Which NBA teams are tanking?
Through the first couple of weeks of the 2023-24 NBA season, it’s already clear that there will be several teams willingly vying for one of the top picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. In other words, it’s beginning to be a bit clearer to see which teams are tanking for the No. 1 pick in the draft. Let’s start with the five teams that have the worst record in the league.
The Washington Wizards are 2-5, the Memphis Grizzlies are 1-7, the Utah Jazz are 2-7, the Detroit Pistons are 2-7, and the Charlotte Hornets are 2-5. At the moment, those are the “worst” teams in the league. However, taking into context, I think it’s safe to say we can eliminate the Grizzlies as a “tanking” team. When Ja Morant returns, the Grizzlies should be better and it would be extremely surprising if they ended up with a top 5 pick.
That leaves the Jazz, Pistons, Hornets, and Wizards as the four teams most likely to end up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. It’s extremely early, but that could be the way-too-early possible landing spot for Ron Holland.