2017 and 2018. The franchise's previous No. 9 picks: Rolando Blackman in 1981, Dale Ellis in 1983, Samaki Walker in 1996, and Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017.
Blackman, the four-time All-Star and franchise icon who now serves as the team's vice president of corporate relations and inclusion ambassador, represented the Mavericks on stage for the second consecutive year. He had been hoping for a repeat of last year's run, when Dallas beat 1.8% odds to land the No. 1 pick and selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
The LA Clippers made the night's biggest jump, climbing from a projected No. 12 to No. 5. Chicago and Memphis also surged into the top four. Brooklyn took the steepest fall, dropping from No. 3 to No. 6. The full lottery order: 1. Wizards; 2. Jazz; 3. Grizzlies; 4. Bulls; 5. Clippers; 6. Nets; 7. Kings; 8. Hawks; 9. Mavericks; 10. Bucks; 11. Warriors; 12. Thunder; 13. Heat; 14. Hornets.
Dallas hired Masai Ujiri as president and alternate governor last week and added Mike Schmitz as general manager. Matt Riccardi was in the sequestered drawing room representing Dallas for the second straight year. He had been working as co-interim general manager with Michael Finley following Nico Harrison's departure.
Ujiri said at his introductory press conference that the front office's plan extends beyond draft slot.
"You have to find different ways to build — free agency, development, trades. The league is changing, and teams are adapting to new rules around roster construction and draft positioning," Ujiri said. "The hardest thing in sports is finding a generational player. That's the most difficult piece, and we have one."
The 2026 NBA Draft is set for Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Both nights start at 8 p.m. ET. ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN App will carry the first round. The second round airs on ESPN and the ESPN App. BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa has held the consensus No. 1 spot in most mocks all year. Cameron Boozer (Duke), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) round out the projected top four. The Mavericks pick at No. 9.