NBA’s Race to the Bottom

Morning Edition

March 24, 2026

POWERED BY

The three worst teams in the NBA—the Pacers, Wizards, and Nets—have lost a combined 39 games in a row following losses over the weekend. And with three blue-chip prospects expected in the 2026 draft, it doesn’t look like these bottom-dwellers will risk their position at the deep end of the standings.

—Colin Salao

First Up

After users criticized how Coinbase pushed sports event contracts during March Madness, CEO Brian Armstrong said he’ll consider making tweaks. Read the story.
Grand Slam Track reached a deal with a group of vendors who wanted to sue the bankrupt league to recover their debts. Read the story.
March Madness tipped off Thursday with the most-watched opening day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on record, averaging 9.8 million viewers. Read the story.
The NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 is set and more than a quarter of the teams’ coaches are eligible for Social Security, with five being age 67 or older. Read the story.

The Worst NBA Teams Are in an All-Time Tank War

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

As the NBA’s future stars battle it out in March Madness, the league’s worst teams continue to take egregious steps to improve their draft lottery odds.

The three worst teams in the NBA—the Pacers, Wizards, and Nets—have lost a combined 39 games in a row following losses Sunday by Washington and Brooklyn.

The Nets had an opportunity to snap their losing streak against the equally weak Kings, but narrowly lost to extend their losing record to seven games. Indiana and Washington have each lost 16 games in a row, tying the Kings for the longest losing streak of the 2025–26 season.

Here’s where teams stack up in the race to the bottom of the NBA:

Pacers (15–56)
Wizards (16–55)
Nets (17–54)
Kings (19–53)
Jazz (21–50)

With three blue-chip prospects expected in the 2026 draft—Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and Cameron Boozer (Duke)—it doesn’t appear that any of these teams are willing to risk their position at the bottom of the standings.

On Friday, the Pacers ruled out Ivica Zubac, their trade deadline acquisition for the remainder of the season, due to a rib injury. Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard have been in and out of the lineup for several weeks.

Anthony Davis, the Wizards’ trade deadline acquisition, has yet to play for Washington and will be out until at least the end of the month. Trae Young, whom Washington acquired in January, is out indefinitely after playing just five games for the Wizards.

Nets leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. is out another two to three weeks with a hamstring strain.

The Jazz’s trade deadline acquisition, Jaren Jackson Jr., played just three games for Utah before he had to undergo surgery to remove a growth in his knee—but not before the team was fined $500,000 for sitting out players in the fourth quarter.

That hasn’t stopped Utah from sitting out other key players. Lauri Markkanen has been out since Feb. 23, while Keyonte George hasn’t played since March 11.

The Kings have already ruled out veteran All-Stars Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis for the remainder of the season.

The tanking mess stretches beyond the NBA’s bottom-dwellers.

The NBA added the play-in tournament in part to increase the number of competitive teams late in the season, giving the 9th and 10th teams in each conference a chance to qualify for the playoffs. This year, the gap between the 10th and 11th seeds in each conference is already 8.5 games.

The East’s No. 11 Bucks are even reportedly in a standoff with star Giannis Antetokounmpo about whether he should be shut down for the remainder of the season.

The NBA is exploring significant changes to its lottery rules in an attempt to curb tanking. ESPN reported in December that the league already presented possible changes to the Board of Governors, seeking input from owners and GMs.

Among the proposed changes are not allowing teams to draft in the top four in consecutive seasons and locking lottery positions by March 1.

It’s unclear whether any of these rules will take effect, but the earliest they would be implemented is next season. Teams typically vote on rule changes in the offseason, and they require a majority vote (23 of 30) to be enacted.

The Texas Sports Scene

No matter your sport, Texas has a team—and a game day—for you. From packed football stadiums to electric soccer matches and big-league baseball, the action plays out in cities across the state.

Football fans can experience the passion of the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Soccer enthusiasts can feel the energy of Austin FC, FC Dallas, and the Houston Dynamo. Baseball fanatics can watch the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Pick your favorite, grab a seat, and experience the energy of Texas sports.

Find a team and get cheering.

FOS NEWS

John Starks on Knicks Title Hopes, March Madness

FOS graphic

Knicks legend John Starks is having an extensive career post-basketball, including his latest appearance in a Knicks-themed NCAA tournament commercial. Starks joined Front Office Sports to talk about how March Madness brings people together to watch “the beauty of the game of basketball,” why he thinks the number of tournament teams should stay at 64, and how the current Knicks team ranks among the great New York squads.

Watch the full interview.

ONE BIG FIG

Kelce Makes It Official

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) with tight end Travis Kelce (87) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

$54.73 million

The value of the three-year contract Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce signed, locking him in for the 2026–27 season, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The first year is $12 million plus $3 million in incentives.

Tuned In Returns for Year 3

Now in its third year, Front Office Sports’s flagship media franchise Tuned In returns bigger and more influential than ever. What began as a column has evolved into a must-attend summit, convening the most powerful decision-makers and media moguls across sports.

Led by senior media reporter Mike McCarthy and media and entertainment reporter Ryan Glasspiegel, Tuned In, presented by Elevate, has hosted big-league commissioners like Adam Silver and Rob Manfred, top network executives like ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus, and on-air voices including Maria Taylor, Stephen A. Smith, Greg Olsen, Noah and Ian Eagle, and more.

Year 3 will again bring together the biggest names shaping the future of sports media and the business behind it.

Register now to take advantage of early-registration pricing. Prices increase on April 16.

LOUD AND CLEAR

New Bill Targets Prediction Markets

Imagn Images/Front Office Sports

“Clearly something needs to be done.”

—Mick Mulvaney, the former White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump during his first administration, said in a statement to Front Office Sports in response to new legislation aimed at banning sports on regulated prediction markets. Mulvaney, who is now the executive director of a coalition called Gambling Is Not Investing, said prediction-market platforms “have unilaterally made sports gambling available on every phone in the country, regardless of local laws and in disregard for consumer protections and safeguards that legal sportsbooks implement.” Read the story.