A few NBA teams will open the 2026-27 season with little to sell besides patience.
Even with the draft lottery tweaks meant to make tanking less tempting, there are still franchises headed for rough years. NBA Analysis Network put together its forecast for the five worst records in the league next season, and the list comes with projected win totals that paint a pretty bleak picture.
At the bottom of the group is Memphis, which the outlet expects to finish at 22 wins. The Grizzlies’ offseason decisions may have made sense for the long haul, but they are not likely to pay off right away.
Losing All-Star point guard Ja Morant should hit them hard on offense, and that alone makes the road steeper. Zach Edey’s durability is also still a concern, though Cedric Coward and Cameron Boozer are viewed as players who could grow into real long-term pieces.
The bigger point is simple: wins in 2026-27 are not the priority in Memphis, and the record may show it.
Brooklyn comes next at 23 wins. The Nets are still digging out from the failed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden era, and they’re deep into a rebuild built around young players.
That youth movement may eventually lead somewhere, but right now the roster looks too inexperienced to even chase a Play-In spot, even with Julius Randle in the mix. A small step forward - three more wins than last season - plus progress from players like Egor Demin would still count as a positive season.
The Los Angeles Clippers are projected at 27 wins, and their outlook has darkened after the NBA’s harsh punishment for salary-cap circumvention. With five first-round picks gone, the pressure is now on the roster and whatever direction the front office chooses next.
One possibility is moving players like Darius Garland for draft capital. For now, the only thing keeping them from landing even lower on this list is the idea that Garland and Brandon Ingram could form an intriguing pairing.
If that changes, the team would need to lean into developing Keaton Wagler and the rest of the young talent.
Sacramento sits at 28 wins in the forecast, and the rebuild is already out in the open. Waiving DeMar DeRozan earlier this offseason made that clear.
The Kings now have to build around 19-year-old point guard Darius Acuff Jr, whom they took with this year’s seventh overall pick. There’s also the possibility that Sacramento moves veterans such as Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.
The Kings should still finish near the bottom of the Western Conference, though the projection suggests they have more talent than at least three teams on this list.
Milwaukee rounds out the top five at 31 wins, which would still be a painful step down for a team that just traded Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. That move stripped away the player who defined the franchise both on and off the floor, and the ripple effect could last for years.
Still, the Bucks may not be as hopeless as they look at first glance. Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are both capable pieces, and the former Heat duo will have something to prove in their new setting.
The projection has them combining for around 40 points per game, which at least gives Milwaukee a reason to keep watching.
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Turner is still under contract despite a disappointing previous season, and the early focus is on getting him more comfortable in Milwaukees system and chemistry with the group. Ware is expected to bring depth and developmental potential off the bench, while Sims is back after exercising his player option following a solid season, leaving the Bucks with options but also a question that could shape how the next phase takes form. [Read more 🡒]
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For now, Milwaukee is leaning on its current group of forwards, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Kuzma among the names expected to carry much of the load. The message is pretty clear: the Bucks are willing to wait if the right move is not there today, but they also know the position could use help down the line. That makes the trade market worth watching, because the search for another forward does not feel finished just because one target is off the board. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Forward Rotation Leaves Ousmane Dieng Waiting On One Key Break
The Bucks brought Ousmane Dieng back on a three-year deal, a move that gives them a young frontcourt piece with some runway while they sort out the rest of the rotation. For now, though, the path is fairly straightforward: Kyle Kuzma is expected to open the season as Milwaukees starting power forward, which leaves Dieng in line for a reserve role unless he turns heads in training camp.
Diengs real opportunity may come later. Milwaukee is at least leaving the door open to a midseason Kuzma trade, and if that happens, the minutes picture could change quickly for Dieng. Until then, hes in the familiar position of waiting for one break to turn a bench role into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]