The Washington Wizards enter familiar territory on Sunday when the NBA Draft Lottery arrives, but it's been years since the organization has truly felt that luck was on their side.
Washington has become notorious for being a team that finds themselves on the wrong side of the coin when the draft order is decided, and because of that, this time of year brings out more anxiety from the fanbase than it does excitement.
And looking back to last offseason, where the Wizards' Cooper Flagg dreams were shattered by landing the lowest possible spot in the NBA Draft order that they could have, it's easy to understand why.
However, this year, things could be shaping up differently for the Wizards, especially if the recent NBA Draft Lottery simulation conducted by ClutchPoints has any indication of how Sunday's lottery could shake out.
Wizards land at No. 1 the most in recent NBA Draft Lottery simulation
In a recent simulation run by ClutchPoints ahead of Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, the Wizards found themselves at the top spot 19 times, the most of any team throughout the simulation.
The Wizards appeared the most times (19) in the No. 1 spot in the 100 NBA Draft Lottery simulations we ran on @ClutchPoints.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) May 6, 2026
However, there were quite a few surprises of teams outperforming their current odds.
See the full simulation results below: https://t.co/9f7Pf5zwlb
Obviously, a simulation doesn't mean much, especially considering Washington won't have 100 chances to have their preferred outcome be the result.
At the same time, though, the Wizards' fanbase should have some optimism that this year could finally be the season that luck falls in their favor.
Washington will have their last No. 1 overall pick, John Wall, present to represent them at the NBA Draft Lottery. They have legitimate stars on the roster now in Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and of any team at the top of the draft board, they may be the most worthy of the top selection.
Washington may finally break the curse
The last time the Wizards landed the No. 1 overall pick was in 2010, back when they selected Wall.
Since then, Washington has found themselves being snubbed of the top pick on several occasions, including the Flagg debacle and the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Atlanta Hawks seemingly saved them from an abysmal selection that would have set them back years.
Despite that, it's safe to say that this season just feels different, and momentum may finally be on the Wizards' side for once.
Even if they don't land the top pick, earning a top 3 selection will give them a chance to pick a top prospect in a draft class that seems to be one even the Wizards couldn't mess up.
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