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Power Rankings for NBA teams in the 2025-2026 NBA season. RotoBaller's Kevin Larson analyzes every NBA Team with Power Rankings from worst to first as of January 12, 2026.
NBA Power Rankings: Every Team From Worst to First
The past week in the NBA was dominated by trades and trade talks. Trae Young getting shipped to his preferred destination of Washington surprised some while more rumors around Anthony Davis and Ja Morant popped up again. With the trade deadline less than a month away we’re only going to see rumors intensify. And with quite few big names at the front of the rumor mill we’re going to be in for an exciting few weeks. Everyone’s looking for a way to find themselves near the top of the standings. Read on to see who we’ve got at the top of this week’s rankings.
30. Indiana Pacers
The good news for the Pacers is the 13-game losing streak is over. They snapped it against the Hornets this week and followed that up by crushing the Heat by 24 on Saturday. Aaron Nesmith has found his way back into the starting lineup after being out most of the season with a knee injury and is averaging 15.2 PPG as a starter. Him shooting 40.6% from three is helping the Pacers get some spacing as well. It’s still a dark season for Indiana, but semblances of a competitive team may start to be evident soon.
29. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have been no strangers to trades recently, especially in bad seasons. But there’s been recent reporting saying that they want to hold onto their core of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. Rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears have also been considered off-limits, leaving just a few other pieces of New Orleans’ roster as potential trade chips. Without many impact players becoming unrestricted free agents next season, they don’t seem likely to pull the trigger on any trade that doesn’t net a huge return. That’s probably going to lead to much of what’s happened lately for New Orleans. And with that being a stretch where they’ve won just once since Christmas, it may be more “developmental opportunities” happening in the Big Easy.
28. Sacramento Kings
Expect the Kings to be busy over the next month as they try to work on their rebuild. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan should gain quite a bit of interest from teams, especially with teams having control through the 2026-2027 season. LaVine has a player option that may make it tougher, but he should draw interest. A bigger question will be what Sacramento does with Domantas Sabonis. He’s currently injured and will be out until February at the earliest and has two more seasons of team control. That’s going to warrant a hefty price tag, but Sacramento isn’t willing to take on long-term salary in return. That could cause some disruptions as the Kings look to reshape their franchise.
27. Washington Wizards
Washington made a rather surprising splash this week as they acquired Trae Young from Atlanta. Washington was one of Young’s top preferred destinations, something that seemed a bit surprising to many NBA fans. Nevertheless, he’s now in Washington and will try to prove he’s worth a long-term contract with the Wizards. Washington will now have someone who can help improve their offensive facilitation greatly. That’s not going to lead to any miracle runs this season, but it will likely lead to more points on both sides of the court for the Wizards.
26. Brooklyn Nets
Coming into the season it looked like the biggest question was going to be if the Nets would trade Cam Thomas. With him becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season the focus was either going to be on him signing long-term or being shipped out. No long-term deal was determined and the trade market for Thomas has been reportedly dry. That’s leading to another Brooklyn name creating buzz on the trade market: Michael Porter Jr. MPJ has been a revelation for the Nets this season and several teams appear to be interested. Expect Brooklyn to look for a solid return for the 27-year-old.
25. Utah Jazz
So maybe the thought of Utah potentially having a shot at the play-in was a bit ambitious. They showed they have potential to compete and forced the Thunder into OT, but on Saturday they got thrashed by the Hornets to the tune of a 150-95 final. The main question for the Jazz this next month will be if they are going to look to trade Lauri Markkanen. They obviously haven’t pulled the trigger in the past and there’s not much of a sign that they’d do so now. But if there’s one player on Utah’s current roster that would provide a significantly worthy return, it’d be the 28-year-old.
24. Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is going to, yet again, find itself in trouble with trades. That’s because almost immediately after they put Anthony Davis’ name on the trade block, who Atlanta was reportedly interested in, Davis suffered a hand injury and is set to be out for months. That’s not going to help anyone in this franchise and it only makes the Doncic trade look worse. In the meantime, the Mavericks sit at 12th in the West. A run to the play-in could happen, but it’s not likely. Dallas probably isn’t aiming for that anyways but it’s clear that the future core around Cooper Flagg won’t be built this season.
23. Charlotte Hornets
There’s confidence in Charlotte that this current roster has the build to be competitive sooner rather than later. I mean, it’s not every day that you wax the Oklahoma City Thunder by 27 and then crush the Jazz by 55. That’s got them the best net rating in the league over the last 10 games even though they’re 5-5 in that span. But in the middle of those two blowout wins are late game losses to the Raptors and Pacers, both games they could have realistically won. Rumors around trading LaMelo Ball have died down a bit. Winning helps that. Don’t be surprised if the Hornets stand pat in the trade market. And if a clearer path to the play-in shows itself in the next few weeks don’t be surprised if Charlotte potentially becomes a buyer as well.
22. Memphis Grizzlies
With news of the Grizzlies now listening to trade offers for Ja Morant, it seems imminent that he’ll be shipped out before the deadline. After trading Desmond Bane last offseason the rebuild mentality seems clear. The admission that they’re willing to listen on Morant has also gotten league executives to ask the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr. If a rebuild is the goal, and it certainly feels like it, then it’d make sense to capitalize wherever Memphis can. With their grip on the final play-in spot in the West slipping, it makes it feel all the more likely that a new day in Memphis is about to begin.
21. Los Angeles Clippers
The nightmare start may be over and the play-in is clearly in sight for the Clippers now. They’re currently in the 11-seed but, as we mentioned with Memphis’ potential rebuild coming, the path into the play-in is clear. The Clippers have gone on a 9-2 run to get their season not quite turned around but somewhat back on track. That’s going to give them some options when it comes to the trade deadline. Their name hasn’t popped up in many rumors, though they’ve been loosely associated with Ja Morant in unlikely scenarios, but they at least have gotten themselves into a spot where a fire sale isn’t necessary. And that feels like a good thing after how disastrous this season started.
20. Portland Trail Blazers
It’s been a rather quiet season for the Blazers but they’ve found themselves nestled in pretty snugly to the nine-seed in the West. They’re probably not moving up much higher and they probably won’t fall below the 10-seed given all the chaos at the bottom of the West. They’ve won seven of their last nine games, showing themselves they’ve got what it takes to compete. Now they’ll use the deadline to see who they may be able to snag away from other teams. They’ve been rumored to be interested in Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors, but that may cost them Jerami Grant. Portland will be an interesting team to watch in the coming weeks.
19. Atlanta Hawks
It’s a new day in Atlanta. After shipping out Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, the Hawks will now look to build around Jalen Johnson. Initially they had been rumored to be in on Anthony Davis, but with his recent (and honestly reoccurring) injury issues AD may no longer be in their sights. How they’re going to build for the future will be their main focus the next few weeks. But they do feel confident that they’ll be alright without Young. The Hawks were a -7.55 with Young on the court this year and a +0.95 without him. At least for this season, they feel this was the right move for all parties.
18. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are simply happy that the Giannis trade rumors aren’t popping off right now. That’s because winning cures pretty much everything and Milwaukee has gotten itself back in its winning ways. The big question will be if this version of the Bucks is a version they feel that can win in the playoffs. The Greek Freak is a known commodity in playoff basketball, but many others on the roster may have questions around how effective they’ll be in the playoffs. If Milwaukee is looking to be active at the deadline then they may be a team that looks for veteran rentals with playoff experience.
17. Chicago Bulls
At this point the Bulls are just trying to survive without Josh Giddey. The Australian guard will be re-evaluated for a hamstring strain at some point this week and the Bulls are hoping for good news. They’ve now lost three of their last four games, granted the competition has been pretty stiff in this run. They will have more questions coming up to the trade deadline, though, as Milwaukee is hot on their heels. In past seasons they’ve never fully sold, but they have four key contributors who will become unrestricted free agents next season (Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu). If they’re unsure about their chances then they may want to consider selling.
16. Miami Heat
Miami has found themselves linked to quite a few names on the trade market, making them a team to watch over the next few weeks to see just who they’re content with going after. Help is going to be needed in Miami one way or another as they’re just 7-12 since the beginning of December. There’s breathing room in the play-in seeds, but they’re also just a game back of Orlando for the six-seed. An opportunity to improve the team and jump up the standings is there for Miami but who they’ll want to get them there will be a question for the next few weeks.
15. Golden State Warriors
Golden State holds onto a key trade chip coming into the deadline in Jonathan Kuminga, but how they’ve handled his situation is going to be interesting in terms of how Kuminga’s value is determined. But one way or another the Warriors are going to need to try and turn him into players that can contribute for the Warriors. They’re a bit too undersized, a common theme for the past few seasons in Golden State, and they are going to need depth options to keep older stars like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler rested. They’re nestled into the play-in bracket but need help breaking out of it. And a trade to shake up the roster may help them get where they want to go.
14. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix made their major trades in the offseason and it’s been very clear that it’s paying dividends so far. And with how well it’s paid off, there may not be much incentive for the Suns to be all that active. After all, one of their biggest returns in the Kevin Durant trade has barely been on the court this season. Jalen Green has only played in five quarters so far this season as he’s dealt with a hamstring injury that the Suns are taking slowly right now to ensure his health. His return to the lineup might as well be a trade deadline acquisition. And with his offensive firepower, though streaky, that may make the Suns a very tough out come playoff time.
13. Orlando Magic
Orlando also did much of their trade damage in the offseason, but injuries have been the story in Orlando for far too long and may force them to consider making moves here soon. They’ve been holding up alright without Franz Wagner, but they’ve been unable to put a good streak of wins together. Matter of fact, they’ve alternated wins and losses every game since December 20th. They’ll look to string together a second straight win when they face the Grizzlies in Germany on Thursday. And if they’re lucky enough then Wagner may finally be returning to their lineup for that trip.
12. Toronto Raptors
Toronto just wanted its wins to be as exciting as possible this week. They won by one in Charlotte thanks to a last second three from Immanuel Quickley. Then on Sunday they won in overtime over the Sixers as Scottie Barnes hit one of two free throws to put the Raptors up one for the literal last second win. They’ve been playing better as of late, winning six of their last eight games. That doesn’t mean they won’t be active at the deadline, though, as they’re likely to try and move RJ Barrett. They’ve also been linked to Domantas Sabonis. Expect some action up north as Toronto looks to solidify their place near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
11. Los Angeles Lakers
A team with LeBron James on it never seems to by shy when it comes to trades, especially when it’s the Lakers. And if the Lakers know what’s good for them, they won’t buy into their record as much as their negative net rating. That points towards negative regression and they’ll need to turn that around in order to keep themselves out of the play-in. So some moves to stymie that negative regression would be helpful, but they’ve also reportedly put self-limitations on their level of spend, which would hamper their ability to add pieces without spending much. LA may have to stay quiet at the deadline and get things figured out with their current roster.
10. Philadelphia 76ers
Though January has been a solid month for the Sixers, they have had some questionable losses. First, and probably the most concerning, was an overtime loss to the Nuggets. That’s normally nothing to be ashamed of, but Denver didn’t play any of its five normal starters due to either injury or rest. Then Philly lost to the Raptors on Sunday after being up four with 20 seconds to go. The Sixers have been a bit more under-the-radar than normal this season, but these are the kinds of opportunities they can’t let slip up. The good news for them is Joel Embiid and Paul George continue to stay healthy, something that’s an absolute must for Philly regardless of how active or inactive they are at the deadline.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
Winners in five of their last seven games, the slump may finally be over for Cleveland. The offense has picked it up as well, scoring 120 or more in four of those seven games. That’s a lot more like the Cavaliers team we’re used to seeing. Now we’ll have to see how they approach the trade deadline. Their name hasn’t been out there as a very active team, though there are rumors that they may be looking to move Lonzo Ball in an underwhelming season for the 28-year-old. Though they’re still in the play-in bracket, Cleveland is just a couple small tweaks away from jumping back up the standings.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
If there’s at least one person in the NBA that’s not afraid of Victor Wembanyama then there’s a good chance it’s Anthony Edwards. The 24-year-old hit a game winning shot on Sunday with Wemby defending him and gave Minnesota their sixth win in their last eight games. The Timberwolves have been flying under-the-radar this year, especially with the West as top-heavy as it is. But they’re proving they’re going to be a threat yet again. They may be an interesting team to watch during the trade deadline as well, but one name that they won’t be after is Ja Morant. Rumors of Minnesota’s interest in Morant were shot down recently. Given their recent streak that may be fine with Minnesota anyways as they look to stay in the thick of things in the West.
7. Boston Celtics
It’s been a solid run for the Celtics but this week showed there may be some chips in the armor that they’ve got to get fixed up first. On Wednesday they lost to the under-manned Denver Nuggets and on Saturday they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. Boston’s still posting the league’s third-best net rating at +7.3, so that should still mean more success, but their gameplan usually starts to struggle when they’re not hitting threes. If Boston looks to add more at the trade deadline they may aim towards a big man that can provide a more solid interior presence.
6. Denver Nuggets
If you thought the Nuggets were going to be a mess without Nikola Jokic then know that you weren’t alone. Based off their past you would have expected a loss to the Brooklyn Nets but you never would have seen them beating the Sixers, Celtics and Bucks all within the same week. Denver is having its cake and eating it too here. Not only are their role players getting more experience to provide depth in the playoffs but they’re also winning pretty convincingly. Denver came into this season with championship aspirations and once Jokic is back they will have all the confidence in the world that their roster is deep enough to keep them in any game.
5. New York Knicks
The Knicks welcomed Josh Hart back to the lineup on Sunday in a 123-114 win over the Trail Blazers. Hart had missed every game since Christmas while dealing with an ankle sprain. His do-it-all type of playstyle will greatly help the Knicks to get back on track as they were 3-5 with him inactive. The Knicks are still second in the East with plenty of breathing room over the play-in so they were never in danger of seriously dropping. But him being back and active is going to provide a good boost to the Knicks as they try and catch up to the Pistons in the standings.
4. Houston Rockets
Alperen Sengun made his return from an ankle injury on Sunday against the Kings. It forced him to miss three games and Rockets fans were happy to see him return. Still, Houston lost to the lowly Sacramento Kings. That’s now four losses in five games for Houston, something we’re not expecting out of one of the top teams in the West. The Rockets were obviously very active in the offseason with acquiring Kevin Durant and aren’t currently expected to be busy at this deadline. So they’re going to have to figure it out with their current roster. And though they have the league’s second best net rating at +7.8, they’re sitting in the six-seed in the West. They’ll be fine, but they need to get some things straightened out rather quickly.
3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have generally been a decent team when facing the adversity of injuries, but a 98-92 loss to the Clippers without Cade Cunningham on Saturday may force the Pistons to look a little closer at their depth. Cunningham has missed two straight games with a wrist injury and they’re 1-1 without him. Luckily their next game isn’t until Thursday so he’s got time to recover, but it does force the Pistons to look a bit more at their depth. They’re not popping up in many rumors right now, but if there’s something to entertain improving on Detroit’s roster it may be depth.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama showed off his freakishly insane skills again this week. Not during a game, though, but by kicking a group of cluttered basketballs out of a hoop. With just his legs and his foot and no help. It helps my personal beliefs that he’s not actually human. But regardless, scientific evidence shows he is indeed human (I guess). The Spurs are just 2-2 since he’s returned, though. The offense has been very quiet, not breaking 107 points in any of those games. San Antonio needs to improve this going forward if they want to stay atop the Western Conference standings.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Our number one seed yet again is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They’re the top seed in the West, but it’s not like they’re not having their issues. After losing to the Suns on Sunday they also lost on the second leg of a back-to-back to the Hornets by 27. That was followed by the Jazz forcing them to overtime, something that shouldn’t be happening to this Thunder team. Are they going to be fine? Absolutely. But are they going to be unbeatable when it matters? Not as it stands right now. They’re not likely to be active at the deadline and why would they be? Given the past couple seasons they know who they are and they know what works. The Thunder are our top team yet again.
