The Utah Jazz are coming off a dismal 17-win season that saw them finish in last place in the standings. While there are plenty of questions that need to be addressed this offseason, the disappointing campaign did have a silver lining. The Jazz, along with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, have the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall draft pick in this season’s NBA lottery.
The lottery will take place on Monday night in Chicago, and 14 teams are in the running to land the coveted first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Selecting first can shift the trajectory of a franchise. Players like LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal all went on to win championships. Chris Webber, Allen Iverson, and Karl-Anthony Towns helped transform struggling teams into contenders.
Last season, it was the Atlanta Hawks that won out on the lottery. While most teams have had a shot at the No. 1 pick, there are still six NBA franchises that have never selected first.
6 Franchises That Have Never Picked First in the NBA Draft
1. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have been around since 1967, and despite some tough years during the ’70s and ’80s after making the move from the ABA to the NBA, the organization has never managed to land the first pick.
Indiana did hold the second selection on three occasions. Their most recent No. 2 pick was in 1988 when the front office chose to draft Rik Smits. The Dutch center was a member of the Pacers’ 2000 team that went all the way to the NBA Finals.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are a relatively young franchise, so it comes as no surprise that the organization has not secured the top pick. Founded in 1995, the Grizzlies were assigned the sixth pick in their first-ever draft and went with Bryant “Big Country” Reeves.
Over the following years, the Grizzlies regularly picked in the top three, selecting some gems like Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Mike Bibby, and Stromile Swift along the way. Ja Morant, who is a two-time All-Star and one of the league’s most exciting talents, was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft.
3. Miami Heat
Over a 37-year history, the Heat have never held the top pick. Miami has had plenty of success over the last two decades, winning three championships, but the credit has to be given to an astute front office that has been led by legendary coach/executive Pat Riley. Trades that brought in elite players like O’Neal and Jimmy Butler and signing James as a free agent have guided the Heat to seven NBA finals appearances since 2006.
Dwyane Wade, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are a few of the notable picks that Miami added in the draft.
4. OKC Thunder
The Thunder are one of the older organizations in the NBA, dating back to their time in Seattle. The franchise did hold the No. 2 pick in 1990. The decision to select nine-time All-Star point guard Gary Payton was a shrewd move by the franchise. They held the No. 2 pick again in 2007 and this time picked up the 2014 MVP Kevin Durant.
5. Utah Jazz
The Jazz have done a great job of finding value in the draft. Despite not having top picks over the last five decades, Utah has been able to find some top-tier players lower down the order.
John Stockton, one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game, was selected with the 16th pick in the 1984 draft. Hall of Famer Karl Malone was the 13th selection in 1985. Andrei Kirilenko, the 24th pick in 1999, would go on to be named an All-Star and selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team in 2006.
The Jazz have had plenty of bad luck when it comes to draft order. They have only had the No. 2 pick once, and that was all the way back in 1980.
6. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are one of the other unlucky franchises to miss out on the first pick time and time again. Despite being around since 1977, Denver has never selected at the first or the second spot in the NBA draft.
The Nuggets have held the No. 3 pick on three different occasions and drafted big-name players in Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Raef LaFrentz, and Carmelo Anthony.
Georgetown’s Dikembe Mutombo was one of the franchise’s other noteworthy selections. The Congolese-American center was the No. 4 pick in the 1991 draft class.
