NBA Tank Watch: Ranking nine teams gunning for No. 1 pick after trade deadline

Despite the NBA’s best efforts to combat the dark arts of tanking, the practice is still widely employed across the league. This year’s field of wannabe losers is one of the biggest and most determined ever. As someone who covered the early years of the Process Sixers, I feel this in my bones. ([Bane voice] Some of you merely adopted the tank. I was born in it, molded by it.) You can draw a direct line from that Sixers era to the league’s decision to flatten the lottery odds in 2019. Now the three worst teams all have the same 14% chance to get the top pick. Between that change and the Play-In Tournament, the NBA hoped to disincentivize tanking. If only wishing made it so.

What was true before remains true now: one of the surest ways to alter the fate of your franchise is to land a high draft pick and secure young, cost-controlled talent. The Spurs managed to reset the organization’s fortunes by selecting Victor Wembanyama (first overall), Stephon Castle (fourth) and Dylan Harper (second) in three straight drafts. Even if the odds aren’t necessarily in your favor, there’s always the possibility the Lottery Gods take pity on you. In 2024, the Atlanta Hawks had just a 3% chance of getting the first overall pick, which they used on Zaccharie Risacher. And last year the Dallas Mavericks lucked into Cooper Flagg despite having only a 1.8% chance of doing so. 

Landing in the lottery remains an attractive option for teams that have injury issues and/or no realistic shot to compete in the playoffs. The 76er opted for a late tank last season and finished out the campaign 4-29, then used the third pick on V.J. Edgecombe. Ask any Sixers fan and they’ll tell you, had they been given the option, they would have happily tossed away a potential play-in spot for the chance to put Edgecombe in a dynamic young backcourt partnership with Tyrese Maxey for the foreseeable future. It’s that hope for a brighter tomorrow that makes tanking today an oddly entertaining element of the NBA.

The league office would disagree. There’s been endless chatter about the NBA taking additional measures to discourage tanking. While we wait for the league to dream up new guardrails, we’re already in the midst of what could be an all-time tank race. Of the 10 worst records in the NBA, all but the Pelicans figure to purposefully nosedive the rest of the way in the hopes of maximizing lottery odds. (New Orleans shipped its pick in the upcoming draft to Atlanta as part of the trade that landed Derik Queen.) That’s nine teams — or nearly a third of the league. 

We plan to keep regular tabs on the sizeable chunk of the NBA racing to the bottom. Teams will be rated based on who’s doing the best job of being bad in a given week. Teams that lose and find innovative ways to get around the league’s player participation policy will rise in the rankings. Teams that accidentally win a game they wish they would have lost will fall. We’ll also preview upcoming matchups between tanking teams and take a weekly spin on the Tankathon Lottery Simulator. Welcome to Tank Watch. 

NBA Tank Rankings — Feb. 10

1. Sacramento Kings (12-43)

The Kings are putting on a masterclass right now. After falling to the Pelicans on Monday, the Kings have lost 13 in a row — their worst stretch since 1990. If they lose their next game — at Utah on Wednesday — it would be the organization’s longest streak since 1971 when they were the Cincinnati Royals. (They should lean in and wear Royals throw-back jerseys for that.)

Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and DeAndre Hunter have all been out recently for various reasons. Over the last week, three of the players getting the most minutes include Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell and Daeqwon Plowden. Plowden played a 39 minutes in a late home loss to James Harden and the Cavs over the weekend where the Kings mercifully avoided a win to keep the streak alive. Expert L. 

2. Indiana Pacers (13-40)

The gap year continues. The Pacers have been reliably bad all season. They’ve dropped four in a row and seven of their last 10. 

Benedict Mathurin was moved to the Clippers in a trade that brought back center Ivica Zubac. The big man will look great next to Tyrese Haliburton next year. Right now he’s working through an ankle injury. No need to push it, Zu. Take your time. 

3. Washington Wizards (14-38)

The Wizards owe a top-eight protected pick to the Knicks. Lol. You can see where this is going. 

The Wizards have lost two in a row and six of their last 10. Trae Young (knee) still hasn’t played for Washington. After acquiring Anthony Davis (hand, groin) at the trade deadline, there was a report that he’d be shut down for the remainder of the season. Washington general manager Will Dawkins pushed back on that slightly and said there’s a chance AD could suit up for the Wizards before the season is out. Considering the Wizards plan to compete next season and they don’t want to hand over that first rounder in the upcoming draft, it’s hard to imagine Street Clothes pulling on a Wizards jersey anytime soon. 

4. Utah Jazz (17-37)

This is a good example of how you can have more wins than other teams on this list but still be ranked higher because of recent shenanigans. Tank Watch loves shenanigans.

The Jazz owe a top-eight protected pick to OKC. After trading for Jaren Jackson Jr, Utah inserted him into the starting lineup against the Magic along with Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic and Ace Bailey. But hold on, you’re probably thinking, that’s no way to tank! What about the pick?!

To borrow from Sergio St. Carlos, ocean waves. The Jazz had it covered.

The Jazz had a 17-point lead in the second half. They were up seven going into the fourth quarter. At that point Markkanen had 27 points, JJJ had 22, and Nurk was sitting on 14 rebounds. None of them played in the fourth quarter and the Jazz lost. Chef’s kiss. (George played 13 minutes before spraining his ankle, then sat out the following game against the Heat. Don’t expect Utah to rush him back.)

Utah pulled the same move in Miami and sat all three bigs in the fourth on Monday but it was less effective. The Jazz backups evidently didn’t get the strategy memo and the Heat missed 14 free throws. (To offer the inverse of what the Miami broadcast said after the buzzer: the Heat handed the Jazz a humbling victory.)

It’s the same maneuver the Raptors repeatedly deployed last season when they’d play their starters early and then sit them late — a nifty loophole the league office scolds haven’t figured out how to thwart. Teams can truthfully assert that they’re playing their main guys just like the league wants. They just can’t be instructed on how much to play them. 

5. Dallas Mavericks (19-33)

Losers of seven in a row. Anthony Davis was banished to the Wizards for a bunch of disposable parts. Early in the season there were whispers that Kyrie Irving — who is recovering from an ACL injury and still hasn’t played — was ahead of schedule. Now, with the Mavericks tanking he is conveniently behind schedule. Does he return this season or does Kyrie get a full season off? And will the Mavs shop him this summer? Either way, it’s Cooper Flagg’s show now. 

6. Chicago Bulls (24-30)

They’ve dropped eight of their last nine — including Monday’s loss in Brooklyn. The Bulls seem content to abandon their perennial play-in spot and cede that territory to the ascendant Hornets. This is the way. 

The Bulls finally said goodbye to Nikola Vučević at the deadline and turned the overall roster into a discard pile for unwanted guards. Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, Tre Jones, Rob Dillingham — the gang’s all here. Oh and you can’t forget Jaden Ivey doing … whatever this is. 

7. Memphis Grizzlies (20-32)

Memphis blew a 17-point lead at Golden State on Monday. The Grizz had five points in the final eight minutes. Steph Curry did not play. I’m tempted to move them higher on that performance alone but the artistry ahead of them makes for a crowded field.

Memphis has picked a lane. No more Desmond Bane. No more JJJ. The Grizzlies have 13 first-round picks in the next seven drafts. General manager Zach Kleiman can do some damage with that. 

In the last week the Grizzlies played 14 different guys at least 20 minutes. Lots of GG Jackson and Kyle Anderson incoming. Ty Jerome and Scottie Pippen Jr. have both returned from injuries. Jerome has looked particularly impressive since debuting for his new team. The Grizz smartly sat him in the fourth quarter of a winnable game at Portland over the weekend. (Memphis lost.) Oddly, the Grizz played Jerome for portions of the fourth quarter against the Warriors, then yanked him right as they started to crater. Probably just a coincidence. Still, they might have to hit him with a hypothetical tranq dart if he keeps playing this well. 

The Grizzlies tried to move Ja Morant at the deadline but didn’t find any takers. They’ll try again in the offseason. Morant has only played 20 games this season and is still out with an elbow injury. Does he play again for Memphis this season — or ever again? And are we sure he wouldn’t actually help the tank?

8. Brooklyn Nets (15-37)

The Nets had lost eight of 10 prior to facing two fellow tankers in back-to-back games. They won both. (Facepalm emoji.) The Nets beat the Wizards with a starting lineup of Michael Porter Jr, Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton, Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traore. That’s too much firepower! Someone has to talk with Jordi Fernandez about the mission parameters. Though in fairness to Fernandez they also beat the Bulls on Monday without MPJ and Dëmin because Chicago has suddenly figured out how to limbo under any bar no matter how low. 

9. Milwaukee Bucks (21-30)

The Bucks had won three in a row before momentarily coming to their senses in a loss to the Magic on Monday. The Bucks did not trade Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline and there are conflicting reports about whether they will move him this summer or try to keep him. Either way, they have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. It would behoove them to stop winning losable games. Good news on that front: they brought in me-first gunner Cam Thomas who’s sure to freelance them out of potentially dicey victories. (He shot 1 for 5 from the floor in 13 minutes in his debut. Good start.) The Bucks are also just 6-15 when Giannis doesn’t play. 

Tank Wars Game(s) of the Week

Pacers at Nets, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Nets should have traded MPJ.  

Kings at Jazz, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET

Can’t wait to see what the fourth quarter lineups look like for this one. Someone’s gonna pull a Norman Dale and only put four guys out there. My team’s on the floor!

Tankathon Spin of the Week

Hmm starting to warm to the idea of next season’s Jazz.