The divide between playoff contenders and lottery-bound teams has reached unprecedented levels this season, exposing a structural problem that is fundamentally altering the competitive landscape of the NBA, according to a report by Yahoo’s Tom Haberstroh. The combined gap between the No. 10 and No. 11 seeds in each conference has ballooned to 20.5 games, nearly double the previous record this century.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 10-seeded Charlotte Hornets hold a 9.5-game cushion over the No. 11 Milwaukee Bucks. Out West, the Golden State Warriors lead the Memphis Grizzlies by 11 games for the final play-in spot.

The numbers are historical as the previous largest combined gap this century stood at 11 games in 2018-19. This season’s 20.5-game chasm represents by far the widest separation since the NBA adopted its 16-team playoff format in 1984.

The play-in tournament, introduced as an anti-tanking measure, appears to have accelerated the problem rather than solved it. In the first full 82-game season following its introduction, the combined gap between No. 10 and No. 11 seeds was seven games. It has climbed steadily since, reaching nine games in 2022-23, nine again in 2023-24 and ten in 2024-25, before this season’s dramatic surge. The average gap in the play-in era is 11 games, compared to just 4.8 games across the previous ten seasons.

Nine teams currently operate as de facto non-competitors, posting a combined 12-167 record against playoff-caliber opponents across recent stretches of play. In March alone, those nine teams have gone 12-98, a .109 winning percentage, against postseason contenders.

The Washington Wizards have lost 20 consecutive games against winning teams. The Brooklyn Nets are 1-29 in its last 30 such contests. Dallas stands at 2-23 in its last 25.

Two factors are widely cited as accelerants. The leaps by the Dallas Mavericks from the No. 11 lottery position to the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and the Atlanta Hawks from 10th in consecutive recent drafts demonstrated that long-shot lottery odds can pay off spectacularly. Combined with a strong 2026 draft class, the cost-benefit calculation for struggling franchises increasingly favors chasing lottery balls over competing for a play-in berth. Only one of ten No. 10 seeds in the play-in era has successfully advanced to the full playoffs.

The NBA is proposing three potential lottery reforms in an attempt to disincentivize tanking.