If you blinked this week you might have missed the shuffling in the NBA Lottery standings, but that’s why we’re here. The Dallas Mavericks are inching closer to the end of the season, and while we’re a day late with NBA Lottery Watch, we’re still checking the pulse in this race to the best odds in a deep 2026 draft class. With just 15 games remaining in the Mavericks’ season the opportunity to solidify position gets tighter. But as this week taught us things can flip back and forth rather quickly.
Lottery standings
For a brief moment the Mavericks found themselves in sixth position in the lottery standings. The New Orleans Pelicans, who have no motivation to lose games since they owe their pick to the Atlanta Hawks, continue to tally wins here and there — just enough for the Mavericks to flirt with passing them. It was a “pivotal” Mavericks win against the tank-happy Memphis Grizzlies that thwarted their move up the standings and slid them back to seventh. And Memphis is just behind.
That has left a bit of gridlock this week once again in spots five to eight, with the Utah Jazz in front of the group. However they’re just close enough to keep things interesting. Just 3.5 games separate Utah in fifth to Memphis in eighth. It’s worth noting that yes, it can be important to jockey for position especially when facing other losing teams. But the percentage points that separate one spot to the next at having a chance at a top four pick is just five-percent. As we’ve said here before, development of Cooper Flagg remains primary concern before any lottery odds.
Weekly schedule
We’ll take into account play from Friday night as we have in the past. The Mavericks, after beating the Grizzlies on Thursday lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. They face them again this weekend before what is likely the last consequential lottery game on the Mavericks schedule agains the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks have lost nine of their last 10, and 19 of their last 22. With few lottery head-to-head’s remaining this may solidify some positioning.
- Dallas Mavericks: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (L 138-105), @ Cleveland Cavaliers, @ New Orleans Pelicans, vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Utah Jazz: @ Sacramento Kings, @ Minnesota Timberwolves, vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- New Orleans Pelicans: vs. Dallas Mavericks, vs. Los Angeles Clippers, vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies: @ Chicago Bulls, vs. Denver Nuggets
One magic spin
Each week we’ll take one spin around the block at tankathon.com and see where the chips fall. For anyone following along at home, the Atlanta Hawks may be the luckiest franchise in this made up lottery watch history. In all four editions the Hawks have jumped to the top pick in the standings. It hasn’t mattered the position in the draw, they have been up top. Someone check the water.
The Mavericks also received a little luck, landing top four for the third week in a row. The Indiana Pacers were the truly unlucky losers of the group, falling from first to fifth and thus losing their pick to the Los Angeles Clippers. The closer we get to the end of the season the tenser these spins become.
