The Misery Index: It’s not just for people reading my work. (Ha! You thought you were going to hit me with that in the comments, but I just “8 Mile’d” you.) By the way, I used this exact joke last year, and I liked it so much I decided to keep it.
Last season, we debuted The Misery Index, which used eight different categories to figure out which NBA team/fan base was saddled with the most misery. Using a pretty complicated system, The Misery Index (TMI) determined that the Dallas Mavericks were on top (or at the bottom, depending on how you look at it). Of course, the Luka Dončić trade was still very fresh, so it tipped the scales quite a bit.
Maybe the five teams selected this year aren’t exactly thinking about hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. But do they really only have the future to look forward to? Are things so bad that they can’t enjoy the present? This is an incredibly scientific system developed for years deep inside the Golden 1 Center research laboratory here at The Athletic. We can’t get into all of the factors that bring about the TMI score because it would start to read like a research paper at MIT. Just know there’s a lot of science involved. But here are a few of the key components I can detail:
How bad is this season? This is dependent on preseason expectations, things that were within their control, what was out of their control and various other potential misery from watching this 2025-26 campaign.
How frustrating have recent seasons been? Were they headed toward something good, and it fell apart, or were they pretty miserable in the one to three seasons prior?
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? Basically, are you the Mavericks trading Dončić last year?
Are you still thinking about him? Not just the Mavs! This could be a trade or signing that didn’t happen, but you thought would. Or maybe someone who recently left via trade or free agency?
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? Yes, the season is bad, but it can be mitigated by hope for the future currently employed by the team! Not just hoping for AJ Dybantsa.
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? Are those young players on the verge of turning this into something exciting? Think of the Charlotte Hornets.
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? Think of the Detroit Pistons going from Monty Williams to J.B. Bickerstaff.
How deep is this thorn? Is this a coaching problem, or is this about the front office? Maybe it’s ownership bringing misery to you.
Every category/question will be rated on a scale of 1-10. The higher the score, the greater the misery for the fan base. We’ve got five teams to analyze this year. I’ve avoided teams like Indiana (just a down year with its star hurt), Washington (the Trae Young and Anthony Davis trades absolve them for now) and Utah (fully in rebuild mode but also traded for Jaren Jackson Jr.).
Milwaukee Bucks (29-41) | TMI Score: 63/80
How bad is this season? Oh boy. It’s been so bad that it has most people outside of Milwaukee convinced that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants out (because they won’t compete for a title any time soon) and the Bucks will accommodate him this summer. They held auditions for trade ideas leading up to the deadline and then were hoping they could do something between the deadline and the offseason to persuade him to stay. Instead, this team isn’t even close to sniffing the Play-In Tournament because he’s missed so much time, and the end feels nigh. Most recently, we have the Bucks and Antetokounmpo in a big disagreement about him playing again this season, which feels unnecessary on his part. Score: 10/10
How frustrating have recent seasons been? Kind of frustrating relative to what expectations were. In 2021, the Bucks won it all. Awesome. Then they lost in the first round in 2022. Since then, they haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs. Injuries have occurred. They traded for Damian Lillard to boost their title chances, and it coincided with 1) Boston getting Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, and 2) more injuries (including Lillard’s Achilles tear). Score 8/10
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? Well, the trade they haven’t made yet worries the fan base. I think Bucks fans, for the most part, were understanding of waiving-and-stretching Lillard to have the cap flexibility to bring in Myles Turner. It was a desperation move to show Antetokounmpo “we’re all over it” when it comes to being creative to build for a championship. There just wasn’t much they could do, and the margin for error was as thin as Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s minutes. Or maybe Bucks fans were with trading Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma? Middleton was over the hill but so beloved. And Kuzma has been … Kuzma. Score: 6/10
Are you still thinking about him? If we extend this to the upcoming summer when many expect Antetokounmpo to be dealt, I’ll say yes, they are. The elephant in the room is wearing a Giannis jersey. Bucks fans might still be holding out hope and wanting to claim that “the national media is trying to force this narrative.” However, it feels like the final days of Antetokounmpo in a Bucks uniform. Score: 8/10
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? Uh … not at all. Ryan Rollins has turned his career around, and he’s only 24 years old (in July). He looks like he might be a starting point guard on a good team. Ousmane Dieng will be 23 in May, and he’s been a nice little pickup. Cam Thomas is 24 and a certified bucket-getter. But there isn’t a single young player on the roster who looks like the future of this franchise. They really need some draft help this summer. Score: 10/10
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? Oh god no. Unless they end up in a situation where their pick and New Orleans’ pick are the top two in the draft, ensuring they aren’t hurt too much by the pick swap, the Bucks don’t have any hope in the immediate future as is. Of course, Antetokounmpo should yield a lot of picks and some talent to put on the roster. But remember, following this draft, the Bucks don’t own control of their pick until 2031. They have $22.5 million in dead cap from stretching Lillard’s deal for the next four seasons. It’s safe to assume any picks they receive for Antetokounmpo will not be high picks any time soon. It’s bleak. Score: 10/10
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? No, but I’d expect it to happen relatively soon. Doc Rivers should have one more season under his deal at big money. He signed in Milwaukee because he thought he was going to take over a contender with Lillard and Antetokounmpo. Instead, he’ll have Turner, Kuzma and Bobby Portis as his big three next season (pre-Giannis haul, assuming he’s dealt). Getting an exciting young assistant to build an actual culture might help. Score: 7/10
How deep is this thorn? Not very deep right now. The title was still five years ago, and this misery is all a newer development in less than a year. They probably still had title hopes of some sort a year ago at this time. But things could get pretty bad for Bucks fans after the first week of July. Score: 4/10
Sacramento Kings (18-53) | TMI Score: 59/80
How bad is this season? I don’t think it was reasonable to expect the Kings to be all that good. This was a roster that didn’t have a whole lot of hope. However, this was pretty much the same roster last year, and they went 40-42. The Kings have endured big injuries to Domantas Sabonis (only played in 19 games), but they weren’t showing any promise with him on the court. This should be a team that’s in the mix for the Play-In, and instead, it’s been the worst team in the Western Conference. Score: 9/10
Domantas Sabonis has been a non-factor for Sacramento this season due to injury. (Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)
How frustrating have recent seasons been? Extremely frustrating. Think about that Kings team under Mike Brown that won 48 games and was the No. 3 seed in the West back in 2022-23. Then they won 46 games and lost in the Play-In in 2023-24. Last season, they fired Brown because … I’m not really sure. I’ve read the reporting. I’ve talked to people. It just felt like the Kings being the Kings. This team has been heading in the wrong direction after finally making the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Score: 9/10
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? I would say the Brown firing was big for that. De’Aaron Fox’s finding his way out of Sacramento and to San Antonio shortly after definitely didn’t help matters. Score 6/10
Are you still thinking about him? I’m not sure Doug Christie is the right coach for the Kings, but I’m also not sure he’s had much to work with this season. Maybe Kings fans are still thinking about Brown or Fox, but I doubt it. They’re probably thinking more about Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojaković, Mike Bibby and Rick Adelman. Score: 4/10
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? Uh … no. Keegan Murray will turn 26 this year and is a good role player, but he’s not looking like he can or will take big leaps. Rookies Nique Clifford (24th pick) and Maxime Raynaud (42nd pick) have been really nice players in this dump of a season. Maybe they’re rotation guys on good teams someday. But there isn’t enough good young talent right now to feel like a good future is ahead. They really need some lottery help and to nail their pick. No Marvin Bagley III situations. Score: 9/10
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? If they can get someone like Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson in the draft, then yes, there will be immediate, tangible hope. They should have some significant cap flexibility in 2027, but do you trust this team to use it wisely? General manager Scott Perry is under a lot of pressure. Score: 8/10
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? I don’t think so. I was not on board with the Brown firing, but I also don’t think Christie is in a situation to succeed. Score: 5/10
How deep is this thorn? I’m not sure there is an NBA fan base that has endured more crap and tried to talk themselves into a light at the end of the sewer tunnel over the last 20 years. There is zero trust for this organization or ownership. There is zero on the horizon, other than the upcoming lottery. And there is a fear they’ll be saddled with much of the same roster next season. At least they have their picks in the future? The Kings need a massive overhaul to begin removing this thorn from deep inside their organs. Score: 9/10
New Orleans Pelicans (25-47) | TMI Score: 54/80
How bad is this season? It’s really bad. I keep having to remind myself that the Pelicans are not tanking. Not in the slightest. Yes, the Pelicans have dealt with some injuries. Zion Williamson missed 17 games. Trey Murphy III missed nine games. Jordan Poole has missed over 30 games. Herb Jones has missed over 20 games. But this team wasn’t good to begin with, and they’ve just been struggling regardless. New Orleans has won games toward the end of the season, which gives false hope that it’s just a healthy team away from being in the mix in the West. The Pelicans fired Willie Green, and it didn’t make a huge difference from what we’ve seen in the past. And for all of this bad basketball to happen with the forced acceptance that the Pelicans won’t have a first-round pick is the worst part. At least Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears look good! Score: 10/10
How frustrating have recent seasons been? For years, we’ve wondered if this team could be any good if it stayed healthy. At times, the answer was a resounding yes. It felt like the Pelicans were building from 2021 to 2024. They won 36, then 42, then 49 games. They even looked like they might be capable of upsetting a team in the first round in 2024 before Williamson hurt his hamstring in the Play-In. Then last year was a disaster with 21 wins, and this season isn’t much better. Score: 9/10
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? Draft night of 2025 (less than a year ago), the Pelicans’ new front office moved the 23rd pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder (more favorable of their pick or Milwaukee’s) to Atlanta for the 13th pick. That brought them Queen, which is a great franchise addition, but it failed the basics of making smart moves involving draft picks in the modern era. They didn’t put a single protection on the 2026 pick. You only make that kind of deal if you think 1) Queen is going to be a monster (he might be!) and 2) you think you’re going to be good this season, so you’re not giving up too valuable of a pick (they’re not good). It’s just a brutal trade to endure and know right away it’s a bad logistical idea. Score: 10/10
Are you still thinking about him? If the him is that 2026 draft pick, then yes. Not to beat a dead horse, but the “him” in this question could end up being Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson or Caleb Wilson or Kingston Flemings or literally any good prospect in a loaded draft. The Pelicans went from potentially controlling the top of the draft to getting nothing in the first round from their pick situation. We don’t know where the pick will land yet, though. Score: 8/10
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? They do! Fears and Queen look like legitimate building blocks. Yves Missi is still a good, young big man. Micah Peavy has been a good second-round pick for them. And guys like Murphy and even Williamson don’t turn 26 until this summer. Score: 2/10
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? There should be. Fears and Queen can play. Murphy is someone the Pelicans should try to build around, but they could also move him to a poaching contender for a massive asking price. They should likely move on from the Zion experience, and that will at least open up some cap space and, more importantly, a new direction. But there are still so many questions about this franchise’s direction. Score: 4/10
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? I doubt it. Things got a little better by putting James Borrego in for Green, but things were probably going to improve from the terrible start regardless. If Borrego isn’t the guy long term, they need to find someone who can instill a real culture on the court. Score: 3/10
How deep is this thorn? It’s pretty deep. Most Pelicans fans I interact with don’t seem to have a ton of hope that this thing will get figured out any time soon. I’ve spoken to some Pels fans who love the life the team has shown the last month or so, only to admit it probably won’t matter long term. The Zion situation hasn’t delivered on the promise it had, but this kind of franchise malaise has been there since the Anthony Davis days. Score: 8/10
Brooklyn Nets (17-53) | TMI Score: 48/80
How bad is this season? This season has been pretty brutal to watch from a basketball standpoint, even with Michael Porter Jr. putting up some good numbers in his first year away from Denver. Everybody knew going into this season that the Nets were going to be intentionally bad, showing off Porter’s abilities and developing young talent. After all, they had five first-round picks in the 2025 draft. But the basketball has been mostly unwatchable, and even Porter, who’s now injured, hasn’t been nearly entertaining enough to distract from that. Score: 8/10
How frustrating have recent seasons been? It has been pretty frustrating. Once the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving pairing was traded away, the Nets slowly started sinking into this current rebuilding abyss. They had a solid team three years ago, then traded away a lot of the remaining veteran talent they had to embrace the tank fully. But embracing the tank last year did not yield one of the top picks in the draft. They had to settle for the eighth pick despite all of their losses. Not hitting on that franchise guy when you’ve started aiming for it is a little frustrating. Score: 6/10
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? No. I think everybody understood moving on from James Harden, Durant and Irving when those moves happened. They moved Mikal Bridges for a lot of picks. They moved Cameron Johnson for a first and Porter. These are all trades in recent years that the fan base likes and should like. Score: 2/10
Are you still thinking about him? They’re probably still thinking about Durant’s shoe being a half size too big to end the Bucks’ championship run in 2021. Everybody has to wonder what that would have looked like for the Nets and the rest of the league if his shot to send Game 7 into overtime actually ended up finishing the Bucks’ season. Do the Nets go on to win the championship as Milwaukee did? Would they have fallen to Phoenix? Score: 9/10
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? Not to be too negative, but I’m not fully seeing it. Their five first-round picks have not yielded a ton of excitement for the future. Egor Demin is making 3-pointers at a high volume, which was his biggest question mark coming into the league. But he’s not doing much of anything else, and his playmaking is not quite as advertised. Nolan Traore, Danny Wolf, Drake Baldwin and Ben Saraf look like massive projects at best. Score: 9/10
Egor Demin, from BYU, was one of the Nets’ five first-round picks in last year’s draft. (Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? If they win the lottery, yes. If they don’t win the lottery, the only hope coming from this summer is the idea that they might want to spend money in trades or via free agency to put a much-improved product on the floor. Maybe Demin can provide some of that hope, but that’s a stretch from what we’ve seen. Score: 8/10
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? I don’t know if Jordi Fernández is the right or wrong coach for this team because he hasn’t had much to coach. I like his approach and think getting some tangible talent in there would really show what he can do. This doesn’t feel like a coaching issue. Score: 3/10
How deep is this thorn? Not terribly deep. The Nets have done this a couple of times in Brooklyn. Make a splash with some big moves, it fizzles out and then they go into a rebuilding/culture-building mode. They’re basically in the second part of that cycle now and hoping to win the lottery to give them a prize for their efforts. Score: 3/10
Chicago Bulls (28-42) | TMI Score: 41/80
How bad is this season? Perhaps this season has been surprisingly good, if you’re a Bulls fan interested in the future and no longer being a team stuck in the bog of the middle of the East. That’s where the Bulls have been for years, and now the front office seems to finally be embracing what a tanking situation looks like. You could argue this season would have been a lot worse if the Bulls didn’t embrace becoming worse around the trade deadline. That’s when they moved Nikola Vučević for Anfernee Simons and started acquiring as many 6-foot-3 guards as they could muster. Finally embracing more of a tanking approach, at least for this loaded draft class, was the right move. Score: 6/10
How frustrating have recent seasons been? Extremely! The Bulls have seemingly not had a plan. They hung onto that great start to the 2021-22 season, when DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Vučević had them with the best record in the East at one point. But that was always smoke and mirrors. DeRozan left, and LaVine got moved, but the Bulls never truly embraced a direction. Neither forward nor backward. They just stayed on the treadmill, and fans were dying for the front office to pick a proper youth movement. Score: 8/10
Did they recently make a trade or move that infuriated the fan base beyond belief? They did not. If anything, they started making trades to get away from Vučević and the LaVine contract to give themselves proper flexibility moving forward. And in the process, they’ve allowed some of the younger players to spread their wings. Score: 2/10
Are you still thinking about him? If the him is Michael Jordan or Derrick Rose, the answer is probably yes. Maybe the “him” in this question is Jimmy Butler or Tom Thibodeau? The answer is less likely to be yes in those scenarios. The Bulls have been so middle-of-the-road since the Rose injury that there really isn’t a “him” to still be crushed over. Score: 2/10
Do they have exciting young players to distract you from the present? A little bit! Matas Buzelis is at the end of his second season, and the Bulls are making sure to feature him a lot more. Josh Giddey is still young and has a lot of excitement around his game. If they can get anything positive the rest of the way from Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham, that could help. Unfortunately, the Jaden Ivey acquisition mostly brought sorrow from his self-diagnosis. Score: 6/10
Is there immediate, tangible hope in the next couple of seasons? There is very much not. Aside from Buzelis becoming a star, the Bulls mostly got second-round picks in all of their trades. They do have control of their draft picks, and they’re owed a Portland lottery-protected pick at some point. But this year, they’ll probably need some 2008 lottery luck to get into the top four. This should be the start of a real rebuild, rather than a retooling. Score: 8/10
Could this be fixed with a coaching change? I don’t think this is a coaching issue. I’m not sure Billy Donovan is the best coach for the job, but a change for the sake of change doesn’t seem to be a good move. If you’re going to remove Donovan after six years, it should be to install a different culture and system in whatever future vision the Bulls have. If they even have one? Score: 3/10
How deep is this thorn? The thorn of mediocrity seemed to be pretty deep, but the Bulls look like they’re trying to remove that slowly but surely. At least, that’s what their deadline moves connote. If a proper rebuild (not necessarily a full teardown because that isn’t necessary) is starting, then the thorn won’t be so bad. Score: 6/10
