This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/wizards/onsi as John Wall Adds to Beloved Wizards Legacy with Draft Lottery Victory.

The Wizards, irrelevant and listless for the past nine years, won the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday

Washington won the NBA draft lottery on May 10th after finishing 17-65 with the league’s worst record. That gives the Wizards the No. 1 pick on June 23, but the bigger detail is that the franchise is already talking like the teardown stage is finished.

Historic lottery win: Washington claimed its first No. 1 pick since 2010, breaking a 16-year drought despite the odds. Wall’s symbolic return: John Wall represented the Wizards on stage, linking the franchise’s past success to its future hopes.

How John Wall is trying to bring a “full-circle moment” of luck to the Washington Wizards at the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

WASHINGTON — The last time the Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery, that year’s draft had a clear presumptive No. 1 pick: John Wall, a lightning-fast point guard from the University of Kentucky.

Recent reports indicate that five-time NBA All-Star John Wall returned home to take on a major leadership role at a top-ranked university..

The Wizards received the No. 1 pick on Sunday for the fifth time in franchise history and the first time since 2010, when they selected John Wall.

For the NBA’s longest-suffering franchise and its fans, what happened Sunday might be the inflection point when things finally shifted.