Washington Wizards Pushing Utah Jazz For NBA’s Worst Record
Apr 10, 2025, 2:35 PM
Svi Mykhailiuk #19 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball in front of Bub Carrington #8 of the Washington Wizards (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Washington Wizards are not making it easy for the Utah Jazz to finish with the worst record in the NBA.
On Wednesday, the Wizards lost at home to the Philadelphia 76ers, arguably the only team in the NBA that has more interest in losing than the two teams at the bottom of the league standings.
Related: Jazz Snap Losing Streak With Win Over Trail Blazers
Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz Tied For Worst NBA Record
Washington’s game at home against the 76ers was likely their best chance at a win over the final week of the NBA season.
The Wizards will close the year on the road in Chicago on Friday and in Miami on Sunday, with both teams battling to host a Play-In Tournament game in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The 76ers had lost 12 straight heading into Wednesday’s contest as they’ve sought to hold onto their top-six protected lottery pick in June’s draft.
Updated NBA Mock Draft
Added to the board:
🏀 Tahaad Pettiford
🏀 Milos Uzan
🏀 John Tonje
🏀 Alijah Martin
🏀 Vladislav Goldinhttps://t.co/u6zCHZUiJQ— Tankathon.com (@tankathon) April 9, 2025
If Philadelphia’s pick falls outside of the top six, it will belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With a loss, the 76ers could have guaranteed themselves the fifth-worst record in the NBA, and a 64 percent chance of holding onto their pick.
With their win, the possibility remains for Philadelphia to finish tied with the Brooklyn Nets, which would drop their odds of holding onto their pick by nearly 10 percent.
After Wednesday’s results, the Jazz will also have to lose out to match Washington for the league’s worst record, assuming the Wizards fall to both Chicago and Miami.
The Jazz will host the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, who may need a win in Utah to guarantee themselves the league’s best record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Jazz will then close the season on Sunday in Minnesota against the Timberwolves, who are currently in eighth place in the West, but could climb as high as the fourth seed by winning all three of their remaining games.
What Does Finishing With Worst Mean For Jazz, Wizards?
While the Jazz and Wizards are guaranteed to finish with identical 52.1 percent chances of landing a top-four pick in the May 12 draft lottery, there are still draft stakes on the line.
The team that finishes with the worst record in the NBA can fall no further than the fifth pick in the draft lottery, while the team that finishes with the second-worst record has a 20 percent chance of falling to sixth.
What Happens If The Jazz And Wizards Finish With The Same Record?
If the two teams finish with identical records, the league will conduct a coin toss to determine which team can only fall to five, and which team can far as fall sixth.
The NBA lottery determines the top four picks in the draft, while the remaining order is decided strictly by team record.
Remaining Schedules:
Washington Wizards
4/11: @ Chicago Bulls
4/13: @ Miami Heat
Utah Jazz
4/11: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
4/13: @ Minnesota Timberwolves
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
