Ranking the 2026 NBA non‑playoff teams most likely to make the postseason next season
Why it matters: Six of ten non-playoff teams from last season are projected to compete in the 2026 NBA postseason.
- Ten teams missed the postseason last year, but six of them are projected to be in the Play-In Tournament or playoffs in 2026, including the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.
- New lottery changes will diminish the incentive for teams to intentionally lose games, encouraging more widespread competitiveness across the league.
- The Sacramento Kings are ranked as the least likely non-playoff team to make the 2026 postseason, given their historical 95% miss rate over two decades and current plans to shed salary and rebuild.
- The Chicago Bulls are also considered unlikely to make the playoffs, having recently fired executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley, signaling a slow, directionless rebuild with few current players expected to be part of their future winning core.
The NBA is poised for significant playoff turnover next season, with six of the ten teams that missed the postseason this year expected to compete in 2026. This shift is driven by a combination of previously tanking teams becoming competitive and new lottery changes reducing incentives to lose, potentially transforming the league's landscape.
