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

March 16, 2026

RotoBaller's NBA power rankings for all 30 teams in mid-March. Where does each NBA team stand in our latest power rankings for the 2025-26 season?

With less than a month left in the NBA regular season, we're at a point where we have a clear picture of who's going to be playing in April and May. But just who's going to be in the play-in and who's going to sneak near the top of the standings is up for grabs.

In the East, the top four teams are clear, but it's chaotic from seeds five through 10, with Toronto and Philadelphia dropping into the play-in. Three through seven in the West is just as jumbled.

How is it all going to shake out, and who's in the most trouble with their recent slides? Read on to find out.

No. 30 - Sacramento Kings

This season has long been lost for Sacramento, but that doesn't mean there aren't silver linings to look forward to lately. One of those has been the development of Maxime Raynaud, who's been really solid for the Kings.

Since the All-Star break, the rookie is averaging 16.3 PPG and 9.5 RPG, giving them a solid interior presence. That will be necessary with Domantas Sabonis likely being shipped out in the offseason as the Kings aim to have a much different look next season.

No. 29 - Indiana Pacers

That mini stretch of somewhat competitive basketball is long gone for the Pacers. They'd lost 12 straight games before Sunday's matchup against the Bucks, just barely outpacing the Wizards' 11-game losing streak in a race to the bottom.

Ivica Zubac made his Pacers debut this week, though, and that's at least something solid for fans to look forward to. Tie him in with a top pick in this year's draft, alongside the return of Tyrese Haliburton, and Indiana may be looking good for 2026-27.

No. 28 - Washington Wizards

As we just mentioned in the Pacers' section, the Wizards are quickly racing to the bottom with similar intentions. They need to do all they can to develop their youngsters and gain a top pick to put beside Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

Bilal Coulibaly may be a big piece of that future, too. He had a magnificent 29-point game in a near overtime upset win against the Magic this week, where he shot 5-of-11 from three.

The record won't ever look pretty, but the Wizards just want development and health for the remainder of the season.

No. 27 - Brooklyn Nets

It hasn't been a pretty season in Brooklyn, but the young guys have brought some excitement at times. Unfortunately, more of those moments look to be coming to an end as their injury list continues to grow with season-ending injuries.

Day'Ron Sharpe and Egor Demin both had season-ending surgeries this week, while Michael Porter Jr. suffered an ankle sprain that has forced him to miss consecutive games. Nets fans won't expect competitive basketball anytime soon, but they'd prefer fewer injuries as the season winds down.

No. 26 - Utah Jazz

Speaking of injuries, it feels like all of Utah's future is on the injury report. Keyonte George has a hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated at the end of the week, while first-round draft pick Ace Bailey is out with a concussion he suffered against the Blazers on Friday.

Injuries have been a constant for Utah over the past couple of seasons, forcing it to continually rebuild. Health and a top draft pick, though, may bring it better fortune in 2026-27.

No. 25 - New Orleans Pelicans

It has to really sting for the Pelicans to not have a first-round pick this season. That's because they traded this year's first-rounder to the Atlanta Hawks for the right to trade for Derik Queen.

Queen served well as a starter this season, but as the Pelicans starting lineup has gotten healthier, he's seen his minutes and impact decline. Those starting minutes will help him out next season, but that doesn't change the fact that the finish to this season is a pretty awkward one for New Orleans.

No. 24 - Dallas Mavericks

Let's not focus on the fact that Dallas has a -11.8 net rating since the All-Star break. Let's focus more on the fact that Cooper Flagg is healthy, and he's facilitating the ball pretty well, averaging 5.8 APG since coming back from injury.

Gettin' in his 🎒#MFFLAGG pic.twitter.com/gb5VKeHakv

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 15, 2026

Brandon Williams has seen his role decrease with Flagg coming back into the fold, but let's not overlook him averaging 16.0 PPG in Flagg's absence. That helped give Dallas some firepower against its opponents, but that hasn't resulted in winning basketball. This season has long been about next season for the Mavericks.

No. 23 - Memphis Grizzlies

If nothing less, at least Grizzlies games are filled with points! Unfortunately for Memphis fans, that's because their defense has been incredibly leaky as of late.

That's thanks to a 126.2 defensive rating over their last six games. It could be a sign that Memphis simply wants to improve on its draft positioning with the expectation that it'll be shopping Ja Morant to other teams this offseason.

No. 22 - Chicago Bulls

The good news for Bulls fans is that Josh Giddey is healthy and performing at a solid level. After getting a bump in minutes over his last six games, he's averaging 19.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 11.8 APG.

That's something the Bulls feel they can build around. With the recent performance of Matas Buzelis, there seems to be some optimism about the future. But Bulls fans know roster construction has been an issue, so their hopes may be reserved until proved otherwise by the front office.

No. 21 - Milwaukee Bucks

When Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the Bucks lineup, they were within reach of a play-in spot and were coming off an 8-4 run. You could have felt some concern from the teams they were chasing in the play-in.

But since then, those teams have gotten hot, and the Bucks have severely cooled off. With what's likely too large a gap between them and Charlotte in the 10 seed, their season's likely done. The discussions about Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee are going to dominate conversations for the next few months.

No. 20 - Portland Trail Blazers

For quite a while now, we've been pushing the idea of a Blazers-Clippers first-round play-in game, given how the standings have been looking. But thanks to a slide from the Warriors, the Blazers now have multiple different scenarios they could find themselves in.

They can realistically pass Golden State and own home court for that first-round game against the Warriors. Or if they play well enough, they could jump into the eight seed and get themselves a date on the road against likely the Suns.

Those chances would be better if they could get wins against good teams. They're beating bad ones but losing to good ones. If they want to make noise in the play-in bracket, they have to start beating good teams.

No. 19 - Golden State Warriors

Yes, it's starting to get bad for Golden State. Before the All-Star break, it had a 29-26 record. Now, after losing to Minnesota on Friday, it is 32-34 and in danger of dropping to the 10 seed.

The Warriors desperately need future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry back in the lineup, but he's expected to stay out of the lineup for likely another week. That help can't come soon enough as the Warriors need to do everything they can to stop the bleeding.

No. 18 - Philadelphia 76ers

Is anyone even left on this roster now? That was my reaction earlier in the week after it was announced Kelly Oubre Jr. would be out at least two weeks. That's on top of the injuries to Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Add in Paul George's suspension, and it feels like an "all hands on deck" type of situation for Philly.

The slide, along with the play-in teams all seemingly hot at the same time, has gotten the Sixers to fall into the play-in bracket. They need reinforcements back as soon as possible to help ensure they are at least a top-8 seed to avoid a one-and-done play-in scenario.

No. 17 - Los Angeles Clippers

The turnaround since their abysmal start is really starting to look impressive as the Clippers have jumped all the way up to the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings. Doing all this in the midst of trading James Harden makes it all the more impressive.

But they may be facing some difficulties going forward as Kawhi Leonard sprained his ankle in Saturday night's loss to Sacramento. Luckily, their schedule isn't terribly difficult going forward, but if they want to keep that eight seed, they need to win as many games as possible.

No. 16 - Charlotte Hornets

Another team that's turned its season around, Charlotte has seen just exactly who it can be when the roster's actually healthy. Both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have played in 75% of all Hornets games this season, and their impact has shown.

Kon Knueppel has also had a major impact on the Hornets by setting the rookie record for threes made in the season already. The current Rookie of the Year favorite, alongside Ball and Miller, has the Hornets looking to make noise in the play-in this season.

The Blazers leave Kon Knueppel for the wide open 3 and Damian Lillard cannot believe it as well

Splash pic.twitter.com/RJi1lAxKdf

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) March 11, 2026

No. 15 - Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are finally starting to look like the team that everyone anticipated they'd be in the preseason. Ironically, that's all happening without two players everyone expected to make big impacts in Young and Kristaps Porzingis.

Since trading Porzingis, the Hawks are 10-4 with a +7.8 net rating. Their defensive rating of 108.4 in that span ranks fourth, especially impressive for a franchise not often known for its defense.

The Hawks are going to be dangerous for any team to face once the play-in gets started.

No. 14 - Toronto Raptors

The Raptors were sitting in a solid position in the Eastern Conference standings not too long ago, hovering in the five seed or six seed for quite some time alongside Philadelphia. But a recent slide has gotten them caught up in the play-in mix.

They're going to need a ton of big performances going forward to show that they're going to succeed in big moments. Scottie Barnes' game-saving block of Jalen Green on Friday night is just one example of the type of plays Toronto's going to need to snag itself a top-6 seed.

"GET THAT GARBAGE OUT OF HERE" 😱

Scottie Barnes, take a bow! #NBA pic.twitter.com/VAqWs7j7Hw

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) March 14, 2026

No. 13 - Phoenix Suns

Speaking of those Suns, there's an outside shot now that they may be able to escape the play-in bracket. That's going to involve getting quite a bit of help, but the chance is still there for one of the bigger surprises of the NBA season.

Phoenix fans are finally starting to see what the Devin Booker and Green pairing looks like, with both averaging 21 PPG or better since the All-Star break. Dillon Brooks keeps getting closer to a return. Once he's back, we'll finally be able to see what this revamped Suns team looks like at full strength.

No. 12 - Miami Heat

It's probably safe to say you heard about what Bam Adebayo did this week. His 83-point performance seemed incredibly out of the blue, especially since you'd likely assume this type of performance would come from someone a little more ball-dominant, like Tyler Herro.

But Adebayo has been a rock for Miami this season, taking the lead whenever guys like Herro or Norman Powell are forced out with injury. The Heat are now in a spot where they may be able to escape the play-in, and Adebayo's performance down the stretch is a major reason why.

83 points. The bucket that made HISTORY https://t.co/qgF59KhZEv pic.twitter.com/9kEVit5zuU

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026

No. 11 - Orlando Magic

Don't look now, but the Orlando Magic are scorching hot. They've won seven straight games and now find themselves as the five seed in the East. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane have been paramount for the Magic in this stretch, both averaging at least 23 PPG in the streak.

This is all coming without Franz Wagner being active, as he's dealing with an ankle injury and doesn't quite have a timetable for a return. The Magic will want to continue winning as many games as possible to give their star more time to rest up and be healed for the playoffs, as Orlando is finally looking like the team it was expected to be.

No. 10 - Los Angeles Lakers

Don't look now, but the Lakers are super close to making a big jump in our rankings. They've won eight of their last nine games and are currently in the three seed in the West. Safe to say they're feeling it right now.

Their season-long net rating is finally positive, but it still ranks just 15th overall. Their +10.8 net rating over the last 10 games ranks third, but how much of that is thanks to a softer schedule? Tougher tests lie ahead in the next week plus for the Lakers, a stretch in which we'll learn a lot about this team.

No. 9 - Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets almost had a solid week when they needed it most. But an overtime loss to the Lakers on Saturday took away momentum. A strong back-to-back sweep over the Rockets and Spurs should give them confidence, though, that there's still championship talent here.

A lot of that will have to do with the return of Aaron Gordon. The 30-year-old has only been able to play in 27 of Denver's games this season, but it is 18-9 with him active. He's a huge presence and a major reason Denver can win it all, but he needs to be excellent for the Nuggets to find themselves back in the three seed instead of diving toward the play-in.

No. 8 - Minnesota Timberwolves

A wise philosopher by the name of Sean Carter once said, "It was all good just a week ago." The Timberwolves can vibe with that quote because things were looking solid for them until losing four of their last five games.

They're now tied with the Nuggets, both holding just a 1.5-game lead over the Suns in the play-in bracket. With a very interesting schedule to finish the season, Minnesota's going to have to get down and dirty to stay above both the Suns and Nuggets, as it also tries to fight for the three seed in the West.

No. 7 - Houston Rockets

For a while in the middle of the season, the Rockets found themselves caught up in a string of .500 basketball where they alternated wins and losses for what felt like an eternity. And now they've found themselves in a similar streak over the past couple of weeks.

That's not a huge problem for them right now since they've got much higher ambitions for the postseason. But it does raise the question of whether they'll be able to handle great teams in a seven-game series when all they can do now is alternate wins and losses.

Houston needs to end the season strong to build some confidence in its postseason chances among the fan base.

No. 6 - Cleveland Cavaliers

The honeymoon phase with Harden appears to be over, but Cleveland's done what it set out to do by solidifying itself as a threat in the East. It is a top-4 seed with a chance to get up to No. 3 with a bit of luck.

But, like the Rockets, the Cavs are in a bit of a .500 rut right now. They'll want to get onto a strong hot streak heading into the playoffs. With how their schedule finishes out, they will have more than enough of a chance to get scorching hot headed into the first round.

No. 5 - New York Knicks

Another team stuck in an alternating rut, the Knicks are struggling to get it going. A bit of a concern lately is that they're beating bad teams, but they're not excelling against playoff teams (outside of the Nuggets, who were on the second leg of a back-to-back and saw Jamal Murray exit early).

New York has done enough to be sure it'll have home court during the first round, but after seeing its season cut short in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, it wants to go further. Maybe it is saving it for the playoffs, but that may not be the best strategy against a group of lower seeds that are almost all getting hot at the right time.

No. 4 - Boston Celtics

The string of competitors on a .500 run extends through Boston as well. It is 3-3 in its last six games, and that's held it back from gaining ground on the Detroit Pistons right in front of it. Maybe the one seed is a bit too ambitious given the preseason expectations, but it was within its reach.

Jayson Tatum has at least looked pretty solid in his return to action, having two games of 20+ points and another two games of 12+ rebounds. With him healthy, the Celtics stand a chance against anybody in the league once the playoffs come around.

No. 3 - Detroit Pistons

How many competitors are going to be stuck in a .500 rut? The Pistons are actually below that right now with a 3-5 record over their last eight games after losing to the Raptors on Sunday.

They're solidly in the No. 1 seed in the East right now, but that's not going to make their fans feel more comfortable if they go into the playoffs stumbling.

No. 2- San Antonio Spurs

Finally, a contender that's not in the midst of a .500 rut. The Spurs have been absolutely humming with a 17-2 record since February 1, continuing to prove they're absolutely for real. A 125-116 prime-time victory over the Boston Celtics continued to show how dominant they can be on a national stage.

With only a few tests left on the remainder of their schedule, there's a very slight chance they take the top seed away from the Thunder. But even if they don't, they've shown this season they're more than capable of taking out the reigning champs. San Antonio has everything it needs to be able to win it all this season.

No. 1 - Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder come in as our top seed yet again. We haven't moved them from the top spot at all this season, and it's looking like they'll go wire-to-wire. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like he'll be going back-to-back as the MVP as well after hitting an overtime game-winner against the league's last back-to-back MVP winner in Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets last week.

SGA WITH THE GAME WINNER!!!!

SGA GREATEST HITS TOUR CONTINUES!!! pic.twitter.com/CbiGUnPfCb

— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) March 10, 2026

The main question in OKC right now is when it'll get Jalen Williams back. Williams has missed the last 13 games with a hamstring strain. J-Dub is a huge part of the rotation and will make repeating that much easier for the Thunder.

But even without him, OKC has shown it can be the best in the league. It takes our top seed yet again as we barrel into the final month of the NBA regular season.

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