Kings vs. Clippers: How far has Sacramento fallen in NBA draft lottery?
The Sacramento Kings have watched their win total rise in recent weeks, but their odds in the NBA draft lottery are falling.
The Kings have won seven of their last 14 games as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings had the worst record in the NBA as recently as March 9, but now they are tied with the Utah Jazz for the fourth-worst record with only four games remaining.
The Kings (21-57) concluded a five-game road trip with a 123-115 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. They came home to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-113 on Friday after overcoming a 17-point deficit.
The Clippers (39-38) are coming off back-to-back losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. They are ninth in the Western Conference — a half-game behind the Blazers for eighth — and have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament.
Sacramento has been decimated by injuries this season. Drew Eubanks (thumb), De’Andre Hunter (eye), Zach LaVine (finger), Keegan Murray (ankle), Domantas Sabonis (knee) and Russell Westbrook (toe) are all out. Despite their depleted roster, the Kings are still finding a way to win with DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa and a collection of younger players, including rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.
The teams with the three worst records in the NBA will have a 52.1% chance of securing one of the top four picks and a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The team with the fourth-worst record will have a 45.2% chance of getting a top four pick and an 11.5% chance of receiving the No. 1 pick. The team with the fifth-worst record will have a 42.1% chance of drawing a top four pick and a 10.5% chance of being awarded the No. 1 pick.
Any non-playoff team can win the draft lottery no matter how slim the odds, but there is another benefit to finishing at or near the bottom of the standings.
The team with the worst record can fall no lower than fifth in the draft while the teams that finish with the second- and third-worst records can fall no lower than sixth and seventh, respectively. The team that finishes with the fourth-worst record could fall to eighth and the team with the fifth-worst record could fall to ninth.
Clippers at Kings
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Clippers -13.5
Over/under: 228.5
Injury report
Pelicans: OUT — Bradley Beal (hip); Isaiah Jackson (ankle); Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot).
Kings: OUT — Patrick Baldwin Jr. (G League); Drew Eubanks (thumb); De’Andre Hunter (eye); Zach LaVine (finger); Keegan Murray (ankle); Domantas Sabonis (knee); Isaiah Stevens (G League); Russell Westbrook (toe).
This story was originally published April 5, 2026 at 11:59 AM.
