5 players with longest NBA Playoff drought ft. Lauri Markannen
With the Philadelphia 76ers securing a spot in the NBA playoffs, Buddy Hield has ended a historic career drought. The sharpshooting guard appeared in 632 games before playing in the postseason, the fourth-longest streak in history.
Hield had the longest active streak among current players by a wide margin. The player with the largest drought in history is Tom Van Arsdale. He played in over 900 games across 12 seasons and never managed to play in the postseason.
With Heild's name getting ready to come off this list, here are some active NBA players with the longest playoff droughts.
NBA players with the longest active playoff droughts
5) Dennis Smith Jr.
Rounding out the top five is Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. Since being drafted in the top-10 in 2017, he has played in 326 games without appearing in the playoffs.
Smith has had runs with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets. This season with the Nets, he averaged 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
4) Christian Wood
Next up is a player who had a chance to end their playoff drought this year. Wood is a member of the LA Lakers but was shut down for the season due to injury. Currently, the Lakers are getting ready to face off against the Denver Nuggets in round one.
Wood has suited up for nine different teams since entering the NBA in 2015. Overall, he played in 339 games without a playoff appearance.
3) Collin Sexton
Slightly ahead of Wood is Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton. He's played in 344 games over the past six years with no postseason time to show for it.
After missing a year due to an ACL injury, the former lottery pick has bounced back. Sexton played in 78 games this season and averaged 18.7 PPG and 4.9 APG.
2) Miles Bridges
The NBA player with the second-longest active playoff drought is Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets. He has played in 360 games over the past four years.
Bridges made his return this year after missing all of last season due to off-court issues. He appeared in 69 games for Charlotte, posting averages of 21.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 3.3 APG.
1) Lauri Markkanen
With Buddy Hield ending his drought, Lauri Markkanen has the longest streak among active players. He sits at 22nd all-time at 403 games.
Before landing with the Utah Jazz, Markkanen had stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. After being traded to the Jazz for Donovan Mitchell, he blossomed into an All-Star-level talent.
Along with making an All-Star team last season, Markkanen also took home Most Improved Player. This season, he averaged 23.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG.