Ranking the Unluckiest NBA Draft Lottery Teams of All Time
The fate of a franchise can hinge on the mercy of a ping-pong ball.
Since the league introduced the draft lottery in 1985, NBA teams have not-so-patiently hoped to see their combination come up. That painstaking moment can occasionally get worse—and worse, and worse.
In fact, four of the NBA's 30 franchises have never ascended the pre-lottery order. They are, unsurprisingly, four of the eight unlucky teams included.
With an assist from B/R's Bryan Toporek, the following list is based on a team's projected draft position compared to its official post-lottery slot.
8. Utah Jazz
1 of 8
Years in Lottery: 10
Slots Dropped: 4
Average: -0.40
On the bright side, the Utah Jazz avoided the lottery for nearly two decades. They first appeared in 2004 and only recently hit a 10th trip.
So, hey, remember how everything is relative.
Nevertheless, the franchise has never gone up. Utah dropped a spot in both 2005 and 2014, along with falling two positions in 2024. The other seven lotteries ended with the Jazz not budging in the order.
Utah has been mathematically unlucky but, to date, fortunately has avoided a true franchise-altering result in the lottery.
That statement will be put to the test in 2025's Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
7. Golden State Warriors
2 of 8
Years in Lottery: 25
Slots Dropped: 12
Average: -0.48
One thing was evident early in the lottery: When the Golden State Warriors were there, some movement was destined to happen.
Golden State shuffled its position in its first six appearances—down five in 1985, then up four in both 1993 and 1995—and 11 of its first 13. There was a stretch from 1998 to 2002 the Warriors dipped at least one spot.
Worst of all, in 2002 and 2020, Golden State fell out of the No. 1 pre-lottery slot and didn't have a chance to draft Yao Ming or Anthony Edwards, instead taking Mike Dunleavy Jr. and James Wiseman, respectively
I can assure you every franchise would embrace some bad luck if that meant having Stephen Curry and four championships, though.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 8
Years in Lottery: 24
Slots Dropped: 15
Average: -0.63
Speaking of Edwards, his Minnesota Timberwolves gained two critical spots to select him in 2020. That sparked the franchise to its success today.
And there is nothing else positive to say.
Minnesota has otherwise fallen in the lottery 12 times and remained static in 11. Giving away two positions in 1992 cost the Wolves a guy named Shaquille O'Neal and in 2009 an opportunity at James Harden, instead landing Ricky Rubio.
For competitive and historical reasons, it's fair to say Minnesota is hoping Edwards keeps the Wolves out of the lottery for many years.
5. New York Knicks
4 of 8
Years in Lottery: 19
Slots Dropped: 13
Average: -0.68
Perhaps the most popular NBA conspiracy theory is the "frozen envelope" at the 1985 lottery intended to ensure the New York Knicks would rise two spots and be able to draft future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing.
Do I believe it? No. Do I enjoy it? Yes.
However, the Knicks tumbled four positions in 1986 and three in 1987. They stayed out of the lottery until 2002 but have since made 16 appearances and never gone up, falling a slot or two during five of those years.
The most recent major negative happened in 2019 when New York dropped from first to third in a draft including Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, settling for RJ Barrett.
4. Denver Nuggets
5 of 8
Years in Lottery: 16
Slots Dropped: 11
Average: -0.69
The only lottery direction the Denver Nuggets know is down.
During the franchise's 16 encounters with the ping-pong balls, they've produced eight static and eight negative results.
On paper, the 1991 and 1998 drafts are the worst memories. Denver watched the first overall pick disappear both years, falling three positions in 1991 and two in 1998. In the former year, UNLV's Larry Johnson was the prize at the top of the lottery, and Denver took some guy named Dikembe Mutombo; in the latter, Michael Olowokandi went No. 1, with Raef LaFrentz going to the Nuggets. (Hindsight isn't terrible but it's still bad lottery luck.)
Maybe the Nuggets—whenever a hoped-to-be-very successful Nikola Jokic era is over, ideally—will finally see a lottery go their way.
We can dream!
3. Dallas Mavericks
6 of 8
Years in Lottery: 17
Slots Dropped: 12
Average: -0.71
Similarly, beyond the obvious it-means-you-missed-the-playoffs reason, the Dallas Mavericks want nothing to do with the lottery.
Down, down and only down.
Within these 17 appearances, the Mavericks have experienced a drop six times and no change in the other 11 years. Dallas tumbled four positions in 1986, three in 1993—goodbye, top pick Chris Webber, hello Jamal Mashburn—and two in 2018.
After the shocking trade of Luka Doncic, Dallas is left hoping for a miracle as a low-percentage team in the 2025 lottery.
2. Detroit Pistons
7 of 8
Years in Lottery: 18
Slots Dropped: 16
Average: -0.89
You could forgive a fan of the Detroit Pistons for believing their team has the worst luck. In recent years, that's certainly been the case.
Detroit plummeted from first to fifth—the absolute worst-case scenario—in both 2023 and 2024. Missing a chance to take Victor Wembanyama (taking Ausar Thompson No. 5) in 2023 was a metaphorical punch to the stomach, for sure.
Yet that's only the start.
In 2020 and 2022, the Pistons dropped two spots. They've fallen in the lottery nine times, gaining one position only in 2021.
At least that one ascent brought Cade Cunningham to Detroit.
1. Miami Heat
8 of 8
Years in Lottery: 11
Slots Dropped: 10
Average: -0.91
Similar to Utah, the good news is the Miami Heat rarely have found themselves in the lottery. It's only happened 11 times.
The bad news, obviously, is the results have never been positive.
Miami dropped three positions in both 1989 and 1991, along with falling one spot in 1990, 1993, 2003 and 2008. That meant falling out of the No. 1 position in the 1989 and 2008 drafts, the latter of which featured Derrick Rose (with Michael Beasley going to the Heat).
(Also, a brief tangent: Think of that butterfly effect in 2008! How would Rose's have career changed by playing next to Dwyane Wade in Miami? What about LeBron James and Chris Bosh? Wild stuff.)
Never up. Always down or static.
The lottery hates the Heat.
