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Jan 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) drives to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens (11) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

How Loss to Pelicans Secretly Benefits Wizards

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Bryson Akins | Last updated Jan 9, 2026 10:20 PM ET

The Washington Wizards just lost another game this season, this time at home against the New Orleans Pelicans 128-107. Losses always sting, especially at home against another rebuilding team. The worst part is that this is not the impression the Wizards wanted to give to recently acquired guard Trae Young. Still, things may not be as bad as they seem.

A loss always sucks; there is no way around it. However, during a rebuild and a tanking season, losses are welcomed. This loss just means the Wizards got one step closer to a top-three draft pick in 2026. The best part, though, is that the Pelicans just got further away from giving the Atlanta Hawks a top-three pick.

Wizards Strangely Won Against the Pelicans

Now, some players did play well, like Kyshawn George, who had 15 points in his return from his injury. The bench also looked good, with Justin Champagnie having 12 points and nine rebounds. Even Tristan Vukcevic shone in certain areas, tallying a career high of four blocks. The team did lose, but in reality, they won.

Welcome back Ky pic.twitter.com/d7lplPCJLR
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 10, 2026

See, right now, the Wizards sit at 10-27, fourth-worst in the NBA. The team ahead of them, though, when it comes to having the worst record, is the Pelicans, who have the third-best odds at first overall at the moment. This win, though, puts the Pelicans at 9-31. The Pelicans have played more games, but this loss has put the Wizards closer to the best odds of drafting first overall in the Summer.

Not only are they competing with the Pelicans in that regard, but the Sacramento Kings currently sit at 8-29, and the Indiana Pacers have the worst record at 7-31. Overall, the more losses against these tanking teams, the better for the Wizards. It gives them an advantage come draft day, as the goal is to land in the top three and draft a player who can catapult this team into the playoffs next season.

The final good news about this loss is that the Pelicans have to try to win. They do not own the rights to their draft pick this year; the Hawks do. If the Pelicans get the first overall pick, the Hawks actually get to select there. So, instead of tanking and trying to lose, the Pelicans need to win and not hand over a top-three pick.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

There are a few teams in the lottery right now in this kind of predicament. The Los Angeles Clippers do not own the rights to their first-round pick this season, as it belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Atlanta Hawks also do not own the rights to their pick, as the San Antonio Spurs do. So, these two teams are trying to make moves to win now and not be out of the playoffs.

Every time the Wizards play one of the Pelicans, Hawks, or Clippers, losing is actually a good thing. Every loss against them improves the odds of Washington selecting first in the draft, and it decreases the other teams' odds of being in the lottery.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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