These are the franchises that have gone the longest without making the playoffs: Will they break the streak?

There is much talk about the difficulty of establishing a winning dynasty in the current NBA, but what about the processes stuck in endless rebuilding? There are 7 teams that have not made the playoffs for three or more years, with the Charlotte Hornets being the top "leader" in this curious stat. Will any of them break their negative streak?

There are projects that stall, and it seems challenging to turn the situation around. Making it to the playoffs is not easy, as some franchises can attest, having been far from that success for a while. The Charlotte Hornets have been searching for the way to build a championship team for nine years now, which is tough in a small market where LaMelo Ball has not yet taken on the role of a accomplished star or shown notable attraction for top players. Everything indicates that they might make history by extending this streak and reaching a decade without postseason appearances.

Behind the team from North Carolina, there are the San Antonio Spurs. They pinned their future on Wembanyama's arrival, but the Frenchman's injury last year has delayed the project's progress. The Spurs seem to have enough weapons to break this streak in 2026, unlike the Washington Wizards. The capital team has been out of the playoffs for four years, and it looks like this number is set to increase significantly. The Portland Trail Blazers also have some chance, having been without significant competition for four years.

Following them are the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Utah Jazz, franchises that are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel but are still far from the consistency, reliability, and maturity expected from a team aspiring firmly to the playoffs. In conclusion, there will be great incentives in the upcoming NBA season, and one of them will be to see if any of these teams manage to break their negative streak and make it back to the postseason.

The NBA’s longest active playoff droughts:

Hornets: 9 years
Spurs: 6 years
Trail Blazers: 4 years
Wizards: 4 years
Jazz: 3 years
Bulls: 3 years
Raptors: 3 years pic.twitter.com/ipNG17wr0t

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) August 3, 2025

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Estas son las franquicias que llevan más tiempo sin jugar playoffs: ¿Cortarán la racha?