NBA Power Rankings: Where Do All 30 Teams Stand Right Now? (2026)

March 2, 2026

RotoBaller's NBA power rankings for all 30 teams at the start of March. Where does each NBA team stand in our latest power rankings for the 2025-2026 season?

The playoff race is heating up with just six weeks to go in the NBA regular season. While most of the playoff and play-in teams have been identified, there's still quite a bit of seeding and positioning that's going to be massively important.

The Lakers and Suns will look to duel it out for the six-seed, while the Sixers, Raptors, Magic, and Heat all are looking to avoid the play-in and be in the East's top six.

The Bucks have a shot at the play-in in the East, too. Can San Antonio steal the West from Oklahoma City? Let's find out.

No. 30 - Sacramento Kings

With the season lost a long time ago, the Kings are focusing on development. DeMar DeRozan is the only one of their big three who isn't out for the season, and he's seeing diminishing minutes. That's leaving room for guys like Precious Achiuwa and Maxime Raynaud to be the main producers for Sacramento.

Both are averaging 15+ PPG and 9+ RPG over the last five games for the Kings. Silver linings for an organization that went into a tailspin early and never recovered.

No. 29 - Washington Wizards

Nothing says "We're in a development phase" more than realizing that Washington's leading scorers over the last five games are Will Riley and Jaden Hardy. Riley's development will be important with his status as a rookie, while Hardy is just looking to find some playing time after coming over from Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade.

🗣️ yeah rook! pic.twitter.com/ATT5hmUG97

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 22, 2026

Right now, the Wizards simply want to see who can run alongside Davis and Trae Young next season when they'll certainly be more of a threat. But any DC fans looking for competitiveness should set their sights on Washington Capitals games.

No. 28 - Brooklyn Nets

Still without a win since the All-Star break, Brooklyn has long known this season is about development. They know what they have with Michael Porter Jr., but there may still be questions about what the Nets do with him in the offseason.

That has Brooklyn fans focusing on guys like Nolan Traore and Egor Demin. There's a slight bit of promise with these two, but the Nets don't appear to have a clear eye on what they want in their future besides another top lottery pick.

No. 27 - Indiana Pacers

Just like the Nets, the Pacers are winless since the break. Main producers like Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith have both been out with injuries. Newly acquired Ivica Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut, either, leaving Indiana without much bite.

The defense has also given up four straight games of 130 points or more. That'd be concerning if not for their always evident plan of getting a lottery pick for Tyrese Haliburton's return next season. Let the losses continue (and maybe the NBA's fines too).

No. 26 - New Orleans Pelicans

The good news for the Pelicans is that Dejounte Murray was able to return to the court this week after missing more than a year with an Achilles injury. The bad news? Health still isn't on their side as Zion Williamson had to be removed from Saturday's game with an ankle injury.

The Pelicans don't have anything to play for besides draft positioning and will have to carefully balance minutes for Murray and Williamson. Add in the fact that Trey Murphy III has dealt with a nagging shoulder injury, and there's a lot the Pelicans need to preserve if they want to succeed next season.

No. 25 - Utah Jazz

It's no secret what the Jazz want to do for the rest of the year. The NBA certainly has its eyes on Utah as one of the obvious tankers that spurred conversations that will lead to new tanking penalties for next season.

Utah resting Lauri Markkanen in a game against Indiana earlier this year led to a huge $500K fine for tanking. Now Markkanen will be out for two weeks with a hip injury, and Utah is 0-4 since the break. Not exactly smooth times for the Jazz this season.

No. 24 - Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks have just two wins in their last 14 games, but right now that's the least of Mavs fans' worries. Instead, they're simply hoping Cooper Flagg's foot sprain isn't as bad as it's starting to seem.

The rookie hasn't played since before the All-Star break and now is likely to be out through at least Tuesday, making his rookie rematch with Duke teammate Kon Knueppel a little less exciting. The Mavs are tanking, and Flagg's return to the court may not be rushed because of it.

No. 23 - Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis' season was a confusing one from the start, which was given a clear path once injuries to Ja Morant and Zach Edey happened. They're now clearly in tank city and well behind the Clippers for the final spot in the play-in.

Not all is lost, though, as they've gotten solid contributions lately from guys like Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Scotty Pippen Jr. Should the Grizzlies trade Morant in the offseason, and that certainly will be explored, Prosper and Pippen may play a larger role as long as they stay in Memphis.

No. 22 - Chicago Bulls

The Bulls finally sold at the trade deadline, and that spurred them into tank mode. They're leaning into it so heavily now that they straight up didn't win a single game in February. Should be no surprise with that to hear their net rating in the last 10 games of -14.5 is the worst in the league over that span.

Even with their recent slide, they're only in the 12-seed in the East and are well ahead of the Wizards, the next team behind them. It'd appear they'll be set there going forward and need to hope for the best in the NBA lottery.

No. 21 - Los Angeles Clippers

What happens in LA going forward may be very curious to watch. Their season has been a wild ride, starting with one of the worst starts they've ever had, followed up by immediately reversing that just before James Harden requested a trade out.

Now they're dealing with injuries again, which will make their race to snag the 9-seed from Portland a little bit tougher. That positioning will be very important given that the first play-in game is likely to be Blazers vs Clippers. Whatever they can do to get home court for that matchup should be the priority.

No. 20 - Portland Trail Blazers

As we just mentioned, the Blazers and Clippers are on a fast path to facing each other in the play-in. They're dealing with their own injuries as well, with Deni Avdija's back injury being the most important one.

Avdija is having a career year, averaging 24.4 PPG and 6.6 APG, clearly the Blazers' best player. But his bag injury has cost him time sporadically over the last couple of months. Expect Portland to prioritize his health over the next six weeks so he's completely healthy for the inevitable matchup against the Clippers.

No. 19 - Milwaukee Bucks

Prior to this past weekend, the Bucks were one of the hottest teams in the league after winning eight of 10. But back-to-back losses to the Knicks and Bulls have them 2.5 games back of the play-in.

That's going to be an important gap to keep an eye on, given there will be less reason to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo back if Milwaukee can't stay close to either Atlanta or Charlotte. Any other losses to teams they should beat will only hamper their play-in opportunity.

No. 18 - Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks had a bit of a scare earlier in the week when Jalen Johnson exited after playing just six minutes in the first quarter with a hip injury. That only cost him a game, though, and he returned on Sunday in the Hawks' 34-point victory over the Blazers.

Atlanta also looks to be the perfect place for Jonathan Kuminga, who's averaging over 20 PPG with the Hawks right now. He should help keep the Hawks in the play-in bracket if his production levels stay this solid.

Jonathan Kuminga with the WINDMILL SLAM 🔥

He finished with 20 PTS, 7 REB, and 2 STL in tonight's @ATLHawks win! pic.twitter.com/aIvEwJHl1G

— NBA (@NBA) March 2, 2026

No. 17 - Charlotte Hornets

If there's a dark horse in the East, it may just be the Hornets. Despite currently having a sub-.500 record, they have the 10th-best net rating in the league (+3.1) and the fourth-best net rating over their last 10 games (+9.2).

Part of their resurgence this season has been the play of Knueppel, who now holds the records for most threes made in a season by a rookie and is currently the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year. There's a chance Knueppel and the Hornets could cause some real noise if they make it out of the play-in.

No. 16 - Miami Heat

The Heat always seems to oscillate between underrated contender and underwhelming mediocrity. It's been much of that same pattern lately, though what they need to fix seems to be obvious.

In three of Miami's last four games, they've given up 120 points or more, helping limit them to a 2-2 record in this span. That defense stymied the Rockets on Saturday, which is a great start to getting on the right track. A couple of games with Brooklyn on deck should be the remedy they need.

No. 15 - Orlando Magic

The Magic made a conscious effort to upgrade their offense in the offseason, but it seems to be the one thing that's really holding them back. Their offensive rating on the season sits at 113.8, 17th overall.

But when it comes to eFG%, they are shooting for just a 52.8% mark. The only teams they're shooting more efficiently than are the Pelicans, Nets, Pacers, and Kings. That's going to need to change if they want to make noise in the playoffs. Defense will keep them in games, but the offense may hold them back.

No. 14 - Golden State Warriors

It's been a strange and desperate year for the Warriors, who have been without Stephen Curry for 10 games now. They're 4-6 in that span with the league's eighth-worst net rating at -4.5 in those 10 games.

That's not going to get it done, whether in the play-in or the playoffs. Curry's presence is going to be needed sooner rather than later. But he's going to be out for at least another five games. They won't drop down below the 8-seed in that timespan, but they need to find a way to get some consistent wins.

No. 13 - Phoenix Suns

The Suns continue to be one of the biggest surprises in the league, but February may have started to put some doubt in people's minds. They went just 4-7 in February, their first losing month since October.

Injuries to Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks are key drivers of that. Booker may return this week, but Brooks is likely going to be out another 4-5 weeks. At just 1.5 GB of the Lakers for the 6-seed, they're going to need to continue their resilience if they want to jump out of the play-in bracket.

No. 12 - Los Angeles Lakers

Somehow, someway, the Lakers still have a negative net rating. Yet they hold onto the 6-seed and could theoretically jump up to the 3-seed as they're just two games back of the Rockets. That's not that much to ask for in the grand scheme of things.

But they're 3-5 in their last eight games (excluding Sunday night's matchup against the Kings) and need to find some consistency. Is that negative net rating simply reflective of the injuries they've battled? Or is it a sign of negative regression? We've got six weeks to find out.

No. 11 - Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers had a four-game slide recently that, unsurprisingly, coincided with the absence of Joel Embiid. But once Embiid returned to the lineup, he helped get them to a three-game win streak.

JOEL! 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/umicwUcq9b

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 27, 2026

While the Sixers have done alright without him, they need him to have a real shot at doing anything serious in the playoffs. Philadelphia will continue to prioritize his health going into the playoffs.

No. 10 - Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are quietly holding their own in the Eastern Conference, but look to clearly be a step below the top four teams in the East. That's not the worst thing in the world for the Raptors, who have taken a real solid step forward from last year's team that finished 30-52.

But the struggles against the top of the East may point to their eventual playoff fates. They are a combined 0-7 against Boston, Detroit, and New York. They are, however, 3-0 against Cleveland. While those three games were prior to them acquiring Harden, it's clear the Raptors may prefer the Cavs in the first round if they had their choice.

No. 9 - Minnesota Timberwolves

A couple of weeks ago, it sounded like things may be getting a little rough inside the Timberwolves' locker room, but by looking at their recent streak, it looks like that was nothing more than just talk. They're now 6-1 in their last seven games after taking down Denver on Sunday afternoon.

Anthony Edwards is averaging a cool 28.3 PPG during that streak, while Jaden McDaniels has been a surprisingly strong second option. McDaniels is averaging 18.0 PPG, second best for Minnesota. They're now tied with the Rockets in the 3-seed and could very easily rise if this streak continues.

No. 8 - Houston Rockets

Speaking of those Rockets, they're just seemingly not being able to reach the level they envisioned this offseason when they traded for Kevin Durant. Third in the West is still excelling at a high level, but they don't currently look like a real threat to win the West.

That may just be an offensive thing, though, as the defense has been lights out. Over their last 10 games, they have a 108.9 defensive rating, fourth best in that span. But as we mentioned with the Magic, the excellent defense keeps you in games in the playoffs, but offense wins them.

No. 7 - Denver Nuggets

Things are quickly becoming worrisome in Denver. Not only are they still without two of their best defensive players in Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, but they also have the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league.

On most days, that wouldn't matter with Nikola Jokic on the roster, but they're struggling against good teams. Since January, they're just 3-10 against teams above .500, which isn't what you expect from a championship contender. If they're not careful, they may slip into the play-in.

No. 6 - Cleveland Cavaliers

This week wasn't exactly the week that Cleveland fans envisioned, but hey, there's only so much you can do when your two best players are in and out with injuries.

Donovan Mitchell and Harden missed time this week, though Harden was able to return to action on Sunday. Mitchell, on the other hand, doesn't quite have an official return date. He may be back this week, but Cleveland will need to monitor his health in order to go far in the playoffs.

No. 5 - New York Knicks

The Knicks came into this season with high expectations and a new vision with a new head coach, who has helped reduce the amount of minutes his starters are playing. That's been beneficial for the Knicks as they continue to fight for a top seed in the East.

But it's getting cluttered with them, the Cavs and the Celtics. The Knicks' best option will be to avoid Detroit, whom they're 0-3 against this season. That means they have to get the 2-seed at all costs. It's going to be a tough task to outpace Boston and Cleveland, but that's the goal for New York.

No. 4 - Boston Celtics

Quite possibly the biggest surprise this season is just how good Boston has been. Who they lost has been well documented, but their success without many new additions has made them one of the NBA's biggest surprises.

Their only true weak spot right now is what they do when their three-pointers aren't falling. They are an insane 29-3 when they shoot 35% or better from three, meaning they're just 11-17 when the shots aren't falling. Newly acquired Nikola Vucevic should help on the interior when that happens, but coach Joe Mazzulla may want a backup plan or two for when the games really start to matter.

No. 3 - Detroit Pistons

Detroit has made a major jump this year, essentially locking down the top seed in the East with a 5.5 game lead over Boston. After last year's acceleration into the playoffs, this is an even greater acceleration to the top.

It's mostly been defense that's driving their success, with the Pistons posting a 108.5 defensive rating on the season, second best in the league. This is similar to the gameplans of the Rockets and Magic, but unlike those two, the Pistons have a top-10 offense. They're well set to succeed when the playoffs come around.

No. 2- San Antonio Spurs

Up until their loss to the Knicks on Sunday, the Spurs were the league's hottest team, having won 10 of their last 11 games. That streak has gotten them within three games of the Thunder for the top seed in the West.

Victor Wembanyama has, unsurprisingly, led the Spurs in PPG (22.3) and RPG (11.6) over the last 10 games. But last season's Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle has also been a major driver, averaging 16.7 PPG and 6.1 APG in the same 10-game span. San Antonio has a chance to reach the top seed in the West and is a threat to win it all.

STEPHON CASTLE STEAL & DUNK. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/Y4DLjwZrZp

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2026

No. 1 - Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder retain our top spot yet again. It's not just because they've been one of the league's best teams, but because they've continued to have success despite injuries to their main contributors.

Jalen Williams has missed 35 of the Thunder's 62 games, yet they lead the West. In Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's nine-game absence, they went 5-4, seven of those without Williams. They're a well-rounded team and are able to find ways to win without their top two options. They're our top team yet again, but San Antonio and Detroit are hot on their heels.

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