The NBA is full of legendary teams with championship banners hanging from the rafters. But for every dynasty, there’s a team that seems to specialize in heartbreak, draft busts, and “rebuilding seasons” that never actually build anything.
Today, we’re diving into the 15 worst NBA franchises of all time, where the only thing more common than losing is the phrase, “There’s always next year!”
15. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers aren’t a total disaster, but let’s be real: they’ve been good enough to make the playoffs but bad enough to never actually win anything. Their best years were with Reggie Miller, who spent his entire career trying to take down the Knicks (and usually succeeding), only to fall short against teams like the Bulls or Lakers. Also, the Malice at the Palace didn’t exactly help their reputation.
14. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have been an NBA franchise for decades, yet their biggest accomplishment is probably having one of the cleanest logos in the league. Since their inception, they’ve had brief moments of excitement (Linsanity, Kemba Walker), but overall, they are just… there. Even Michael Jordan couldn’t save them as an owner.
13. Sacramento Kings
The Kings were actually fun in the early 2000s, but since then, it’s been like watching a bad sitcom that never gets canceled. The draft blunders alone (passing on Luka Doncic for Marvin Bagley III?!) have been painful. They finally made the playoffs in 2023 (and the play-in tournament in 2024), but let’s see if they can keep it up.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have had their moments (the Lob City era was a blast), but let’s not forget that for most of their existence, they were a punchline. The team suffered through decades of dysfunction under Donald Sterling, and even after getting better, they still found creative ways to collapse in the playoffs.
11. Washington Wizards
The Wizards have somehow had some of the best players in NBA history (Wes Unseld, Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, Bradley Beal) and yet still can’t figure out how to win consistently. They also managed to give away Chris Webber before he became a star, which is very on-brand for them.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
Kevin Garnett carried this franchise on his back for years, but since then, they’ve been a mix of bad lottery luck, weird trades, and wasted potential (Jimmy Butler literally roasted their entire team in practice). Even with Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, they still feel like an underachieving team.
9. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets mortgaged their future in 2013 for aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, setting them back for nearly a decade. Then, they tried again with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden—only for that superteam to fall apart spectacularly. Somehow, the Nets always find a way to make things worse.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
First, they had Chris Paul, then Anthony Davis, and now Zion Williamson. The result? Not much. Injuries, questionable management, and bad luck have made this franchise one of the most underwhelming in NBA history.
7. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grit and Grind Grizzlies were awesome, but they never made it to the Finals. Now, they’ve got Ja Morant, who’s incredible but also keeps finding himself in off-court drama. The Grizzlies have had plenty of fun teams, but historically, they’re not much to write home about.
6. Toronto Raptors
Yes, the Raptors won a title in 2019, but before that, they were best known for getting owned by LeBron James in the playoffs every single year. Their draft history is also brutal (see: Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 pick that no one remembers).
5. Phoenix Suns
The Suns have had great teams with Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, and Devin Booker, yet still have zero championships. They got close in 2021, but losing to Giannis and the Bucks added them to the list of “so close, yet so far” teams.
4. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have existed for decades but don’t really have much to show for it. They’ve had good players (Dominique Wilkins, Joe Johnson, Trae Young), but their biggest accomplishment in the last 50 years is making the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
Read More: Ranking the 15 Most Beloved NBA Fanbases
3. New York Knicks
The Knicks are historically important, but their modern era has been a mess. They’ve been awful under James Dolan, with terrible signings, coaching changes, and front-office disasters. New York fans deserve better, but they keep showing up anyway.
Read More: The Absolute Worst NBA Franchises of the ’90s
2. Orlando Magic
Shaq? Gone. Penny Hardaway? Gone. Dwight Howard? Gone. The Magic seem to develop stars just to watch them leave. They’ve been to the Finals twice but have never won it all.
Read More: 10 Worst NBA Franchises of the 2000s
1. Charlotte Bobcats
No NBA team has ever been worse than the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished with a record of 7-59. That’s a .106 win percentage. They didn’t just lose; they redefined losing. Charlotte has improved since rebranding back to the Hornets, but the Bobcats era was painfully bad.
Watch Now: Big plays. Fast takes. Check out TQR Shorts for the latest sports news with Zoe!