Top 5 worst NBA franchises according to ChatGPT

There is a lot of talk about the best teams in NBA history, and rightfully so. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs are always relevant, and that’s mostly because they’re almost always good. The success of these teams has led to their fans having a lot of fun over the years. However, not all fandoms are so lucky. For every great team, there must be a historically bad team. Whether it’s due to poor drafting, a poor front office, a lack of player development, or something else, the worst franchises in NBA history almost always seem to lose a lot of games.

We took to ChatGPT to find out who the five worst NBA franchises ever are. So, check out the gallery to see what artificial intelligence must say. We have also provided our own ranking analysis of ChatGPT.

ChatGPT Analysis:

• championships: 0
• Playoff appearances (since 2000): Limited
• The Kings have the longest active playoff drought in the NBA (since 2006). Despite some talented players in the past (eg Chris Weber, Peja Stojaković), poor managerial decisions, coaching changes and an inability to sustain success plagued the franchise.

ClutchPoints Analysis: There is no doubt that the Sacramento Kings are one of the worst NBA teams ever, especially since they play in Sacramento. Since moving from Kansas City in 1985, the Kings have missed the playoffs in 28 of 39 seasons. They advanced past the first round just four times during that span, and even battled a 16-season playoff drought.

The Kings really only have one successful(ish) era to hang their hats on. The Chris Webber-led teams of the early 2000s were fun because of their fast-paced offense, and they made the playoffs eight straight years, but never even reached the NBA Finals. To make matters worse, the issues of the Kings throughout their history have been obvious. The team was terrible in the NBA draft, regularly picking bust in the draft and reaching for underwhelming prospects.

Marvin Bagley, Nick Stauskas, Ben McLemore and Thomas Robinson are some names that come to mind as key draft misses since 2010. The Kings are notorious for having a front office that can never figure it out, and they deserve to be criticized as one of the worst franchises ever.

However, the team had moderate success before moving to Sacramento. When they were known as the Cincinnati Royals, the team was busy NBA great of all time Oscar Robertson. They also won a championship in 1951 when they were called the Rochester Royals.

Note: It’s worth noting that the Kings made the postseason in 2023, so the playoff drought is not active, as ChatGPT suggested.

ChatGPT Analysis:

• championships: 0
• Playoff appearances (since 2000): Malo (1 trip to the 2004 Western Conference Finals)
• The Timberwolves have had some great individual talent (like Kevin Garnett, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards), but the franchise has consistently struggled to build around them. Injuries, poor drafts and questionable trades kept them from long-term success.

ClutchPoints Analysis: One of the newer teams in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves have never had any sustained success since joining the league in 1989. The team has had some great success in the NBA draft. They are credited with turning Kevin Garnett into a megastar, Karl-Anthony Towns became the best shooting center ever with them, and Anthony Edwards is now established as a superstar.

They also had some of the worst draft mistakes ever. Famous were two point guards (Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn) over Stephen Curry in the 2009 NBA draft. Derrick Williams (2011) is one of the biggest bust bust everalso.

The Garnett era was decent, and the Edwards era has potential, but nothing before or since has been good in Minnesota. The team has separate postseason droughts of seven and 13 games, respectively. No stat proves their failures more than the team’s .411 career winning percentage, which is the worst in league history. The team’s run to the Western Conference Finals last season was the first time they had won a playoff series since 2004 (the only other time they had won a postseason series).

The team also had plenty of other front-office blunders, none more so than when they made an illegal deal with Joe Smith that caused them to lose five first-round picks.

ChatGPT Analysis:

• championships: 0
• Playoff appearances (since 2000): Limited
• Despite moments of hope, such as the early days with Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, or the rise of Kemba Walker, the Hornets have struggled with roster instability and poor drafting. Michael Jordan’s ownership has yet to bring the team consistent success, even with its powerhouse star.

ClutchPoints Analysis: Like the teams directly before and after them on this list, the Charlotte Hornets are one of the newer teams in the NBA, and haven’t had much success in their (somewhat) short time in the league. The Hornets came into the NBA in 1988 and had some decent teams early on. Alonzo Mourning, Glenn Rice, Larry Johnson and Magsy Bogus were some of their early stars.

All but Bogues ( the shortest NBA player ever) left the team rather quickly though. Rice and the mourning lasted three years in Charlotte, while Johnson was gone after five. The Charlotte Hornets became the Charlotte Bobcats soon after, and that’s when things really went downhill.

The Bobcats are best known for going 7-59 in 2011-12. Their .106 winning percentage that year was the worst ever, and only the 1947-48 Providence Steamrollers (who played 18 fewer games) won fewer than seven games in a season. This era, and the years since (the team was renamed the Charlotte Hornets in 2014-15), have been filled with failed draft pick after failed draft pick.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, Noah Vonle and Frank Kaminsky were taken in the top 10 in four straight drafts, for example, and all became major busts. Michael Jordan owned the team at the time, proving that he was much better at playing basketball than making executive decisions for a basketball team.

Now LaMelo Ball is the team’s main player. Although talented, Ball has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and the Hornets have only won more than 33 games once in his career. They’re even just 9-28 so far through the 2024-25 season, and a promising rebuild never seems to result in wins on the field.

On top of all this, the history of the Hornets is strange, as there was even a two-year hiatus between the team being called the Hornets and the Bobcats. During their years as the Bobcats, the team based in New Orleans used the name Hornets, but eventually switched to the Pelicans.

ChatGPT Analysis:

• championships: 0
• Playoff appearances (since 2000): In moderation
• The Magic had a few notable playoff runs (notably with Shaquille O’Neal in the early 90s and Dwight Howard in the late 2000s), but they never managed to win a title. Injuries, bad contracts and front office decisions have kept them from building a true championship contender.

ClutchPoints Analysis: The Orlando Magic were able to secure Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway during their fourth and fifth NBA drafts ever, respectively. The young duo reached the NBA Finals together, but unfortunately, O’Neal left for the Los Angeles Lakers and Hardaway became a big what-if due to injury issues.

The team also drafted Dwight Howard first overall in 2004. Howard had an amazing career that also saw him lead the Magic to the Finals, but he too failed to bring home the gold. Other stars, such as Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady, also fit the bill. Both, however, have dealt with injury problems on their own, so they never achieved the success together that was expected. Despite all that talent, ChatGPT still considers the Magic one of the worst NBA franchises ever.

While Orlando is far from perfect, and they’ve made their fair share of mistakes, ranking them this low compared to some other franchises seems a little harsh. Orlando’s problem was that their best players left the team just when things were looking promising. They actually had more star talent than a number of teams around the league. Hopefully Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will stay here for the long haul.

Bad contracts also had a negative impact on the team. The Rashard Lewis megadeal, which was the biggest contract ever, is one glaring example.

ChatGPT Analysis:

• championships: 3 (1989, 1990, 2004)
• Playoff appearances (since 2000): Sporadic
• The Pistons have had championship success, but have been in a slight slump since their 2004 title. Bad drafts, trades and coaching changes led to years of mediocrity. Their struggles to rebuild a competitive roster after their peak in the early 2000s have landed them at the bottom end of the NBA hierarchy.

ClutchPoints Analysis: The Detroit Pistons have the sixth most championships in NBA history, so we just don’t have to agree with ChatGPT who ranks their franchise among the worst ever. The team missed the playoffs six straight times from 2010-2015, as well as each of the last five seasons (on top of tying the record for worst losing streak ever last season), but before that the team was consistently good.

The Bad Boy Pistons of the late 80s – early 90s, for example, were one of the best NBA teams ever. Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars were the leaders of a gritty, defensive team that won games by outscoring their opponents until their will to win was broken. Those teams included fierce competitors such as Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, Mark Aguirre, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson and John Salley.

Despite Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls playing at the same time, the Pistons won two championships. In fact, Jordan could not become the greatest basketball player of all time until the Bad Boy Pistons were past their prime.

The Pistons even found success after that era. The Grant Hill era was unforgettable, and the 2004 Pistons are one of the most famous championship winners ever. That team didn’t have a real star, but they managed to knock off a Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Lakers team that was still a dynasty.

None of Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points per game when they won the NBA Finals, but they played a team-oriented style of play with a focus on defense (like their ’80s predecessors ).

Even now, the Pistons are starting to turn things around. Cade Cunningham established himself as a star during a breakout season for Detroit. The rebuild appears to be complete, and the Pistons should compete in the playoffs for years to come. Teams like the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers probably should have been here over the Pistons and Magic.