NBA : Which of these 10 franchises will win their first title first ?

NBA : which franchise will get there first?

Winning an NBA title can take ages. Really ages. Some franchises have spent decades waiting to taste the champagne, while others are still chasing the first ring in their history. The Denver Nuggets crossed off that box in 2023, and the Oklahoma City Thunder followed two years later. For 10 teams, though, the wait goes on.

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— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) June 23, 2025

Not every franchise has travelled the same road. Phoenix has lost three NBA Finals without getting over the line. Utah endured two huge heartbreaks at the hands of Michael Jordan’s Bulls. Brooklyn, Orlando and Indiana have also made it to the last hurdle before the title. For Charlotte, Memphis, Minnesota, the Clippers and the Pelicans, the Larry O’Brien Trophy still feels even further away: none of those franchises has ever reached the NBA Finals.

But things can shift fast in this league. One strong Draft pick, one surprise trade or one young player bursting into life can change a franchise’s fortunes in a few seasons. So, among the 10 teams still waiting for their first title, which one is most likely to lift the trophy first? Here is our ranking, from the franchise that looks furthest from glory right now to the one that finally seems ready to break the curse.

10. Memphis Grizzlies : starting all over again

The Grit and Grind years gave Memphis a real identity. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen even took the franchise to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. A decade later, the Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. era was meant to push on from there and aim even higher. In the end, it never really got the chance.

Those three are gone now, and Memphis has reset again. The project is built around Cameron Boozer, a huge talent but still a rookie, who will have to grow up quickly in a Western Conference that gives rebuilding teams very little breathing room. The Grizzlies have chosen to look far ahead rather than patch things up around a group whose time had clearly run out.

The future could be interesting, but the title is still a long way off. Memphis now has to develop Boozer, work out who fits beside him for the long haul and find a proper team identity again. Out West, where plenty of clubs are already gambling on the next two or three seasons, the Grizzlies are only just starting the first chapter of their next project.

9. Brooklyn Nets : still plenty of ground to make up

Brooklyn has tried the quick fix before. First Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, then Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden a few years later. Two very different plans, huge spending, sky-high expectations and still no NBA title. The Nets did reach two straight Finals in 2002 and 2003, when they were still in New Jersey, but they have not been back to that level since moving to Brooklyn.

Now the franchise has gone back to a slower build. The issue is that the competition never lets up. Their own division is packed with ambitious teams and the East now has plenty of projects further along than theirs. Brooklyn has youth, trade assets and the pull of New York, but that still does not add up to a team ready to be a genuine Finals threat.

The Nets have learned, sometimes the hard way, that stacking big names does not guarantee anything. Their next title may have to come through a completely different route. For now, they still look a fair way off being the first side on this list to lift the trophy.

Parenthese : the Sacramento Kings, champions from another era

The Kings are not in this ranking for one simple reason: the franchise already has an NBA title. But you have to go back a long way to find it. In 1951, the Rochester Royals beat the New York Knicks in the Finals to become champions. The club was neither based in Sacramento nor known by its current name at the time.

Since then, relocations and identity changes have come and gone. Rochester, Cincinnati, Kansas City and then Sacramento: the 1951 title still officially belongs to the franchise, but several generations of California fans have never seen their team reach the NBA Finals. The Kings have had some good spells, especially in the early 2000s, without ever making it back to the biggest stage.

Technically, then, Sacramento is not chasing a first title. In reality, though, no active NBA champion has waited this long to get back to the top. A drought of three quarters of a century deserves a place here among the teams some people like to call, with varying levels of affection, the “franchises of misery.”

8. Los Angeles Clippers : after the stars, back to reality

The Clippers spent years in the shadow of the Lakers. Then the franchise decided to aim higher. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin sparked big hopes with the Lob City years. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were supposed to go even further. With two California-born stars and a roster built to win straight away, Los Angeles finally thought it had a team that could go all the way.

Injuries had other ideas. The plan never found the consistency it needed, and all that spending was not rewarded with a single NBA Finals appearance. The franchise has moved arenas, poured money into its setup and talked big. But after the exits of Paul George, James Harden and then Kawhi Leonard, a cycle has clearly ended.

The Clippers are now heading into a much more uncertain spell. They need to rebuild the roster, find a new sporting direction and give a fresh face to a franchise that had bet everything on instant success. The Intuit Dome is ready for a championship team. Now they just have to build one.

7. New Orleans Pelicans : talent was never enough

New Orleans has seen some exceptional players come through. Chris Paul carried the franchise in its early years. Anthony Davis then became one of the best big men in the league in a Pelicans shirt. Even so, neither of them could take the team beyond the conference semifinals.

That has been the problem for New Orleans for a long time. On paper, the rosters have sometimes looked promising. On the court, injuries, poor balance and a lack of continuity have regularly wrecked it all. Every time the Pelicans look ready to kick on, another problem drags them back.

The challenge is made tougher by the conference they play in. Out West, you have to survive a punishing regular season before you even think about the playoffs. For a franchise that has never found the kind of stability it needs over several years, the road to a first NBA Finals berth is a long one.

6. Phoenix Suns : three Finals, still no ring

Of the 10 teams in this ranking, Phoenix is probably the one that has suffered the cruellest defeats. The Suns have reached the NBA Finals three times, in 1976, 1993 and 2021. Three different generations, three chances to grab the prize, and three losses. The most recent one still stings: Phoenix led Milwaukee 2-0 before dropping the next four games.

Since then, the franchise has tried to force the issue. Putting several stars around Devin Booker was meant to get the Suns back to the Finals quickly. It did not work, and Phoenix has had to rethink things. The project is now centred on Booker, with a team that had a decent season but still does not quite look like a true contender.

That is the tricky part now. Phoenix is not starting from scratch, but it is no longer the team that looked two wins away from a title in 2021. In a West that is as crowded as ever, the Suns have to prove their new direction can take them back to the top. Their history says they can get to the Finals. One day, they still have to win the four games that matter most.

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5. Charlotte Hornets : finally reasons to believe?

The historical reality is brutal. Charlotte has never reached the NBA Finals, or even a conference final. The Hornets have had popular players, iconic jerseys and the odd interesting team, but never a real spell of dominance. For years, the franchise looked like it was drifting without any clear plan.

That may finally be starting to change. LaMelo Ball’s exit to Minnesota marks the end of an era, but Charlotte now has a young, talented group that is being handled better. Last season’s finish, even with the play-in dream slipping away, offered a few encouraging signs. Miles Bridges moving on also lets them draw a line under one chapter and define roles more clearly inside the group.

The Hornets are still a long way from a title, obviously. But unlike in previous years, the franchise seems to be moving in a more coherent direction. Charlotte might not have its championship team yet, but the project finally looks capable of building something over time. For an organisation that has lived through so many false starts, that’s a proper shift.

4. Utah Jazz : the most intriguing project on the list

Utah knows the pain of almost making it. In 1997 and again in 1998, John Stockton and Karl Malone reached the NBA Finals. Both times, Michael Jordan and the Bulls were waiting. Since that double heartbreak, the Jazz have regularly put competitive teams together, but they have never got back to the final step.

This current project has plenty to get people talking. Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. already give it a solid base, and Keyonte George keeps improving. Around them, Utah has youth, depth and a roster full of pieces that look as if they could fit together.

The biggest reason for hope, though, is Darryn Peterson. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft arrives with franchise-player expectations attached. Utah does not need to rush him. The team can grow around him, lean on its veterans and let the young core take over bit by bit.

The Jazz probably will not be champions next season. That is not really the point. Of the teams on this list, few look as well placed to build a title window over several years. If Peterson becomes the player people think he can be, and the front office keeps putting the right pieces around him, Utah could be back among the West’s heavy hitters sooner than many expect.

3. Orlando Magic : time to take the next step

For several seasons, Orlando has looked ready to break through. And every year, the Magic have left their fans wanting more. The talent is there, the size is there, and the defence can choke plenty of opponents. But when the season really matters, something is still missing.

So the season ahead has to answer a few questions. The new coach will need to settle in fast, while Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are no longer young players you can keep waiting on forever. They are the two faces of the project now and have to own that status in the big moments, especially when games slow down and every possession matters.

The competition is stronger too. The East has improved and Orlando’s division will hand out nothing for free. But the Magic have built a roster made for the physical grind of the playoffs. Now it is about turning the promise of the last two or three years into real results.

Orlando has already been to two NBA Finals, in 1995 with Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, then again in 2009 with Dwight Howard. Both generations walked away empty-handed. Banchero and Wagner now carry the job of trying to finish the story differently.

2. Indiana Pacers : getting back to 2025

The Pacers now know what it takes to reach the NBA Finals. In 2025, Indiana shocked plenty of the league by ripping through the East all the way to the final series of the season. That run came a few months after the franchise’s trip to Paris and ended with a playoff push that put the Pacers back among the teams that matter.

What came next was far tougher. Tyrese Haliburton’s serious injury blew the project apart, while other injuries and a season that quickly turned into a lottery chase stopped Indiana building on its momentum. Even the Draft did not deliver the lift they wanted. Frustrating, yes, but it should not erase what this group has already done.

Getting back to the top will depend, naturally, on Haliburton’s health and whether he can get back to his best. At his peak, the guard gives Indiana’s attack a rare identity. The Pacers play fast, move the ball and drag teams into a tempo most hate dealing with. They also know the route to the Finals now.

The challenge is proving 2025 was not a one-off. Indiana has reached the NBA Finals twice before, in 2000 and in 2025. The third time might be the charm.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves : this group has to win at some point

For the first time in a long time, Minnesota is no longer just a nice team or a promising young project. The Timberwolves have a real need to deliver. After several runs to the conference finals, the group knows what the playoffs demand and what is still missing to get all the way there.

It all starts with Anthony Edwards. The guard has become the face of the franchise and one of the NBA’s biggest names. But Minnesota knows it cannot ask him to do everything. The arrival of LaMelo Ball changes the shape of the offence completely. Edwards now has a true creator beside him, someone who can control the pace, find teammates and take some of the ball-handling load off the star.

Around them, the Wolves still have a very strong defensive identity. Rudy Gobert remains one of the best rim protectors of his generation, while Jaden McDaniels can handle the toughest jobs on the perimeter. The coaching has sometimes come under the microscope, but the staff has also repeatedly made the right adjustments when the pressure ramps up in the playoffs.

The trade for LaMelo Ball feels like an all-in move. Minnesota has its superstar, its point guard, its defence and the experience of long playoff runs. Of course, the West is ruthless and there are no guarantees a team this talented will ever get to the Finals. But among the ten franchises still chasing their first ring, none looks closer right now.

There is also a deeper issue hanging over the franchise. Minnesota has been here before: a generational superstar carrying the load for years, only to be left short of the help needed to finish the job. Kevin Garnett eventually had to leave to win a title somewhere else. The Wolves have to do everything they can to make sure history does not repeat itself with Anthony Edwards.

This group has the talent to bring the first Larry O’Brien Trophy to Minnesota. It also has Rudy Gobert, whose individual honours and huge defensive impact deserve to be matched with a ring. The window is open. Now they just have to stop it slamming shut.

So, who will be the next new NBA champion ?

Recent history has shown that the pecking order can collapse faster than anyone expects. Denver waited 47 NBA seasons before finally becoming champions in 2023. Oklahoma City then joined the list of title winners. For the 10 teams left, hope is still alive, but they are not all looking at the same clock.

Memphis and Brooklyn are still thinking about their rebuilds. The Clippers need to reinvent themselves. Phoenix is searching for a new direction after the collapse of its star-studded project. In Charlotte, Utah and Orlando, the future will depend largely on the progress of a still-young generation. Indiana, for its part, already knows what a run to the Finals looks like.

And then there is Minnesota. The Wolves have lived through the lean years, the mistakes, the early exits and the wasted chances. Now, at last, they have a superstar, an experienced team and a roster built to go deep. The hard part starts now: turning promising playoff runs into a real championship banner.

The Larry O’Brien Trophy will eventually find a new home. The question is which city gets to celebrate an NBA title for the first time.

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Photo credit : Jason Mendez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP