Eight teams have essentially zero hope of making the playoffs.
Which of these teams are tanking for better positioning in a star-studded NBA draft?
Let's take a look at how the race to the bottom is shaping up -- what's the situation for the Lakers, the Celtics, the Sixers and more?
1. Brooklyn Nets: Rebuilding
Record: 11-52 (2-8 past 10)
The Nets have no reason to tank. The Celtics can and will swap first-round picks with them this year. But Brooklyn's lack of talent all but guarantees it will pass along a 25 percent chance of winning the lottery to Boston in May.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Tanking
Record: 20-45 (2-8 past 10)
No one has more incentive to tank right now than the Lakers. If L.A. doesn't land in the lottery's top three, the Lakers send their pick to Philadelphia (a leftover commitment from the Steve Nash acquisition). And if they keep their 2017 pick, they also keep their 2019 pick.
Right now, our BPI gives them a 51.9 percent chance of landing in the top three, a percentage that declined by two points after Thursday's win in Phoenix.
So it makes a lot of sense for the Lakers to ride their young guys like Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle for the rest of the season and see what they have going into the draft.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Tanking
Record: 23-41 (3-7 past 10)
Philly looked like it might make a playoff run in January, but injuries to Joel Embiid, news that Ben Simmons won't play this season and trading away Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova at the deadline essentially put a lid on the competitive part of the season, meaning another year of the Sixers staying focused on the lottery.
The 76ers have lost six of seven, with the exception a win over the Knicks -- another team thinking lottery -- led by Dario Saric and Justin Anderson.
Given the Lakers' situation, the Sixers have about a 50/50 shot at having two high lottery picks.
4. Phoenix Suns: Rebuilding
Record: 21-44 (4-6 past 10)
In tanking terms, the Suns are actually three games "ahead" of the Sixers in the loss column, but their better play of late -- combined with Sixers' injuries -- suggests that they may not be able to hold off Philly for the third-best shot at winning the lottery.
The Suns have a lot of young, healthy talent and could continue to catch teams off guard down the stretch, as in their recent three-game winning streak.
5. Orlando Magic: Tanking
Record: 24-41 (4-6 past 10)
The Magic gamely tried to sell the Serge Ibaka-for-Terrence Ross swap as an improvement and an attempt to make the playoffs. But at this point, BPI gives them less than a 0.1 percent chance of making the playoffs, and there's growing evidence that the Magic will ride their young players the rest of the season.
I don't see them rising higher than this on the Tank Rank board. The four teams above them are all significantly worse -- with a pretty big lead -- but holding off the Knicks, Kings and Pelicans for fifth place is a worthy goal for the team the rest of the season.
6. Sacramento Kings: Trying?
Record: 25-39 (3-7 past 10)
The Kings have lost their past six and are just 1-7 since trading away DeMarcus Cousins. One narrative coming out of Sacramento after the Cousins trade was that the swap for Buddy Hield and picks would help them make the playoffs. But it doesn't really fly. They should be pushing for as high a spot as they can get in the draft.
Remember, the Sixers have the right to swap picks with the Kings after the lottery.
7. New York Knicks: Trying
Record: 26-39 (4-6 past 10)
Coach Jeff Hornacek is still riding his veterans, but the Knicks' playoff dreams appear dead.
That's probably the best news Knicks fans could hope for at this point. The team desperately needs to build around Kristaps Porzingis, and a high draft pick could land the Knicks their point guard of the future, with Derrick Rose likely to leave via free agency this summer.
8. New Orleans Pelicans: Trying
Record: 25-40 (4-6 past 10)
The Pels made a trade deadline move for DeMarcus Cousins, landing a star and some hope for grabbing the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
But the wins haven't come, and New Orleans is practically out of the race already -- although being only 4 1/2 games back of eighth place means they'll probably keep trying.
Though the Pelicans sent Sacramento their first-round pick in the Cousins trade, they do have some incentive to lose. The pick is top-3 protected, and moving up in Tank Rank would increase their chances of holding on to the pick.
9. Dallas Mavericks: Trying
Record: 27-36 (6-4 past 10)
The Mavs are just 1 1/2 games out of the playoffs right now, so getting there is a realistic goal. But BPI gives them just a 10.9 percent chance of beating the Blazers or Nuggets for that final playoff spot in the West.
Mark Cuban recently discussed the team's situation with ESPN's Tim MacMahon, acknowledging that draft positioning was a consideration in letting Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut go.
In the long term the Mavs, would be much better off landing a lottery pick in this draft. The team is especially high on French point guard Frank Ntilikina.
10. Charlotte Hornets: Trying
Record: 28-36 (4-6 past 10)
The Hornets are three games out of the eighth seed in the East and have just 17.2 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to BPI. But they are clearly still trying to make the playoffs.
Given that most scouts have this draft at 10 to 12 deep in impact players, the Hornets might want to think about hanging it up for the season and improving their draft chances.