NBA Tank Magic Numbers

2023-24 National Basketball Association Tank Magic Numbers

Tank Magic Numbers

Tank GP/R W L W%
PHI 13/69 2 11 .153   69 68 68 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 64 65 64 64 63 63 63 63 63 63 62 62 63 61 61 60 61 59 56
WAS 13/69 2 11 .153 69   68 68 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 64 65 64 64 63 63 63 63 63 63 62 62 63 61 61 60 61 59 56
TOR 15/67 3 12 .200 NC NC   67 66 65 65 64 64 64 64 63 64 63 63 62 62 62 62 62 62 61 61 62 60 60 59 60 58 55
UTH 14/68 3 11 .214 NC NC 68   67 66 66 65 65 65 65 64 65 64 64 63 63 63 63 63 63 62 62 63 61 61 60 61 59 56
NWO 15/67 4 11 .266 NC NC NC NC   66 66 65 65 65 65 64 65 64 64 63 63 63 63 63 63 62 62 63 61 61 60 61 59 56
MIL 14/68 5 9 .357 NC NC NC NC NC   68 67 67 67 67 66 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 65 65 64 64 65 63 63 62 63 61 58
CHA 14/68 5 9 .357 NC NC NC NC NC 68   67 67 67 67 66 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 65 65 64 64 65 63 63 62 63 61 58
BKN 15/67 6 9 .400 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   67 67 67 66 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 65 65 64 64 65 63 63 62 63 61 58
CHI 15/67 6 9 .400 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67   67 67 66 67 66 66 65 65 65 65 65 65 64 64 65 63 63 62 63 61 58
POR 14/68 6 8 .428 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 68 68   68 67 68 67 67 66 66 66 66 66 66 65 65 66 64 64 63 64 62 59
IND 14/68 6 8 .428 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 68 68 68   67 68 67 67 66 66 66 66 66 66 65 65 66 64 64 63 64 62 59
DET 16/66 7 9 .437 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   NC 66 66 65 65 65 65 65 65 64 64 65 63 63 62 63 61 58
MIA 13/69 6 7 .461 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 69 69 69 69 68   68 68 67 67 67 67 67 67 66 66 67 65 65 64 65 63 60
ATL 15/67 7 8 .466 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67 NC   67 66 66 66 66 66 66 65 65 66 64 64 63 64 62 59
SAS 15/67 7 8 .466 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67 NC 67   66 66 66 66 66 66 65 65 66 64 64 63 64 62 59
DAL 15/67 8 7 .533 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   67 67 67 67 67 66 66 67 65 65 64 65 63 60
SAC 15/67 8 7 .533 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67   67 67 67 67 66 66 67 65 65 64 65 63 60
LAC 15/67 8 7 .533 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67 67   67 67 67 66 66 67 65 65 64 65 63 60
MEM 15/67 8 7 .533 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67 67 67   67 67 66 66 67 65 65 64 65 63 60
MIN 14/68 8 6 .571 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 68 68 68 68   68 67 67 68 66 66 65 66 64 61
NYK 14/68 8 6 .571 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 68 68 68 68 68   67 67 68 66 66 65 66 64 61
PHX 15/67 9 6 .600 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   67 NC 66 66 65 66 64 61
ORL 15/67 9 6 .600 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 67   NC 66 66 65 66 64 61
DEN 13/69 8 5 .615 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68   67 67 66 67 65 62
HOU 15/67 10 5 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   67 66 67 65 62
LAL 14/68 10 4 .714 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 68   67 68 66 63
OKC 15/67 11 4 .733 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   NC 66 63
GSW 13/69 10 3 .769 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 69 69 68   67 64
BOS 15/67 12 3 .800 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   64
CLE 16/66 15 1 .937 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC  

The NBA uses a lottery system to determine which teams get the best picks in the upcoming draft. The worse a team finishes in the standings, the better the chance the team gets a higher draft pick.

Every year a few teams seem to throw in the towel and tank in hopes of getting a higher draft pick.

The Tank Magic Number is the number of games a team needs to lose in order to secure a worse seed in the traditional standings.

Basically, it's the exact opposite of a traditional magic number.

We've taken the traditional standings and flipped them upside down, so in our table, it's still a race to the "top".

Assuming the "better" seed is actually a worse record (#1 seed is the worst record, #2 is the second worst, etc), here are the odds of getting the first pick for next years NBA draft:

  1. 14.0% chance of receiving the No. 1 pick
  2. 14.0% chance
  3. 14.0% chance
  4. 12.5% chance
  5. 10.5% chance
  6. 9.0% chance
  7. 7.5% chance
  8. 6.0% chance
  9. 4.5% chance
  10. 3.0% chance
  11. 2.0% chance
  12. 1.5% chance
  13. 1.0% chance
  14. 0.5% chance

When a team is guaranteed a reverse top three seed, they are highlighted in green. When they are guaranteed a lottery pick, they are highlighted in yellow. When a team clinches a playoff spot, they are no longer a lottery pick, and are highlighted in red.

Updated: November 20, 2024 9:00am GMT