List of NBA franchise postseason droughts

This is a list of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise post-season appearance droughts. This list includes the all-time and the active consecutive non-playoffs. Aside from the NBA playoff appearance droughts, this list also includes droughts of series wins, appearances in the NBA Finals and NBA championship wins. The oldest franchise to never win the championship is the Suns (54 seasons), while the Royals/Kings and the Hawks have even longer championship droughts (71 and 64 seasons, respectively). Five franchises have never been to the NBA Finals, tied with the National Hockey League for the highest number among the major North American sports. ^[1] The oldest such team is the Braves/Clippers franchise (52 seasons); the Kings and the Hawks have appearance droughts that are even longer (71 and 61 seasons, respectively). The longest a franchise has gone without appearing in the playoffs at all is 16 seasons: the Kings franchise from 2006 to 2023.

Of the 20 franchises that have won an NBA championship, 6 have droughts of 41 seasons or more, which is to say that the past 40 championships have been shared among only 14 franchises: the Lakers (8), Bulls (6), Spurs (5), Warriors (4), Pistons (3), Celtics (3), Heat (3), Rockets (2), Mavericks (1), Cavaliers (1), Raptors (1), Bucks (1), Nuggets (1), and Thunder (1). By contrast, the other three major North American sports have each had at least 18 franchises become champions over the same period of time. ^{[2] [3]}

Active droughts

NBA Playoffs appearance droughts

Appearance droughts updated through May 31, 2025.

Playoff picture at NBA.com ^[4]

^	Longest drought in team history
†	Tied for longest drought in team history

Seasons	Team	Last appearance in NBA playoffs	Reference
9	Charlotte Hornets ^	2016 First Round	[5]
6	San Antonio Spurs ^	2019 First Round	[6]
4	Portland Trail Blazers	2021 First Round	[7]
4	Washington Wizards	2021 First Round	[8]
3	Utah Jazz	2022 First Round	[9]
3	Toronto Raptors	2022 First Round	[10]
3	Chicago Bulls	2022 First Round	[11]
2	Atlanta Hawks	2023 First Round	[12]
2	Brooklyn Nets	2023 First Round	[13]
2	Sacramento Kings	2023 First Round	[14]
1	Phoenix Suns	2024 First Round	[15]
1	New Orleans Pelicans	2024 First Round	[16]
1	Philadelphia 76ers	2024 First Round	[17]
1	Dallas Mavericks	2024 NBA Finals	[18]
2025 Playoff teams
0	Milwaukee Bucks	2025 First Round	[19]
0	Detroit Pistons	2025 First Round	[20]
0	Orlando Magic	2025 First Round	[21]
0	Miami Heat	2025 First Round	[22]
0	Houston Rockets	2025 First Round	[23]
0	Los Angeles Lakers	2025 First Round	[24]
0	Los Angeles Clippers	2025 First Round	[25]
0	Memphis Grizzlies	2025 First Round	[26]
0	Cleveland Cavaliers	2025 Conference Semifinals	[27]
0	Boston Celtics	2025 Conference Semifinals	[28]
0	Denver Nuggets	2025 Conference Semifinals	[29]
0	Golden State Warriors	2025 Conference Semifinals	[30]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2025 Conference Finals	[31]
0	New York Knicks	2025 Conference Finals	[32]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2025 NBA Finals	[33]
0	Indiana Pacers	2025 NBA Finals	[34]

NBA Playoffs series win droughts

Droughts updated through June 22, 2025.

Playoff picture at NBA.com ^[4]

0^0	Longest drought in team history
0♦0	Most consecutive series losses in team history

Current Playoff series loss streak

Seasons since win	Team	Last series win in NBA Playoffs	Losing streak	Series losses – teams	Ref
21 [a]	Charlotte Hornets ^	2002 Eastern First Round	4 ♦	2002 New Jersey 2010 Orlando 2014 Miami 2016 Miami	[5]
21	Sacramento Kings	2004 Western First Round	4	2004 Minnesota 2005 Seattle 2006 San Antonio 2023 Golden State	[14]
17	Detroit Pistons	2008 Eastern Semifinals	5	2008 Boston 2009 Cleveland 2016 Cleveland 2019 Milwaukee 2025 New York	[20]
15	Orlando Magic	2010 Eastern Semifinals	7 ♦	2010 Boston 2011 Atlanta 2012 Indiana 2019 Toronto 2020 Milwaukee 2024 Cleveland 2025 Boston	[21]
10	Chicago Bulls	2015 Eastern First Round	3	2015 Cleveland 2017 Boston 2022 Milwaukee	[11]
8	Washington Wizards	2017 Eastern First Round	3	2017 Boston 2018 Toronto 2021 Philadelphia	[8]
8	San Antonio Spurs	2017 Western Semifinals	3	2017 Golden State 2018 Golden State 2019 Denver	[6]
7	New Orleans Pelicans	2018 Western First Round	3	2018 Golden State 2022 Phoenix 2024 Oklahoma City	[16]
6	Portland Trail Blazers	2019 Western Semifinals	3	2019 Golden State 2020 L. A. Lakers 2021 Denver	[7]
5	Toronto Raptors	2020 Eastern First Round	2	2020 Boston 2022 Philadelphia	[10]
5	Houston Rockets	2020 Western First Round	2	2020 L. A. Lakers 2025 Golden State	[23]
4	Utah Jazz	2021 Western First Round	2	2021 L. A. Clippers 2022 Dallas	[9]
4	Brooklyn Nets	2021 Eastern First Round	3	2021 Milwaukee 2022 Boston 2023 Philadelphia	[13]
4	Los Angeles Clippers	2021 Western Semifinals	4	2021 Phoenix 2023 Phoenix 2024 Dallas 2025 Denver	[25]
4	Atlanta Hawks	2021 Eastern Semifinals	3	2021 Milwaukee 2022 Miami 2023 Boston	[12]
3	Milwaukee Bucks	2022 Eastern First Round	4	2022 Boston 2023 Miami 2024 Indiana 2025 Indiana	[19]
3	Memphis Grizzlies	2022 Western First Round	3	2022 Golden State 2023 Los Angeles 2025 Oklahoma City	[26]
2	Philadelphia 76ers	2023 Eastern First Round	2	2023 Boston 2024 New York	[17]
2	Phoenix Suns	2023 Western First Round	2	2023 Denver 2024 Minnesota	[15]
2	Los Angeles Lakers	2023 Western Semifinals	3	2023 Denver 2024 Denver 2025 Minnesota	[24]
2	Miami Heat	2023 Eastern Conference Finals	3	2023 Denver 2024 Boston 2025 Cleveland	[22]
1	Dallas Mavericks	2024 Western Conference Finals	1	2024 Boston	[18]
z	30002025 Playoff Series	0 Winners	3000	3000
0	Cleveland Cavaliers	2025 Eastern First Round	1	2025 Indiana	[27]
0	Golden State Warriors	2025 Western First Round	1	2025 Minnesota	[30]
0	Boston Celtics	2025 Eastern First Round	1	2025 New York	[28]
0	Denver Nuggets	2025 Western First Round	1	2025 Oklahoma City	[29]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2025 Western Semifinals	1	2025 Oklahoma City	[31]
0	New York Knicks	2025 Eastern Semifinals	1	2025 Indiana	[32]
0	Indiana Pacers	2025 Eastern Conference Finals	1	2025 Oklahoma City	[34]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2025 NBA Finals	0	4-series win streak	[33]

^a Charlotte was also inactive for two years following the 2001–02 season.

NBA Conference Finals appearance droughts

^	Longest drought in team history

Seasons	Team	Last appearance in Conference Finals	Result	Reference
46	Washington Wizards ^ [c]	1979	Won vs. San Antonio	[8]
37	Charlotte Hornets ^	0Never (enfranchised 1988)		[5]
24	Philadelphia 76ers ^	2001	Won vs. Milwaukee	[17]
23	Sacramento Kings	2002	Lost vs. L.A. Lakers	[14]
23	New Orleans Pelicans ^	0Never (enfranchised 2002)		[16]
22	Brooklyn Nets [d]	2003	Won vs. Detroit	[13]
18	Utah Jazz	2007	Lost vs. San Antonio	[9]
17	Detroit Pistons	2008	Lost vs. Boston	[20]
15	Orlando Magic	2010	Lost vs. Boston	[21]
14	Chicago Bulls	2011	Lost vs. Miami	[11]
12	Memphis Grizzlies	2013	Lost vs. San Antonio	[26]
8	San Antonio Spurs	2017	Lost vs. Golden State	[6]
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	Won vs. Boston	[27]
7	Houston Rockets	2018	Lost vs. Golden State	[23]
6	Toronto Raptors	2019	Won vs. Milwaukee0	[10]
6	Portland Trail Blazers	2019	Lost vs. Golden State	[7]
4	Phoenix Suns	2021	Won vs. L.A. Clippers	[15]
4	Los Angeles Clippers	2021	Lost vs. Phoenix	[25]
4	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	Won vs. Atlanta	[19]
4	Atlanta Hawks	2021	Lost vs. Milwaukee	[12]
3	Golden State Warriors	2022	Won vs. Dallas	[30]
2	Denver Nuggets	2023	Won vs. L.A. Lakers	[29]
2	Los Angeles Lakers	2023	Lost vs. Denver	[24]
2	Miami Heat	2023	Won vs. Boston	[22]
1	Boston Celtics	2024	Won vs. Indiana	[28]
1	Dallas Mavericks	2024	Won vs. Minnesota	[18]
.85	Z2025 Conference Finalists	2019.5	zzz
0	Indiana Pacers	2025	Won vs. New York	[34]
0	New York Knicks	2025	Lost vs. Indiana	[32]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2025	Lost vs. Oklahoma City	[31]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2025	Won vs. Minnesota	[33]

NBA Finals appearance droughts

Seasons	Team	Last appearance in NBA Finals	Result	Reference
74	Sacramento Kings	1951 [a]	Won vs. New York	[14]
64	Atlanta Hawks	1961 [b]	Lost vs. Boston	[12]
55	Los Angeles Clippers	0Never (enfranchised 1970)		[25]
46	Washington Wizards [c]	1979	Lost vs. Seattle	[8]
37	Charlotte Hornets	0Never (enfranchised 1988)		[5]
36	Minnesota Timberwolves	0Never (enfranchised 1989)		[31]
33	Portland Trail Blazers	1992	Lost vs. Chicago	[7]
30	Houston Rockets	1995	Won vs. Orlando	[23]
30	Memphis Grizzlies	0Never (enfranchised 1995)		[26]
27	Utah Jazz	1998	Lost vs. Chicago	[9]
27	Chicago Bulls	1998	Won vs. Utah	[11]
26	New York Knicks	1999	Lost vs. San Antonio	[32]
24	Philadelphia 76ers	2001	Lost vs. L. A. Lakers	[17]
23	New Orleans Pelicans	0Never (enfranchised 2002)		[16]
22	Brooklyn Nets [d]	2003	Lost vs. San Antonio	[13]
20	Detroit Pistons	2005	Lost vs. San Antonio	[20]
16	Orlando Magic	2009	Lost vs. L. A. Lakers	[21]
11	San Antonio Spurs	2014.5 2014	Won vs. Miami	[6]
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	Lost vs. Golden State	[27]
6	Toronto Raptors	2019	Won vs. Golden State	[10]
5	Los Angeles Lakers	2020	Won vs. Miami	[24]
4	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	Won vs. Phoenix	[19]
4	Phoenix Suns	2021	Lost vs. Milwaukee	[15]
3	Golden State Warriors	2022	Won vs. Boston	[30]
2	Denver Nuggets	0 2023	Won vs. Miami	[29]
2	Miami Heat	0 2023	Lost vs. Denver	[22]
1	Dallas Mavericks	2024	Lost vs. Boston	[18]
1	Boston Celtics	2024	Won vs. Dallas	[28]
0	Z2025 Finalists	2018.5	zzz
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2025	Won vs. Indiana	[33]
0	Indiana Pacers	2025	Lost vs. Oklahoma City	[34]

• ^a The Sacramento Kings last appeared in the 1951 NBA Finals as the Rochester Royals. Predates NBA-ABA merger.
• ^b The Atlanta Hawks last appeared in the 1961 NBA Finals as the St. Louis Hawks. Predates NBA-ABA merger.
• ^c The Washington Wizards last appeared in the 1979 Conference Finals and NBA Finals as the Washington Bullets.
• ^d The Brooklyn Nets last appeared in the 2003 Conference Finals and NBA Finals as the New Jersey Nets.

NBA championship title droughts

Seasons	Team	Last NBA championship	Reference
Walter A. Brown Trophy [c]
74	Sacramento Kings	1951 [a]	[14]
67	Atlanta Hawks	1958 [b]	[12]
57	Phoenix Suns	0Never (enfranchised 1968)	[15]
55	Los Angeles Clippers	0Never (enfranchised 1970)	[25]
52	New York Knicks	0 1973	[32]
51	Utah Jazz	0Never (enfranchised 1974)	[9]
Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
49	Brooklyn Nets	0Never (joined NBA in 1976)	[13]
49	Indiana Pacers	0Never (joined NBA in 1976)	[34]
48	Portland Trail Blazers	1977	[7]
47	Washington Wizards [d]	1978	[8]
42	Philadelphia 76ers	1983	[17]
36	Orlando Magic	0Never (enfranchised 1989)	[21]
36	Minnesota Timberwolves	0Never (enfranchised 1989)	[31]
37	Charlotte Hornets	0Never (enfranchised 1988)	[5]
30	Houston Rockets	1995	[23]
30	Memphis Grizzlies	0Never (enfranchised 1995)	[26]
27	Chicago Bulls	1998	[11]
23	New Orleans Pelicans	0Never (enfranchised 2002)	[16]
21	Detroit Pistons	2004	[20]
14	Dallas Mavericks	2011	[18]
12	Miami Heat	2013	[18]
11	San Antonio Spurs	2014	[6]
9	Cleveland Cavaliers	2016	[27]
6	Toronto Raptors	2019	[10]
5	Los Angeles Lakers	2020	[24]
4	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	[19]
3	Golden State Warriors	2022	[30]
2	Denver Nuggets	2023	[29]
1	Boston Celtics	0 2024	[28]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2025	[33]

• ^a The Sacramento Kings last won an NBA championship in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.
• ^b The Atlanta Hawks last won an NBA championship in 1958 as the St. Louis Hawks.
• ^c Predates the NBA-ABA merger.
• ^d The Washington Wizards last won an NBA championship in 1978 as the Washington Bullets.

All-time droughts

NBA championship droughts

Team	Seasons	Last title	Drought	Next title
Sacramento Kings [i]	74	1951	1951–present	—
Atlanta Hawks [ii]	67	1958	1958–present	—
Phoenix Suns	57	—	1968–present	—
Los Angeles Clippers [iii]	55	—	1970–present	—
New York Knicks	51	1973	1973–present	—
Utah Jazz [iv]	51	—	1974–present	—
Brooklyn Nets [v]	49	—	1976–present	—
Milwaukee Bucks	49	1971	1971–2020	2021
Indiana Pacers	48	—	1976–present	—
Portland Trail Blazers	48	1977	1977–present	—
Washington Wizards [vi]	47	1978	1978–present	—
Denver Nuggets	46	—	1976–2022	2023
Cleveland Cavaliers	45	—	1970–2015	2016
Oklahoma City Thunder [vii]	45	1979	1979–2024	2025
Philadelphia 76ers	42	1983	1983–present	—
Detroit Pistons [viii]	40	—	1948–1988	1989
Golden State Warriors	39	1975	1975–2014	2015
Charlotte Hornets [ix]	37 [x]	—	1988–present	—
Minnesota Timberwolves	36	—	1989–present	—
Orlando Magic	35	—	1989–present	—
Dallas Mavericks	30	—	1980–2010	2011

1. Previously the Rochester Royals, Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City–Omaha Kings and Kansas City Kings.
2. Previously the St. Louis Hawks.
3. Previously the Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers.
4. Previously the New Orleans Jazz.
5. Previously the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets.
6. Previously the Washington Bullets.
7. Previously the Seattle Supersonics.
8. Previously the Fort Wayne Pistons.
9. Previously the Charlotte Bobcats.
10. Includes two seasons when the team was inactive from 2002 to 2004.

Closest approaches without winning

Updated through the 2025 NBA Finals.

Last team to leave list – Denver Nuggets 2023

Team	Conference Quarter-Final appearances	Conference Semi-Final appearances	Conference Final appearances	NBA Final appearances	Fewest wins short of NBA Championship
Indiana Pacers	29	12	10	2	01 win short : 2025
Phoenix Suns	33	21	10	3	02 wins short : 1976, 1993, 2021
Utah Jazz	31	17	6	2	02 wins short : 1997, 1998
Brooklyn Nets	24	8	2	2	02 wins short : 2003
Orlando Magic	18	5	4	2	03 wins short : 2009
Los Angeles Clippers	19	9	1		6 wins short : 2021
Minnesota Timberwolves	13	3	3		06 wins short : 2004
Memphis Grizzlies	14	4	1		08 wins short : 2013
New Orleans Pelicans	9	2			9 wins short : 2008
Charlotte Hornets	10	4			9 wins short : 2001

Longest post-season droughts in team history

Updated through the 2024–25 season.

0^0	Denotes active drought

Team	Longest streak with no post-season appearances	Seasons
Sacramento Kings	2006–07 through 2021–22	16
Los Angeles Clippers	1976–77 through 1990–91	15
Minnesota Timberwolves	2004–05 through 2016–17	13
Golden State Warriors	1994–95 through 2005–06	12
Dallas Mavericks	1990–91 through 1999–2000	10
Phoenix Suns	2010–11 through 2019–20	10
Utah Jazz	1974–75 through 1982–83	9
Charlotte Hornets ^	2016–17 through 2024–25	9
Washington Wizards	1988–89 through 1995–96	8
Memphis Grizzlies	1995–96 through 2002–03	8
Denver Nuggets	1995–96 through 2002–03	8
Atlanta Hawks	1999–2000 through 2006–07	8
New York Knicks	1959–60 through 1965–66 2013–14 through 2019–20	7
Oklahoma City Thunder ^	1967–68 through 1973–74	7
Milwaukee Bucks	1991–92 through 1997–98	7
Philadelphia 76ers	1991–92 through 1997–98	7
Cleveland Cavaliers	1998–99 through 2004–05	7
Portland Trail Blazers	1970–71 through 1975–76	6
Detroit Pistons	1977–78 through 1982–83 2009–10 through 2014–15	6
Boston Celtics	1995–96 through 2000–01	6
Chicago Bulls	1998–99 through 2003–04	6
Orlando Magic	2012–13 through 2017–18	6
Los Angeles Lakers	2013–14 through 2018–19	6
San Antonio Spurs ^	2019–20 through 2024–25	6
Houston Rockets	1969–70 through 1973–74	5
Indiana Pacers	1981–82 through 1985–86	5
Brooklyn Nets	1986–87 through 1990–91 2007–08 through 2011–12	5
Toronto Raptors	2008–09 through 2012–13	5
Miami Heat	1988–89 through 1990–91	3
New Orleans Pelicans	2004–05 through 2006–07 2011–12 through 2013–14 2018–19 through 2020–21	3

Longest post-season series win droughts in team history

Updated through the 2024–25 season.

0^0	Denotes active drought

Team	Longest streak with no post-season series wins	Seasons
Los Angeles Clippers	1976–77 through 2004–05	29
Washington Wizards	1982–83 through 2003–04	22
Charlotte Hornets ^	2004–05 through 2024–25	21
Sacramento Kings ^	2004–05 through 2024–25	21
Minnesota Timberwolves	2004–05 through 2022–23	19
Indiana Pacers	1976–77 through 1992–93	17
Brooklyn Nets	1984–85 through 2000–01	17
Milwaukee Bucks	2001–02 through 2017–18	17
Detroit Pistons ^	2008–09 through 2024–25	16
New York Knicks	1953–54 through 1967–68	15
Cleveland Cavaliers	1976–77 through 1990–91	15
Golden State Warriors	1991–92 through 2005–06	15
Memphis Grizzlies	1995–96 through 2009–10	15
Denver Nuggets	1994–95 through 2007–08	14
Toronto Raptors	2001–02 through 2014–15	14
Orlando Magic ^	2010–11 through 2024–25	14
Portland Trail Blazers	2000–01 through 2012–13	13
Dallas Mavericks	1988–89 through 1999–2000	12
Houston Rockets	1997–98 through 2007–08	11
Phoenix Suns	2010–11 through 2019–20	10
Chicago Bulls ^	2015–16 through 2024–25	10
Utah Jazz	1974–75 through 1982–83	9
Boston Celtics	1992–93 through 2000–01	9
Atlanta Hawks	1999–2000 through 2007–08	9
New Orleans Pelicans	2008–09 through 2016–17	9
Philadelphia 76ers	1968–69 through 1975–76 2003–04 through 2010–11	8
Miami Heat	1988–89 through 1995–96	8
San Antonio Spurs ^	2017–18 through 2024–25	8
Oklahoma City Thunder	1967–68 through 1973–74 2016–17 through 2022–23	7
Los Angeles Lakers	2012–13 through 2018–19	7

Longest NBA Playoffs appearance droughts

Appearance droughts updated through the 2024–25 season.

^	Denotes active drought

Team	Streak (seasons)	NBA Playoffs appearance droughts	Reference
Sacramento Kings	16	2006–2022	[14]
Buffalo Braves / San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers	15	1977–1991	[25]
Minnesota Timberwolves	13	2005–2017	[31]
Golden State Warriors	12	1995–2006	[30]
Dallas Mavericks	10	1991–2000	[18]
Phoenix Suns	10	2011–2020	[15]
New Orleans / Utah Jazz	9	1975–1983	[9]
Golden State Warriors	9	1978–1986	[30]
Sacramento Kings	9	1987–1995	[14]
Charlotte Hornets ^	9	2017–Present	[5]
Washington Bullets	8	1989–1996	[8]
Denver Nuggets	8	1996–2003	[29]
Vancouver / Memphis Grizzlies	8	1996–2003	[26]
Los Angeles Clippers	8	1998–2005	[25]
Atlanta Hawks	8	2000–2007	[12]

Longest Conference finals droughts

Appearance droughts updated through May 16, 2025. The current Conference Finals format was introduced in 1971.

^	Denotes active drought
†	Year the team joined the NBA

Seasons	Team	NBA Conference Finals appearance droughts	Reference
50	Los Angeles Clippers [a]	1971 †–2020	[25]
46	Washington Wizards^ [b]	1980–present	[8]
44	Atlanta Hawks	1971–2014	[12]
38	Golden State Warriors	1977–2014	[30]
35	Charlotte Hornets^ [c]	1989 †–present	[5]
25	New Jersey Nets [d]	1977 †–2001	[13]
24	New York Knicks	2001–2024	[32]
24	Philadelphia 76ers^	2002–present	[17]
23	Denver Nuggets	1986–2008	[29]
23	Sacramento Kings	2003–present	[14]
23	New Orleans Pelicans^	2003 †–present	[16]
22	Brooklyn Nets^	2004–present	[13]
20	Toronto Raptors	1996 †–2015	[10]
20	Sacramento Kings [e]	1982–2001	[14]

• ^a Streak includes seasons as Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers.
• ^b Team last qualified for the Conference Finals as Washington Bullets.
• ^c Franchise inactive for two seasons between 2002 and 2004.
• ^d Current Brooklyn Nets; includes one season as New York Nets.
• ^e Includes four seasons as Kansas City Kings.

NBA Division Championship droughts

Updated through the 2024–25 season.

0^0	Longest drought in team history
0♦0	2024–25 Division Champion

Left click once on Seasons since win column heading then once on Division column heading
to show teams listed in order of division championships.

Franchise	Most recent title	Division	Seasons since win
Charlotte Hornets ^	None (enfranchised 1988–89)	Southeast	35
Minnesota Timberwolves ^	2003–04	Northwest	21
Brooklyn Nets	2005–06	Atlantic	19
New Orleans Pelicans ^	2007–08	Southwest	17
Detroit Pistons	2007–08	Central	17
Chicago Bulls	2011–12	Central	13
New York Knicks	2012–13	Atlantic	12
Indiana Pacers	2013–14	Central	11
San Antonio Spurs	2016–17	Southwest	8
Washington Wizards	2016–17	Southeast	8
Portland Trail Blazers	2017–18	Northwest	7
Golden State Warriors	2018–19	Pacific	6
Toronto Raptors	2019–20	Atlantic	5
Atlanta Hawks	2020–21	Southeast	4
Philadelphia 76ers	2020–21	Atlantic	4
Phoenix Suns	2021–22	Pacific	3
Utah Jazz	2021–22	Northwest	3
Sacramento Kings	2022–23	Pacific	2
Memphis Grizzlies	2022–23	Southwest	2
Miami Heat	2022–23	Southeast	2
Denver Nuggets	2022–23	Northwest	2
Milwaukee Bucks	2023–24	Central	1
Dallas Mavericks	2023–24	Southwest	1
Los Angeles Clippers	2023–24	Pacific	1
Boston Celtics ♦	2024–25	Atlantic	0
Cleveland Cavaliers ♦	2024–25	Central	0
Orlando Magic ♦	2024–25	Southeast	0
Oklahoma City Thunder ♦	2024–25	Northwest	0
Los Angeles Lakers ♦	2024–25	Pacific	0
Houston Rockets ♦	2024–25	Southwest	0

Finals droughts

NBA Finals in which neither team had previously won a championship

In these instances, the matchup ensured that one team would win the first NBA championship in its history.

0*0	Both Teams in 1st NBA Finals appearance

Season	Won	Lost	Number of years until loser's drought ended
2006*	Miami Heat	Dallas Mavericks	5
1978	Washington Bullets	Seattle SuperSonics (OKC)	1
1971*	Milwaukee Bucks	Baltimore Bullets (WAS)	7
1957*	Boston Celtics	St. Louis Hawks (ATL)	1
1955	Syracuse Nationals (PHI)	Fort Wayne Pistons (DET)^	34
1951*	Rochester Royals (SAC)^	New York Knicks	19
1949*	Minneapolis Lakers (LAL)^	Washington Capitols†	folded 2 years later
1947*	Philadelphia Warriors (GSW)	Chicago Stags†	folded 3 years later

• ^- Team had previously appeared in the National Basketball League finals before said league was merged for the NBA's formation.
• †- Defunct franchise.
• Abbreviation in parentheses – Current location of NBA franchise.

NBA Finals in which neither franchise had won a championship in 20-plus seasons

Teams that had never won the NBA championship are included, even if they were less than 20 seasons old at the time.

The 2025 NBA Finals featured the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder; the last championship won by either team was in 1979.

Season	Won	Drought (seasons)	Lost	Drought (seasons)
2025	Oklahoma City Thunder	45	Indiana Pacers	48*
2021	Milwaukee Bucks	49	Phoenix Suns	52*
2015	Golden State Warriors	39	Cleveland Cavaliers	44*
2006	Miami Heat	17*	Dallas Mavericks	25*
1999	San Antonio Spurs	22*	New York Knicks	25
1994	Houston Rockets	26*	New York Knicks	20
1978	Washington Bullets	16*	Seattle SuperSonics	10*
1971	Milwaukee Bucks	2*	Baltimore Bullets	9*
1957	Boston Celtics	10*	St. Louis Hawks	7*
1955	Syracuse Nationals	5*	Fort Wayne Pistons	6*
1951	Rochester Royals	2*	New York Knicks	4*
1949*	Minneapolis Lakers	0*	Washington Capitols†	2*
1947	Philadelphia Warriors	0*	Chicago Stags†	0*

Numbers marked with * indicates that the number is counted from either the franchise's first year in the NBA or the first year of the league (1946, then known as the BAA).

• †- Defunct franchise.

Teams awaiting their first NBA championship

This list includes teams within the current NBA that have never won an NBA championship—sorted by the number of seasons played in the NBA.

Last team to leave list – Denver Nuggets 2023

Total seasons (NBA)	Franchise	Last NBA Finals appearance
57 seasons	Phoenix Suns (1969–present)	2021
55 seasons	Los Angeles Clippers§ (1971–present)	—
51 seasons	Utah Jazz§ (1975–present)	1998
49 seasons	Indiana Pacers‡ (1977–present)	2025
49 seasons	Brooklyn Nets§‡ (1977–present)	2003
36 seasons	Minnesota Timberwolves (1990–present)	—
36 seasons	Orlando Magic (1990–present)	2009
35 seasons	Charlotte Hornets† (1989–2002; 2005–present)	—
30 seasons	Memphis Grizzlies§ (1996–present)	—
23 seasons	New Orleans Pelicans† (2003–present)	—

Notes

• § NBA teams that have relocated from their original city(s).
• † NBA teams that have re-branded to/from their original concept.
• ‡ NBA teams that have won an ABA championship.

Cities awaiting first NBA championship

Listed according to seasons waited. Current NBA cities/regions only.

Last city to leave list: Oklahoma City, 2025

City	Seasons waited	Conference Title(s)	NBA Team(s)
Phoenix	57	1976, 1993, 2021	Phoenix Suns (1969–present)
Atlanta	57	None	Atlanta Hawks (1969–present)
Indianapolis	49	2000, 2025	Indiana Pacers (1977–present)
Salt Lake City	46	1997, 1998	Utah Jazz (1980–present)
Sacramento	40	None	Sacramento Kings (1986–present)
Orlando	36	1995, 2009	Orlando Magic (1990–present)
Charlotte	35	None	Charlotte Hornets (1989–2002; 2015–present) Charlotte Bobcats (2005–2014)
New Orleans	28	None	New Orleans Jazz (1974–1979) New Orleans Hornets (2003–2013) New Orleans Pelicans (2014–present)
Memphis	24	None	Memphis Grizzlies (2002–present)

NBA Championship droughts by division

Division	Last NBA Championship	Seasons
Southeast Division	2013 — Heat	12
Southwest Division	2014 — Spurs	11
Central Division	2021 — Bucks	4
Pacific Division	2022 — Warriors	3
Atlantic Division	2024 — Celtics	1
Northwest Division	2025 — Thunder	0

See also

• Sports portal

• List of NBA franchise post-season streaks
• List of NBA longest losing streaks
• List of NBA longest winning streaks
• List of MLB franchise post-season droughts
• List of NFL franchise post-season droughts
• List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
• List of MLS club post-season droughts
• Basketballportal
• Sportsportal

References

Specific

1. Newberry, Paul (May 10, 2015). "NBA: NFL has most parity, NBA is most exclusive club when it comes to winning titles". Associated Press. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
2. Major League Baseball has 22 different franchises that have won championships and have droughts of less than 38 years; the National Football League has 18 such franchises, and the National Hockey League has 18 such franchises.
3. Aldridge, David (June 6, 2015). "Warriors close in on title ... and keep NBA history afloat". NBA.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
4. "NBA Advanced Stats–Playoff Picture". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
5. "Charlotte Hornets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
6. "San Antonio Spurs". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
7. "Portland Trail Blazers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
8. "Washington Wizards". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
9. "Utah Jazz". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
10. "Toronto Raptors". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
11. "Chicago Bulls". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
12. "Atlanta Hawks". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
13. "Brooklyn Nets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
14. "Sacramento Kings". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
15. "Phoenix Suns". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
16. "New Orleans Pelicans". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
17. "Philadelphia 76ers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
18. "Dallas Mavericks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
19. "Milwaukee Bucks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
20. "Detroit Pistons". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
21. "Orlando Magic". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
22. "Miami Heat". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
23. "Houston Rockets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
24. "Los Angeles Lakers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
25. "Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
26. "Memphis Grizzlies". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
27. "Cleveland Cavaliers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
28. "Boston Celtics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
29. "Denver Nuggets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
30. "Golden State Warriors". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
31. "Minnesota Timberwolves". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
32. "New York Knicks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
33. "Oklahoma City Thunder". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
34. "Indiana Pacers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.

General

• "Team Index". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2009.