1. Charlotte Hornets - 8 seasons
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise to see the Charlotte Hornets sitting at No. 1 on this list with the longest NBA playoff drought in the league. It's been eight long seasons since the last time the Hornets made the postseason. In fact, the last time the Hornets were in the NBA Playoffs, Dwyane Wade was still in a Miami Heat uniform and Kemba Walker was still in Charlotte. Since making the pivot toward a rebuild (after trading Kemba), the Hornets have made a slow progression. Even though it may not seem as if they're close to breaking this playoff drought, the team has built a strong young core in which they're certainly on the path toward doing so.
If the young core continues to take steps forward in their progression, this is a team that could emerge as a playoff threat in the Eastern Conference in the next 2-3 seasons. The best part of what the Hornets are building is that they're looking to craft prolonged success.
If it does click for this young core at some point in the near future, that's what the Hornets will be set up for heading into the future.