NBA Teams Who Are Expert and Amateur Tankers
Image Courtesy of The NBA.
By Sam Bergstrom
In the National Basketball Association—and, professional sports in general—there are instances where teams fall out of playoff contention for multiple years on end, constantly finishing at the bottom of the standings. While politely referred to as a “rebuild,” adamant fans usually call this strategy “tanking.”
While every team has the goal to win games, there are many instances where it is more crucial to land a top draft pick for the upcoming season. The worse the record, the higher the chance of landing a top draft pick. The higher the pick, the better the chance of finding a franchise superstar. This is a formula designed for teams to reshape their failing foundations and establish a winning culture. It is safe to say that certain teams have mastered the art of tanking, while others always seem to have a messy canvas. Here are times when “tanking” teams rose to glory, and others where bottomless pits of losing grew deeper.
Image Courtesy of Sky Sports.
Experts: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished below .400 every year from 1999 to 2003, desperately trying to find a franchise star in the draft. After an abysmal 17-65 record in the 2002-03 season, the Cavs finally hit the jackpot. They landed the number one overall pick in a loaded 2003 draft class, and selected a high schooler who was being deemed “The Chosen One.” That is, Akron native LeBron James.
What is often forgotten in NBA lore is that Cleveland pulled off another successful tankathon ten years later. After James notoriously signed with the Miami Heat in 2010, it was back to dark days for Cavs fans. Despite their awful records, Cleveland landed the number one pick an incredible three times from 2011-2014. With these picks, the Cavs respectively drafted Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett, and Andrew Wiggins.
With a mission to bring a title back to his hometown, LeBron James would return to Cleveland in 2014. After his huge signing, Cleveland promptly traded Wiggins for star power forward Kevin Love. James, Irving, and Love were a killer trio for the Cavs, and they heroically brought Cleveland their first championship banner in 2016. This big three was assembled solely by an incredible luck of the draw. Call it a rebuild or call it a tank, but a ring is a ring.
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Amateurs: Sacramento Kings
From 2006 to 2017, the Sacramento Kings would fail to touch the playoffs. With abominable records for 11 straight years, they had their fair share of top draft choices to dabble with. DeMarcus Cousins was drafted fifth overall out of Kentucky in 2010. He quickly became one of the most versatile centers in the NBA, appearing in three All-Star Games for the Kings. The problem? Sacramento always failed to build an adequate roster around him. From 2011-2016, the Kings whiffed on six top-ten pick selections. Thomas Robinson, Ben McLemore, Nik Stauskas, and Marquese Chriss never blossomed quite as the Kings intended. During Cousins’ tenure, Sacramento would never salvage more than a 33-win season, and he was shipped to New Orleans in 2017 after a frustrating stint.
Image Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
Experts: Oklahoma City Thunder
If any team needs a lesson on how to tank, they should immediately call Sam Presti, the general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle SuperSonics). Presti is responsible for drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. These three MVP candidates propelled OKC back to superstardom after the franchise was in no man’s land from 2006-2009 (literally, they relocated to the middle of Oklahoma).
After a heartbreaking playoff exit in 2019, OKC decided to hit the reset button. Presti traded MVP candidates Paul George and Russell Westbrook away in separately stunning deals. The Thunder’s return haul? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, seven future first-round picks, and four first-round pick swaps. While OKC stunk it up from 2020-2022, they were able to land the second and twelfth picks in the 2022 NBA draft, selecting Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams to pair alongside Gilgeous-Alexander; a two-year tank was all OKC needed to soar back to relevance. With the core of this big three, Presti masterfully constructed a defensive juggernaut of a team that gifted OKC fans their first championship last season.
Image Courtesy of Medium.
Amateurs: Charlotte Hornets
I truly commend Hornets season-ticket holders because Charlotte has one of the worst track records when it comes to tanking. Since 2002, they have had a top-ten pick on fourteen different occasions. The only all-star caliber players who came from those picks were Kemba Walker (2011) and LaMelo Ball (2021). Walker was the heart and soul of the Hornets from 2011-2019, but—much like DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento—he always had a frivolous team surrounding him. Despite being one of the most amusing players in the NBA, LaMelo Ball has yet to see a playoff or play-in appearance for Charlotte. That could change this year, as they currently hold the ninth seed in the East at the time this is being written.
Fun fact: The Hornets drafted 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eleventh overall in 2018, but traded him on draft day for Miles Bridges. Talk about a what-if scenario.
