The Hawks’ season just ended in embarrassing fashion, but there’s no time to dwell on it. In just six days, the NBA Draft Lottery takes place at 3:00 PM ET — a moment that could go down as one of the most important in franchise history.

Thanks to last year’s draft-day deal that netted Atlanta an unprotected first-round selection (most favorable of New Orleans/Milwaukee), the Hawks hold a 43.2% chance of landing a top-four pick and a 9.8% chance at No. 1 overall. Those are the sixth-best odds in the lottery — remarkable for a team that just finished as a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.

Opportunities like this don’t come around often, especially not tied to a draft class that’s been labeled “historic” by just about everyone.

“The team with the worst record is guaranteed a top-five pick,” Kevin O’Connor wrote for Yahoo! Sports back in December.“The second-worst record is guaranteed a top-six pick. The third-worst record is guaranteed a top-seven pick. And right now, the Wizards, Pacers, and Nets are winning that race, each with 1-10 records. Finishing with the fifth, sixth or seventh pick might seem unappealing in most draft classes. But this 2026 draft class is quite different. It could be historic.

“All the attention is on Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU wing AJ Dybantsa and Duke power forward Cam Boozer, but this draft class is about more than them. Players like North Carolina power forward Caleb Wilson, Tennessee wing Nate Ament and Louisville guard Mikel Brown could push for the top 3. Meaning, there are at least six players who a team would happily draft with a top-two or -three pick in almost any other year. It is undoubtedly the best class since the NBA flattened the odds in 2019 to actually lose on lottery night.”

Most believe multiple future stars will still be available in the 5–12 range. So even if things break poorly on May 10, the Hawks should still be in position to land a potential franchise-altering talent.

But there’s no question that jumping into the top four would open far more doors. Prospects like Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff, and AJ Dybantsa all project as can’t-miss talents. In many draft classes, each would have a legitimate case to go No. 1 overall.

That’s the level of upside in play for the Hawks with a little lottery luck. Hopefully, the NBA is using the same lottery balls as 2024, when Atlanta Hawks landed the No. 1 overall pick despite holding just a 3% chance to do so.

Unfortunately, that selection only turned into Zaccharie Risacher in what was widely viewed as one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory. But if lightning strikes twice, the reaction from the Hawks front office is going to look at little different this time around.

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(Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)