**Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks lead the market for the 2026-27 NBA's worst regular-season record due to their ongoing rebuilds following major roster overhauls.** The Kings enter with a projected win total near 21.5 after shedding veterans and relying on a young core featuring Darius Acuff Jr., Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Keegan Murray, though defensive shortcomings and injury risks persist. The Bucks, in their first full season without Giannis Antetokounmpo, sit at a similar 24.5 win projection amid a shift to developing pieces like Tyler Herro and rookies under new coaching. Brooklyn trails slightly after adding Julius Randle and Mikel Brown Jr. but remains in a low-talent phase. New anti-tanking lottery rules that penalize the three worst records have flattened incentives across the bottom of the league, keeping several clubs—including the Jazz, Bulls, and Grizzlies—within striking distance in a tightly contested race shaped by health, development timelines, and schedule difficulty.