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, 7 have droughts of 41 seasons or more, which is to say that the past 40 championships have been shared among only 13 franchises: the Lakers (9), Bulls (6), Spurs (5), Warriors (4), Pistons (3), Celtics (3), Heat (3), Rockets (2), Mavericks (1), Cavaliers (1), Raptors (1), Bucks (1), and Nuggets (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 3, 2024.

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
8	Charlotte Hornets ^	2016 First Round	[5]
5	Detroit Pistons	2019 First Round	[6]
5	San Antonio Spurs ^	2019 First Round	[7]
4	Houston Rockets	2020 Western Semifinals	[8]
3	Portland Trail Blazers	2021 First Round	[9]
3	Washington Wizards	2021 First Round	[10]
2	Utah Jazz	2022 First Round	[11]
2	Toronto Raptors	2022 First Round	[12]
2	Chicago Bulls	2022 First Round	[13]
1	Atlanta Hawks	2023 First Round	[14]
1	Brooklyn Nets	2023 First Round	[15]
1	Memphis Grizzlies	2023 First Round	[16]
1	Sacramento Kings	2023 First Round	[17]
1	Golden State Warriors	2023 Western Semifinals	[18]
2024 Playoff teams
0	Phoenix Suns	2024 First Round	[19]
0	Los Angeles Lakers	2024 First Round	[20]
0	New Orleans Pelicans	2024 First Round	[21]
0	Miami Heat	2024 First Round	[22]
0	Milwaukee Bucks	2024 First Round	[23]
0	Philadelphia 76ers	2024 First Round	[24]
0	Los Angeles Clippers	2024 First Round	[25]
0	Orlando Magic	2024 First Round	[26]
0	Cleveland Cavaliers	2024 Eastern Semifinals	[27]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2024 Western Semifinals	[28]
0	New York Knicks	2024 Eastern Semifinals	[29]
0	Denver Nuggets	2024 Western Semifinals	[30]
0	Indiana Pacers	2024 Eastern finals	[31]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2024 Western finals	[32]
0	Dallas Mavericks	2024 NBA finalist	[33]
0	Boston Celtics	2024 NBA finals winners	[34]

NBA Playoffs series win droughts

Droughts updated through April 2024.

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
20 [a]	Charlotte Hornets ^	2002 Eastern First Round	4 ♦	2002 New Jersey 2010 Orlando 2014 Miami 2016 Miami	[5]
20	Sacramento Kings	2004 Western First Round	4	2004 Minnesota 2005 Seattle 2006 San Antonio 2023 Golden State	[17]
16	Detroit Pistons	2008 Eastern Semifinals	4	2008 Boston 2009 Cleveland 2016 Cleveland 2019 Milwaukee	[6]
14	Orlando Magic	2010 Eastern Semifinals	6	2010 Boston 2011 Atlanta 2012 Indiana 2019 Toronto 2020 Milwaukee 2024 Cleveland	[26]
9	Chicago Bulls	2015 Eastern First Round	3	2015 Cleveland 2017 Boston 2022 Milwaukee	[13]
7	Washington Wizards	2017 Eastern First Round	3	2017 Boston 2018 Toronto 2021 Philadelphia	[10]
7	San Antonio Spurs	2017 Western Semifinals	3	2017 Golden State 2018 Golden State 2019 Denver	[7]
6	New Orleans Pelicans	2018 Western First Round	3	2018 Golden State 2022 Phoenix 2024 Oklahoma City	[21]
5	Portland Trail Blazers	2019 Western Semifinals	3	2019 Golden State 2020 L. A. Lakers 2021 Denver	[9]
4	Toronto Raptors	2020 Eastern First Round	2	2020 Boston 2022 Philadelphia	[12]
4	Houston Rockets	2020 Western First Round	1	2020 L. A. Lakers	[8]
3	Utah Jazz	2021 Western First Round	2	2021 L. A. Clippers 2022 Dallas	[11]
3	Brooklyn Nets	2021 Eastern First Round	3	2021 Milwaukee 2022 Boston 2023 Philadelphia	[15]
3	Los Angeles Clippers	2021 Western Semifinals	3	2021 Phoenix 2023 Phoenix 2024 Dallas	[25]
3	Atlanta Hawks	2021 Eastern Semifinals	3	2021 Milwaukee 2022 Miami 2023 Boston	[14]
2	Milwaukee Bucks	2022 Eastern First Round	3	2022 Boston 2023 Miami 2024 Indiana	[23]
2	Memphis Grizzlies	2022 Western First Round	2	2022 Golden State 2023 Los Angeles	[16]
1	Philadelphia 76ers	2023 Eastern First Round	2	2023 Boston 2024 New York	[24]
1	Phoenix Suns	2023 Western First Round	2	2023 Denver 2024 Minnesota	[19]
1	Golden State Warriors	2023 Western First Round	1	2023 L.A. Lakers	[18]
1	L.A. Lakers	2023 Western Semifinals	2	2023 Denver 2024 Denver	[18]
1	Miami Heat	2023 Eastern Conference Finals	2	2023 Denver 2024 Boston	[22]
z	30002024 Playoff Series	0 Winners	3000	3000
0	Cleveland Cavaliers	2024 Eastern First Round	1	2024 Boston	[27]
0	Oklahoma City Thunder	2024 Western First Round	1	2024 Dallas	[28]
0	New York Knicks	2024 Eastern First Round	1	2024 Indiana	[18]
0	Denver Nuggets	2024 Western First Round	1	2024 Minnesota	[30]
0	Indiana Pacers	2024 Eastern Semifinals	1	2024 Boston	[31]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2024 Western Semifinals	1	2024 Dallas	[32]
0	Dallas Mavericks	2024 Western Conference Finals	1	2024 Boston	[33]
0	Boston Celtics	2024 NBA Finals	0	4-series win streak	[34]

^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
45	Washington Wizards ^ [c]	1979	Won vs. San Antonio	[10]
36	Charlotte Hornets ^	0Never (enfranchised 1988)		[5]
24	New York Knicks	2000	Lost vs. Indiana	[29]
23	Philadelphia 76ers ^	2001	Won vs. Milwaukee	[24]
22	Sacramento Kings	2002	Lost vs. L.A. Lakers	[17]
22	New Orleans Pelicans ^	0Never (enfranchised 2002)		[21]
21	Brooklyn Nets [d]	2003	Won vs. Detroit	[15]
17	Utah Jazz	2007	Lost vs. San Antonio	[11]
16	Detroit Pistons	2008	Lost vs. Boston	[6]
14	Orlando Magic	2010	Lost vs. Boston	[26]
13	Chicago Bulls	2011	Lost vs. Miami	[13]
11	Memphis Grizzlies	2013	Lost vs. San Antonio	[16]
8	Oklahoma City Thunder	2016	Lost vs. Golden State	[28]
7	San Antonio Spurs	2017	Lost vs. Golden State	[7]
6	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	Won vs. Boston	[27]
6	Houston Rockets	2018	Lost vs. Golden State	[8]
5	Toronto Raptors	2019	Won vs. Milwaukee0	[12]
5	Portland Trail Blazers	2019	Lost vs. Golden State	[9]
3	Phoenix Suns	2021	Won vs. L.A. Clippers	[19]
3	Los Angeles Clippers	2021	Lost vs. Phoenix	[25]
3	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	Won vs. Atlanta	[23]
3	Atlanta Hawks	2021	Lost vs. Milwaukee	[14]
2	Golden State Warriors	2022	Won vs. Dallas	[18]
1	Denver Nuggets	2023	Won vs. L.A. Lakers	[30]
1	Los Angeles Lakers	2023	Lost vs. Denver	[20]
1	Miami Heat	2023	Won vs. Boston	[22]
.85	Z2024 Conference Finalists	2019.5	zzz
0	Indiana Pacers	2024	Lost vs. Boston	[31]
0	Boston Celtics	2024	Won vs. Indiana	[34]
0	Minnesota Timberwolves	2024	Lost vs. Dallas	[32]
0	Dallas Mavericks	2024	Won vs. Minnesota	[33]

NBA Finals appearance droughts

Seasons	Team	Last appearance in NBA Finals	Result	Reference
73	Sacramento Kings	1951 [a]	Won vs. New York	[17]
63	Atlanta Hawks	1961 [b]	Lost vs. Boston	[14]
54	Los Angeles Clippers	0Never (enfranchised 1970)		[25]
45	Washington Wizards [c]	1979	Lost vs. Seattle	[10]
35	Minnesota Timberwolves	0Never (enfranchised 1989)		[32]
36	Charlotte Hornets	0Never (enfranchised (1988)		[5]
32	Portland Trail Blazers	1992	Lost vs. Chicago	[9]
29	Houston Rockets	1995	Won vs. Orlando	[8]
29	Memphis Grizzlies	0Never (enfranchised 1995)		[16]
26	Utah Jazz	1998	Lost vs. Chicago	[11]
26	Chicago Bulls	1998	Won vs. Utah	[13]
25	New York Knicks	1999	Lost vs. San Antonio	[29]
24	Indiana Pacers	2000	Lost vs. L. A. Lakers	[31]
23	Philadelphia 76ers	2001	Lost vs. L. A. Lakers	[24]
22	New Orleans Pelicans	0Never (enfranchised 2002)		[21]
21	Brooklyn Nets [d]	2003	Lost vs. San Antonio	[15]
19	Detroit Pistons	2005	Lost vs. San Antonio	[6]
15	Orlando Magic	2009	Lost vs. L. A. Lakers	[26]
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	2012	Lost vs. Miami	[28]
10	San Antonio Spurs	2014.5 2014	Won vs. Miami	[7]
6	Cleveland Cavaliers	2018	Lost vs. Golden State	[27]
5	Toronto Raptors	2019	Won vs. Golden State	[12]
4	Los Angeles Lakers	2020	Won vs. Miami	[20]
3	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	Won vs. Phoenix	[23]
3	Phoenix Suns	2021	Lost vs. Milwaukee	[19]
2	Golden State Warriors	2022	Won vs. Boston	[18]
1	Denver Nuggets	0 2023	Won vs. Miami	[30]
1	Miami Heat	0 2023	Lost vs. Denver	[22]
0	Z2024 Finalists	2018.5	zzz
0	Dallas Mavericks	2024	Lost vs. Boston	[33]
0	Boston Celtics	2024	Won vs. Dallas	[34]

• ^a The Sacramento Kings last appeared in the 1951 NBA Finals as the Rochester Royals. Which pre dates NBA-ABA merger.
• ^b The Atlanta Hawks last appeared in the 1961 NBA Finals as the St. Louis Hawks. Which pre dates 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]
73	Sacramento Kings	1951 [a]	[17]
66	Atlanta Hawks	1958 [b]	[14]
56	Phoenix Suns	0Never (enfranchised 1968)	[19]
54	Los Angeles Clippers	0Never (enfranchised 1970)	[25]
51	New York Knicks	0 1973	[29]
50	Utah Jazz	0Never (enfranchised 1974)	[11]
Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
48	Brooklyn Nets	0Never (joined NBA in 1976)	[15]
48	Indiana Pacers	0Never (joined NBA in 1976)	[31]
47	Portland Trail Blazers	1977	[9]
46	Washington Wizards [d]	1978	[10]
45	Oklahoma City Thunder [e]	1979	[28]
41	Philadelphia 76ers	1983	[24]
35	Orlando Magic	0Never (enfranchised 1989)	[26]
35	Minnesota Timberwolves	0Never (enfranchised 1989)	[32]
36	Charlotte Hornets	0Never (enfranchised 1988)	[5]
29	Houston Rockets	1995	[8]
29	Memphis Grizzlies	0Never (enfranchised 1995)	[16]
26	Chicago Bulls	1998	[13]
22	New Orleans Pelicans	0Never (enfranchised 2002)	[21]
20	Detroit Pistons	2004	[6]
13	Dallas Mavericks	2011	[33]
11	Miami Heat	2013	[33]
10	San Antonio Spurs	2014	[7]
8	Cleveland Cavaliers	2016	[27]
5	Toronto Raptors	2019	[12]
4	Los Angeles Lakers	2020	[20]
3	Milwaukee Bucks	2021	[23]
2	Golden State Warriors	2022	[18]
1	Denver Nuggets	2023	[30]
0	Boston Celtics	0 2024	[34]

• ^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 Pre dates the NBA-ABA merger.
• ^d The Washington Wizards last won an NBA championship in 1978 as the Washington Bullets.
• ^e The Oklahoma City Thunder last won an NBA championship in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.

All-time droughts

Closest approaches without winning

Updated through the 2024 playoffs.

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
Brooklyn Nets	24	8	2	2	02 wins short : 2003
Indiana Pacers	28	11	9	1	02 wins short : 2000
Phoenix Suns	33	21	10	3	02 wins short : 1976, 1993, 2021
Utah Jazz	31	17	6	2	02 wins short : 1997, 1998
Orlando Magic	17	5	4	2	03 wins short : 2009
Los Angeles Clippers	18	9	1		6 wins short : 2021
Minnesota Timberwolves	12	2	2		06 wins short : 2004
Memphis Grizzlies	13	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 2023–24 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
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
Charlotte Hornets ^	2016–17 through 2023–24	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
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
San Antonio Spurs ^	2019–20 through 2023–24	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 2023–24 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 2023–24	20
Sacramento Kings ^	2004–05 through 2023–24	20
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 2023–24	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 2023–24	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
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
Chicago Bulls ^	2015–16 through 2023–24	9
Philadelphia 76ers	1968–69 through 1975–76 2003–04 through 2010–11	8
Miami Heat	1988–89 through 1995–96	8
Oklahoma City Thunder	1967–68 through 1973–74 2016–17 through 2022–23	7
Los Angeles Lakers	2012–13 through 2018–19	7
San Antonio Spurs ^	2017–18 through 2023–24	7

Longest NBA Playoffs appearance droughts

Appearance droughts updated through the 2023–24 season.

^	Denotes active drought

Team	Streak (seasons)	NBA Playoffs appearance droughts	Reference
Sacramento Kings	16	2006–2022	[17]
Buffalo Braves / San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers	15	1977–1991	[25]
Minnesota Timberwolves	13	2005–2017	[32]
Golden State Warriors	12	1995–2006	[18]
Dallas Mavericks	10	1991–2000	[33]
Phoenix Suns	10	2011–2020	[19]
New Orleans / Utah Jazz	9	1975–1983	[11]
Golden State Warriors	9	1978–1986	[18]
Sacramento Kings	9	1987–1995	[17]
Washington Bullets	8	1989–1996	[10]
Denver Nuggets	8	1996–2003	[30]
Vancouver / Memphis Grizzlies	8	1996–2003	[16]
Los Angeles Clippers	8	1998–2005	[25]
Atlanta Hawks	8	2000–2007	[14]
Charlotte Hornets ^	8	2017–Present	[5]

Longest Conference finals droughts

Appearance droughts updated through May 13, 2023. 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]	00 1971 †0– 2020	[25]
45	Washington Wizards ^ [b]	1980 – present	[10]
44	Atlanta Hawks	1971 – 2014	[14]
38	Golden State Warriors	1977 – 2014	[18]
34	Charlotte Hornets ^ [c]	00 1989 †0– present	[5]
25	New Jersey Nets [d]	00 1977 †0– 2001	[15]
24	New York Knicks ^	2001 – present	[29]
23	Denver Nuggets	1986 – 2008	[30]
23	Philadelphia 76ers ^	2002 – present	[24]
22	Sacramento Kings	2003 – present	[17]
22	New Orleans Pelicans ^	00 2003 †0 – present	[21]
21	Brooklyn Nets ^	2004 – present	[15]
20	Toronto Raptors	0 1996 † – 2015	[12]
20	Sacramento Kings [e]	1982 – 2001	[17]

• ^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 2023–24 season.

0^0	Longest drought in team history
0♦0	2023–24 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	34
Minnesota Timberwolves ^	2003–04	Northwest	20
Brooklyn Nets	2005–06	Atlantic	18
New Orleans Pelicans ^	2007–08	Southwest	16
Detroit Pistons	2007–08	Central	16
Chicago Bulls	2011–12	Central	12
New York Knicks	2012–13	Atlantic	11
Indiana Pacers	2013–14	Central	10
San Antonio Spurs	2016–17	Southwest	7
Washington Wizards	2016–17	Southeast	7
Cleveland Cavaliers	2017–18	Central	6
Portland Trail Blazers	2017–18	Northwest	6
Golden State Warriors	2018–19	Pacific	5
Toronto Raptors	2019–20	Atlantic	4
Los Angeles Lakers	2019–20	Pacific	4
Houston Rockets	2019–20	Southwest	4
Atlanta Hawks	2020–21	Southeast	4
Philadelphia 76ers	2020–21	Atlantic	3
Phoenix Suns	2021–22	Pacific	2
Utah Jazz	2021–22	Northwest	2
Sacramento Kings	2022–23	Pacific	1
Memphis Grizzlies	2022–23	Southwest	1
Miami Heat	2022-23	Southeast	1
Denver Nuggets	2022–23	Northwest	1
Boston Celtics ♦	2023–24	Atlantic	0–1
Milwaukee Bucks ♦	2023–24	Central	0–1
Orlando Magic ♦	2023–24	Southeast	0
Oklahoma City Thunder ♦	2023–24	Northwest	0
Los Angeles Clippers ♦	2023–24	Pacific	0
Dallas Mavericks ♦	2023–24	Southwest	0–1

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.

Season	Won	Drought (seasons)	Lost	Drought (seasons)
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
56 seasons	Phoenix Suns (1969–present)	2021
54 seasons	Los Angeles Clippers§ (1971–present)	—
50 seasons	Utah Jazz§ (1975–present)	1998
48 seasons	Indiana Pacers‡ (1977–present)	2000
48 seasons	Brooklyn Nets§‡ (1977–present)	2003
35 seasons	Minnesota Timberwolves (1990–present)	—
35 seasons	Orlando Magic (1990–present)	2009
34 seasons	Charlotte Hornets† (1989–2002; 2005–present)	—
29 seasons	Memphis Grizzlies§ (1996–present)	—
22 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: Denver, 2023

City	Seasons waited	Conference Title(s)	NBA Team(s)
Phoenix	56	1976, 1993, 2021	Phoenix Suns (1969–present)
Atlanta	56	None	Atlanta Hawks (1969–present)
Indianapolis	48	2000	Indiana Pacers (1977–present)
Salt Lake City	45	1997, 1998	Utah Jazz (1980–present)
Sacramento	39	None	Sacramento Kings (1986–present)
Orlando	35	1995, 2009	Orlando Magic (1990–present)
Charlotte	34	None	Charlotte Hornets (1989–2002; 2015–present) Charlotte Bobcats (2005–2014)
New Orleans	27	None	New Orleans Jazz (1974–1979) New Orleans Hornets (2003–2013) New Orleans Pelicans (2014–present)
Memphis	23	None	Memphis Grizzlies (2002–present)
Oklahoma City	18	2012	2 New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets seasons (2006–2007) Oklahoma City Thunder seasons (2008–present)

NBA Championship droughts by division

Division	Last NBA Championship	Seasons
Southeast Division	2013 — Heat	11
Southwest Division	2014 — Spurs	10
Central Division	2021 — Bucks	3
Pacific Division	2022 — Warriors	2
Northwest Division	2023 — Nuggets	1
Atlantic Division	2024 — Celtics	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

General

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

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. "Detroit Pistons". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
7. "San Antonio Spurs". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
8. "Houston Rockets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
9. "Portland Trail Blazers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
10. "Washington Wizards". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
11. "Utah Jazz". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
12. "Toronto Raptors". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
13. "Chicago Bulls". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
14. "Atlanta Hawks". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
15. "Brooklyn Nets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
16. "Memphis Grizzlies". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
17. "Sacramento Kings". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
18. "Golden State Warriors". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
19. "Phoenix Suns". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
20. "Los Angeles Lakers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
21. "New Orleans Pelicans". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
22. "Miami Heat". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
23. "Milwaukee Bucks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
24. "Philadelphia 76ers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
25. "Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
26. "Orlando Magic". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
27. "Cleveland Cavaliers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
28. "Oklahoma City Thunder". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
29. "New York Knicks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
30. "Denver Nuggets". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
31. "Indiana Pacers". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
32. "Minnesota Timberwolves". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
33. "Dallas Mavericks". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
34. "Boston Celtics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.