Winning a Championship is what matters most in the NBA. It’s the ultimate award, the epitome of victory as an athlete and competitor. But when it comes to losing, there is one undeniable silver lining: the Draft lottery.
Teams in a bad way get the highest chance to be given that lucrative number 1 pick. Most teams have had it at least once in their history and it’s had mixed results.
But for a select few, they’ve never had that opportunity. For some reason or another, six teams have never known the excitement of picking first in the NBA Draft. Here are all six:
Indiana Pacers
Picked: Rik Smits (2nd), Steve Stipanovich (2nd), Wayman Tisdale (2nd), Rick Robey (3rd)
The Indiana Pacers have had some great players pass through their gates — Reggie Miller, Paul George, Danny Granger, Jermaine O’Neal, and others. But when it comes to high-profile picks, they haven’t had very many.
Of the four they’ve picked within the top four, only Rik Smits turned into a true stud. He averaged 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game for his career with the Pacers. Unlike Granger, George, and others he stayed with the team for the entirety of his 11-year tenure in the NBA.
Miami Heat
Picked: Michael Beasley (2nd)
The Miami Heat have been a model of consistency for a while now. For a team with so much history, it’s no surprise they haven’t had many top picks over the years. But to only have one within the top four? That’s unexpected. It was in 2008 that the Heat picked Michael Beasley with the second pick and he hasn’t exactly been the NBA superstar they were hoping.
Fortunately, they have been able to capitalize on their other picks. They drafted Dwyane Wade 5th in the 2003 Draft, Rony Seikaly ninth in the 1988 Draft, and Josh Richardson 40th in the second round of the 2015 Draft.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Picked: Gary Payton (2nd), Kevin Durant (2nd), James Harden (3rd), Lucius Allen (3rd), Bob Kauffman (3rd), Tom Burleson (3rd)
The OKC Thunder have come close to hitting the lottery jackpot several times but have, obviously, never secured the first pick. Fortunately, they haven’t wasted their picks over time, using them to pick up guys like KD, Gary Payton, and James Harden.
The problem for OKC has been keeping their players, not drafting them. Of Durant, Harden, and Westbrook, who was drafted 4th in the 2008 Draft, they weren’t able to keep any of them together long enough for it to count.
Utah Jazz
Picked: Darrell Griffith (2nd), Dominique Wilkins (3rd), Deron Williams (3rd), Enes Kanter (3rd)
The Utah Jazz may have never had a top pick, but they have had plenty of them within the top three. With picks like Wilkins and Williams, they’ve selected some stellar stars over the years and have been consistently in the playoff picture for years.
The rest of their draft history is actually quite glorious. They drafted John Stockton and Karl Malone in back-to-back years, picked up Dell Curry in 1986, Paul Millsap in the second round of the 2006 Draft, and drafted former All-Star Gordon Hayward in 2010.
Denver Nuggets
Picked: Carmelo Anthony (3rd), Raef LaFrentz (3rd), Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (3rd)
Carmelo Anthony had a great tenure in Denver and, to this day, he’s the best player they’ve ever gotten within the top three. Historically, the Nuggets haven’t picked very well in the draft and the rest of the names on their track record prove it.
The Anthony pick up forever changed the trajectory of the Denver Nuggets. He brought them back to title contention and, when he left, he got them pieces that helped them continue to be relevant today, where they have emerged as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Memphis Grizzlies
Picked: Mike Bibby (2nd), Steve Francis (2nd), Stromile Swift (2nd), Hasheem Thabeet (2nd), Ja Morant (2nd), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (3rd)
The Memphis Grizzlies have a long list of picks within the top three, but only Ja Morant really sticks out as a success. Because of the realities of living in a small market, and their poor choices in the draft, they have struggled to make long playoff runs in the past. Hopefully, Morant can change that trajectory.
Historically, the Grizzlies have drafted well. They’ve picked up Pau Gasol, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, and Mike Bibby. And while they might not be the most glamorous franchise, things could certainly be worse for them considering the circumstances,
