NBA Draft Lottery Reveals the Charlotte Hornets' 2026 NBA Draft Position

David Banks-Imagn Images

NBA Draft Lottery Reveals the Charlotte Hornets' 2026 NBA Draft Position

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated May 10, 2026 3:18 PM ET

On NBA Draft lottery day, basketball fans across the country channel their inner Hunger Games and repeat the same iconic quote to one another: 'May the odds be ever in your favor.'

And although the Charlotte Hornets won 43 games and won a game in the Play-In Tournament for the first time in franchise history, the refrain echoed throughout the Queen City as it usually does this time of year. Charlotte's odds to make a selection in the top four were slimmer than normal, but nevertheless, they still possessed a chance to leap up the order and win a chance at drafting a franchise-altering talent.

Charlotte had a 2.4% chance of jumping into the top four with a 0.5% chance of landing the number one overall pick. Unlikely, but not impossible.

Hornets don't win lottery, stay put with the 14th pick

The impossible did not happen -- Charlotte did not jump up the draft order and will offiically own the 14th and 18th picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Thankfully for the Hornets, there will be plenty of talented players on the board when they are projected to be on the clock.

A trio of national champions from the University of Michigan: Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., and Yaxel Lendeborg, headline the group. Other high-major players like Bennett Stirtz, Dailyn Swain, and Labaron Philon Jr., could also be available for Charlotte.

Another thing working in favor of the Hornets is the recent success of players selected with the 14th pick in the draft.

2025: Carter Bryant (SAS)
2024: Bub Carrington (WAS)
2023: Jordan Hawkins (NOP)
2022: Ochai Agbaji (CLE)
2021: Moses Moody (GSW)
2020: Aaron Nesmith (BOS)
2019: Romeo Langford (BOS)
2018: Michael Porter Jr. (DEN)
2017: Bam Adebayo (MIA)
2016: Denzel Valentine (CHI)

The draft is a crapshoot, especially in the late lottery range, but there is historical precedence of elite players getting chosen at #14 overall.

With the draft order set, all eyes will be focused on the path to the draft. The annual NBA Draft Combine kicks off this week in Chicago, giving teams a chance to get important information about the heights, wingspans, and athletic traits of potential prospects in their range.

From there, teams will continue to host local, in-market workouts with prospects as they narrow down their options before the first round of the draft opens up on Tuesday, June 23rd.

This article first appeared on Charlotte Hornets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: