When the Denver Nuggets won Game 5 of the NBA Finals in the Mile High City, it set off a celebration never before warranted in the city. After all, while it was far from the first title in Denver or Colorado history, it was the first time the Nuggets – who had never been in the NBA Finals prior to this spring – brought home the title.
With the Nuggets now out of their championship hole, there are 10 franchises left that have yet to win an NBA title, an even third of the league (not including the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won a title in their incantation as the Seattle Supersonics).
Some of these teams are just as close as the Nuggets were this season to ending their forever droughts. Other teams have droughts that will continue to feel as if they’ll continue indefinitely.
Which of the NBA’s teams without a championship are closest – and furthest – from winning that elusive first title?
Parity is the lifeblood of the NBA. While the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are often relevant, teams from all sorts of market sizes and development capacities can compete for a championship if things swing their way. Two of the last three champions hail from Denver and Milwaukee, for example.
As soon as this offseason, some of these teams may start making final preparations to pull themselves atop the NBA mountain. And while one of these teams should be the next to break a championship drought, the possibility of expansion teams coming in and beating them to the punch can’t be discounted.
These are the teams without a title, starting with the one seemingly furthest from the sport’s zenith.
The Charlotte Hornets are a franchise in great flux. After their revival as the Bobcats in 2004, the team has seen many of its biggest draft picks go bust and just last week saw Michael Jordan exit as owner, leaving questions about the direction of the Hornets.
Not only has Charlotte never won a title, they haven’t even come particularly close in the last two decades of play. The team has only made the playoffs three times since their return and won a grand total of three games across those three series.
Just because the Hornets are the furthest team from the promised land doesn’t mean the cupboard is entirely bare. For starters, the team had the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft this week, which they used on Brandon Miller.
They also have one of the most exciting players in the NBA in LaMelo Ball, who is living up to expectations. He fractured his ankle this season and only played in 36 games, but when he’s on the court, he’s dynamite.
Outside of Ball and the pick of Miller, it’s not clear what the building blocks are in Charlotte. There are some young players who have intriguing upside, like PJ Washington, but whether or not they can actually be starters or leaders on a championship-caliber team remains unclear.
Charlotte also doesn’t seem to be a destination drawing a lot of interest from free agents. Some of the biggest paydays issued by the Hornets have gone to players that seemed like good gets at the time, but ultimately didn’t pan out for whatever reason (see: Hayward, Gordon).
Charlotte appears poised to spend the next few years trapped in mediocrity, perhaps making a trip or two to the playoffs, but with little to show for it. If the Hornets can nail a few more draft decisions, however, they can get this train back on the track.
Believe it or not, Reggie Miller never won a title with the Indiana Pacers (or at all). Or Jermaine O’Neal. Or Paul George. Indiana is beginning to piece together a future that could include a title one day.
This season, there were brief signs of life for the Pacers. They were more competitive than many expected the team to be, even though they still fell short of the postseason.
A big reason for the pluckiness of the Pacers was Tyrese Haliburton, the big addition in the trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. Haliburton is a superstar in the making, able to do it all on the court. He should be the next in a lineage of franchise cornerstones for Indiana.
The rest of the roster could use some work, especially with the long-term uncertainty surrounding center Myles Turner. But the Indiana front office has developed a reputation for being shrewd and developing solid contributors. The team has plenty of draft capital in the coming years, plus one of the sport’s better coaches in Rick Carlisle.
The Pacers have toiled in mediocrity for some time, last making a remarkable run with those teams that went toe-to-toe with LeBron James roughly a decade ago. If the Pacers can put the pedal to the mettle, they can start making postseason pushes in no time.
At the beginning of last season, the Utah Jazz would’ve likely been seen as the furthest team from their first title. They traded both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell away, sacrificing the franchise’s best duo since Karl Malone and John Stockton. A full rebuild was in order.
A funny thing happened, though – the moves Danny Ainge and the front office made paid off quicker than expected. For a brief stretch, the Jazz were one of the best teams in the league, so much so that they played themselves out of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, even though they didn’t make the playoffs.
Lauri Markkanen finally became the player everyone expected he would be when he was dealt in the trade that sent Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Markkanen became a three-point machine, earning All-Star accolades for the first time.
Utah also seems to have something in coach Will Hardy and big man Walker Kessler, both of whom impressed during their maiden seasons in Salt Lake City. If Collin Sexton – another Cavs addition – can get healthier, he can be an important contributor as well.
Like some of the preceding teams, the Jazz have a war chest of draft picks to play with in the coming years. If Markkanen and Kessler (and to some degree, Sexton) become cornerstone-type players for Utah, they could be a few good picks away from being relevant once more.
A common theme among the teams already listed is that they are young teams that don’t boast a historical record of being an attractive free-agent destination. If that were a tier of its own, the Orlando Magic would top it.
Youth is the name of the game in Disney World and there’s plenty of it. There’s reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. Franz Wagner is playing beyond the value of his rookie contract. Wendell Carter Jr. has plenty of value, either as a future of the team or a trade asset.
There’s also a trio of young guards whose futures are unclear, but all seem to be positioning themselves as potential pieces for the Magic. Markelle Fultz (who has seemingly been in the NBA forever), Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs are all sources of intrigue on that roster.
Orlando is the lone team with two lottery picks in the draft, selecting 6th and 11th in the draft. They took Anthony Black with the former and Jett Howard with the latter, with some positing Howard as a reach at that spot.
The Magic don’t look ready to break their title drought in the next year, two years, maybe even five years. If they can keep their core together, however, they can overcome the stigma of not being a free agent destination and develop their best teams since the heyday of Dwight Howard.
The Brooklyn Nets are in much the same boat as many other young teams trying to chart its path forward. The Nets have a track record of attracting big-name free agents, though – just ask Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, both gone but not forgotten in the borough.
A few years ago, it felt as if the Nets were dangerously close to a title. After all, they welcomed two superstars in KD and Irving into the inner circle. James Harden soon followed and it seemed like the next Big Three emerged from the inner bowls of the Barclays Center.
Obviously, things didn’t turn out as planned. Virtually every day of that era was a disaster for the Nets and by the trade deadline of this past year, it was already over with very little to show for it. Would things have been different if Durant’s foot wasn’t on the line in that memorable playoff defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks? We may never know.
What we know is that the Nets have at least one building block in Mikal Bridges. That might sound like a bold statement, but it’s only bold to those who didn’t watch Bridges dominate when handed the keys upon his arrival in Brooklyn. His two-way game is critical to this franchise.
Nic Claxton is a better center than he gets credit for. Cam Thomas can be a microwave scorer when given the opportunity. And while it’s easy to forget, there’s a former top overall pick lurking in the wings by the name of Ben Simmons. He’s been justifiably written off at this point, but more distance from his back surgery – and the chaos that has enveloped him in recent years – can’t hurt.
Re-signing sharpshooter Cam Johnson in restricted free agency would help, as would landing with some of the team’s numerous upcoming draft picks. The shine is off in Brooklyn, but they can still be sneaky competitive going forward and only need a few things to go right from there.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a way of drafting or acquiring superstars, then losing them before they can ever help the franchise take the next step. Rumors about Zion Williamson’s future in the Big Easy suggest that could be happening again.
When New Orleans drafted Williamson with the first overall pick, the sky appeared to be the limit for the Pelicans. While the fit with Brandon Ingram had the potential to be awkward, those were two legitimate stars for the franchise to build around.
Williamson has nearly been as good as advertised when he takes the court. That has proven to be a big caveat, however, as Williamson can’t seem to stay healthy and the Pelicans can’t be a perennial playoff contender without him.
Beyond Williamson and Ingram, the core is young, solid, and under team control for the next couple of years. Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado make for an interesting supporting cast. CJ McCollum also helps now, though probably not in the long run.
Because of salary cap constraints, the Pelicans are destined for a quiet summer – unless they break it down and trade Williamson. Otherwise, New Orleans seems like a team trapped between mediocrity and true contention. A healthier season from Williamson can immediately raise the ceiling.
The Pelicans held the 14th pick in the draft, another opportunity to improve this team and add to the core. They drafted Jordan Hawkins out of UConn, one of the best shooters on the board.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have shown a willingness to go all-in, which is essential for a team trying to snap a title drought. There’s already a concern, however, that the pieces on the roster don’t fit, which could force the franchise into a tough position.
The willingness to take risks is important for a franchise trying to win its first title. As ownership in Minnesota shifts, there is solid evidence in that realm, as evidenced by the pilfering of Tim Connelly to run the front office and the trade for Rudy Gobert, even though it remains controversial a year later.
Anthony Edwards has emerged as arguably the most important cornerstone of the franchise, developing into a superstar (and not just for his Hollywood turn in an Adam Sandler Netflix film). Karl-Anthony Towns also has that distinction, though his name has also become kindle in trade rumor fire.
Extending Jaden McDaniels would also make sense for Minnesota, which can lock in a solid four-team lineup for the near future. McDaniels doesn’t always get to play nationally, but that combined quad of players stacks up in terms of individual talent with almost anyone in the league.
Considering the growing expenses, this particular core may have a limited shelf life. But if the team extends Edwards, then it will heighten its ability to stay relevant for the coming years, clearing the way for competitiveness, even if the decks need to be somewhat cleared along the way.
The LA Clippers have two of basketball’s best all-around superstars, so the title contention window remains open. The two have yet to stay healthy and lead Steve Ballmer’s team to a championship, though, and time is ticking.
Everything for this team revolves around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. A few years ago, that would’ve been a godsend for any team. Now, it raises questions as their health struggles continue and Father Time threatens to dismantle the All-Star duo before they ever put it together.
Beyond that, the Clippers look somewhat questionable. Ty Lue is a great coach and Terance Mann is an exciting young player. Luckily, the roster warts are covered by the fact that Los Angeles will always be a free-agent destination – yes, even the Clippers – and Ballmer will always be willing to pay top dollar for his team.
The Clippers have been living for the now, and that’s why they are one of the closest teams to breaking their title drought. But if they don’t live for the future, they could quickly find themselves on the other end of the spectrum.
It’s time to get something going on the youth movement. Beyond Mann, Amir Coffey and Bones Hyland will still be around next year. Brandon Boston Jr. and Jason Preston could be in the fold as well.
If the Clippers decide to blow up the George-Leonard duo this summer, it will probably send them on a more sustainable course going forward. But it will also plummet their proximity to a first title.
With some young stars in place, the Memphis Grizzlies have the talent to compete for titles now. This postseason run – and some unmissable parts of the regular season – were disappointing, but Memphis should be here to stay.
The Grizzlies showed they were ready for this year’s big time by finishing second in a loaded Western Conference. They then displayed that there was still a way to go when the Los Angeles Lakers knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs.
Everything revolves around superstar guard Ja Morant. While his play on the court is undeniable, controversy has followed him for much of the past year. He was suspended for a handful of games in the regular season and will now be suspended for 25 games to start next season. If he can’t pull it together, the Grizzlies’ ceiling topples.
All the scuttlebutt around Morant, however, has obscured some of the other talent on this team. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a star in his own right, particularly on the defensive end of the court. He averaged an absurd three blocks per game and won his first Defensive Player of the Year trophy last season.
Desmond Bane, meanwhile, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in July. He’s another member of the young core Memphis should look to lock up. He’s a three-point ace who averaged 21.5 points per game last season.
Memphis is also bringing in Marcus Smart, who will be able to hold down the fort while Morant is suspended, and then some. Smart is a culture-setting type of player, the kind of veteran that could help elevate a team from his presence alone. He’s the closest thing the Grizzlies have had since Tony Allen.
The only players of any significance that seem to be headed out the door this summer are Dillon Brooks, who became more trouble than he was worth, and Tyus Jones. Meanwhile, Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams, and Santi Aldama are among those that should be sticking around, not to mention coach Taylor Jenkins.
The sky’s the limit for the Grizzlies in the coming year, as long as its top player can limit the off-the-court drama.
No title-less team is closer to the championship than the Phoenix Suns. Considering the win-now moves it has made in recent months, it better win soon, because there’s a long way yet for the franchise to fall.
After making it all the way to the NBA Finals a couple of years ago, it seemed like the Suns were in good shape to contend for years to come. Then, it decided to go all-in on a few veterans, sacrificing young players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the process.
Last year at the deadline, Phoenix traded for Kevin Durant. This offseason, the team has already jettisoned Chris Paul to help bring in Bradley Beal. That’s a lot of major talent on one team, but also a lot of money owed at a time when the CBA is making it harder to hang on to those types of contracts.
Phoenix will open this season as one of the three top contenders to win the title. They still have center Deandre Ayton and they hired coach Frank Vogel, who may not be the most inspired hire, but does have an NBA championship close in his rearview mirror.
New owner Mat Ishbia also seems willing to take big swings and spend – the Durant trade was one of his first moves after taking over from Robert Sarver. It helps to have that kind of owner in place.
The draft picture going forward for the next decade for Phoenix looks ugly, though. Suns fans won’t have much of a need to tune in to the NBA Draft on an annual basis for years to come.
Basically, Phoenix is really close to ending their title drought, maybe even closer than they were during the Steve Nash heyday. If they don’t close the deal soon, though, they could soon find themselves on the opposite end of this list.