With the NBA Play-In games to tipoff tonight and the first round of the playoffs to begin on Saturday, here’s a look at the league’s longest postseason drouts.
Sacramento Kings (2005-06)
The Sacramento Kings haven’t made a postseason appearance this decade and that number is over double the next closest team’s last playoff appearance.
It’s hard to be positive right now about a Kings organization that doesn’t exactly inspire any confidence. The Kings finished the 2021-22 season as the 12 seed in the Western Conference, posting a record of just 30-52. De’Aaron Fox is a nice piece for the Kings and so is Domantas Sabonis, but their draft record speaks volumes about the organization throughout their 16-year playoff absence.
The next four teams on this list all have the potential to end their slides this season, but they will have to move past the NBA play-in stage in order to do so.
Charlotte Hornets (2015-16)
The Charlotte Hornets have now missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons.
That number can change as soon as this year, as they are in the play-in for the second consecutive season, but until they qualify, they still own the second-longest drought. LaMelo Ball and company may have a good future ahead of them, but until they prove it, it can only be considered as potential.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18)
Next up are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who also have an opportunity to break their drought during the play-in games.
Minnesota is in a tie for third on the list with three straight years missing the playoffs (potentially four), but they may own the most promising future out of the top teams listed. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards are two very solid building blocks for the Timberwolves, but time will tell if they can win with these players.
New Orleans Pelicans (2017-18)
The New Orleans Pelicans have also missed the playoffs for three straight seasons…and counting? They will be one of four teams in the play-in tournament in the Western Conference, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Should Minnesota lose tonight and the Pelicans win on Wednesday, the two franchises would meet on Friday with the winner climbing out of this unenviable top-5.
The Pelicans have a nice core headlined by Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, but there are far too many question marks surrounding Zion Williamson and his future.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18)
The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised a lot of people this season as many expected them to once again be near the basement in the Eastern Conference.
They still haven’t officially qualified for the postseason since LeBron James led them to their fourth-straight NBA Finals appearance. While they’re not championship contenders, they showed this season that they do have a promising future led by Evan Mobley and Darius Garland.
Four of these five teams that hold the longest droughts do have some positivity surrounding them unless you’re the Kings, where things seem as bleak as ever.
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