NBA Power Rankings: Where Do All 30 Teams Stand Ahead of the All-Star Break? [2026]

February 12, 2026

RotoBaller's NBA power rankings for all 30 teams heading into All-Star Break of 2026. Where does each NBA team stand in our latest power rankings for the 2025-2026 season?

The All-Star break is already happening this weekend, which feels insanely quick after a surprisingly hectic trade deadline. James Harden's trade request shocked the NBA landscape, but the Cavaliers are alright with that (for now).

The Clippers were rolling, but his and Ivica Zubac's departure is going to hurt them. How far did they fall? And are the Pistons the only team in the East able to stop our latest juggernaut, the Charlotte Hornets?

Read on and find out where each team appears in our updated NBA Power Rankings ahead of the All-Star break.

No. 30 - Sacramento Kings

A wasted season is getting even worse for Sacramento, mostly because they were unable to start their rebuild early. No teams bit on either Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine at the trade deadline.

Sacramento is going to have to get things started in the offseason and hope more suitors show interest in their trio of stars. Meanwhile, the Kings have lost 13 straight games and have more than just one foot out the door as they aim towards the 2026-2027 season.

No. 29 - Washington Wizards

The Wizards made noise with a surprise trade for Anthony Davis. They'll pair AD with the recently acquired Trae Young and the rest of their young pieces to hopefully field a more competitive team next season. Neither are going to be on the court any time soon, but that's fine with Washington.

They'll get those two healthy, snag another lottery pick, and look to surprise teams next year. But for now it's all about the young guys developing so that they're ready for next season's hopeful leap.

No. 28 - New Orleans Pelicans

It seemed to be a surprising strategy for New Orleans to be so adamant about keeping it's young core together instead of selling at the trade deadline. Some may have thought it was a bluff to get more value for guys like Trey Murphy III, but they held strong and clearly are looking at this core, plus a healthy Dejounte Murray, as their future.

Whether an organization like the Pelicans banking on health is a smart strategy or not is a whole predicament in itself, but that's what they're rolling with. The rest of the season simply needs to be about preserving the health of their oft-injured stars. If riding with Zion Williamson is their key to success then expect the Pelicans to be ultra careful with him as the season winds down and New Orleans turns its attention to Mardi Gras celebrations.

No. 27 - Brooklyn Nets

The Nets finally came to a resolution on the Cam Thomas situation, just not one they or probably anyone else preferred. Unable to find a suitor or come to a long-term deal, the Nets simply waived Thomas after the deadline to cut their losses. That move now points to Michael Porter Jr. being the leader of this Nets team, at least for now. He'll pop up in trade rumors again in the offseason, but he's going to be the driving force for this Nets team as long as he stays healthy.

That's a major caveat, though, as MPJ is currently dealing with knee tendinitis and has a bit of an injury history to consider. The Nets are going to carefully watch over their best player for the rest of the season, whether his future is in Brooklyn or with another organization.

No. 26 - Utah Jazz

The Jazz made a splash at the trade deadline by acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis at the trade deadline. But, similar to Washington, they're not making that trade for success in 2026. They're aiming for success in 2027. That couldn't be more evident than their gameplan on Monday night where they sat Lauri Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter of an eventual win against Miami.

The strategy is very reminiscent of what Toronto did last season after the All-Star break. Utah will continue to give its young guys minutes late in games to develop for next season. It worked well for the Raptors and the Jazz are hoping it will yield similar results for them.

No. 25 - Indiana Pacers

The Pacers continued to build for their 2026-2027 season at this year's deadline by acquiring Ivica Zubac from the Clippers at the trade deadline. That's going to help fill the void that was left by Myles Turner when he left in free agency, and gives Tyrese Haliburton a great interior presence once he returns. But Zubac is dealing with an ankle injury and will be out until after the All-Star break.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Indiana rest him longer. After all, preserving health for next season with newly acquired players seems to be a common theme among tanking teams this season. At 3-7 in their last ten, Indiana is in no rush to get him on the court unnecessarily.

No. 24 - Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant is staying in Memphis. At least through the end of the season, that is. Memphis was unable to find a trade partner for Morant, though a decent number of teams reportedly showed interest. The price was too high at the deadline and the Grizzlies will be hoping it seems more appeasing in the offseason. In the meantime, the Grizzlies are just 5-16 since December 26th and are five games out of the play-in in the West.

And after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz at the deadline, it looks like they're not interested in competing this season. They'll look to position themselves in the lottery and potentially prepare for life without Morant.

No. 23 - Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks don't totally feel like they're out of things yet, and maybe they're not. They're just 2.5 GB of the Hornets in the Eastern Conference play-in bracket, but the problem there lies with the fact that Charlotte has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Milwaukee believes in itself, though, and thus hasn't ruled out Giannis Antetokounmpo's return to the lineup this season. Three straight wins have helped keep them in the race, but the schedule is going to toughen up after the All-Star break. If they have hope of making the play-in, they're going to need to overachieve until Giannis is able to return.

No. 22 - Dallas Mavericks

And just like that the Anthony Davis era is over almost as quickly as it began. The Mavericks turned AD into four players and five picks in the deal that sent him to Washington. Now, Dallas can focus on truly making this Cooper Flagg's team. The rookie recently had a four-game stretch where he averaged 37.8 PPG and 9.3 RPG, continuing to showcase his skills as the number one overall pick in the draft.

COOPER FLAGG MY GOODNESS 😱 pic.twitter.com/g6qoErNRNn

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 11, 2026

Dallas is likely too far back of the play-in to make any sort of real run, but they're not aiming for competitiveness this season anyways. If things continue to develop for them in the right ways, then they'll get back to being competitive in the West a lot sooner than it looked like just a year ago.

No. 21 - Chicago Bulls

The Bulls finally committed to blowing it up a bit, something that feels like it's been long overdue. They shipped out Nikola Vucevic to Boston and Coby White got sent to Charlotte. The roster still is a bit jumbled in terms of long-term stability, but any sort of commitment to shipping out players to get some worth out of them while they can is a new development that should be welcomed by Chicago fans.

They're a game back of the Hornets for the final play-in spot, but whether or not the play-in is beneficial to the Bulls' future is a whole different question.

No. 20 - Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta fans never got to truly see how their roster would look with a healthy Kristaps Porzingis. Recognizing that they needed to make a move, they sent KP off to Golden State and got Jonathan Kuminga in return. At the very least, that's going to be a healthy body on the court that they weren't getting previously.

They're still underachieving compared to preseason expectations, but their roster has seen quite a bit of change this season, with Trae Young also getting shipped out. They look pretty primed for the play-in as it stands, but will they be able to make any real noise? We'll find out in April.

No. 19 - Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers finally snapped out of their funk, winning three straight games after losing six straight. Not that much will change their positioning in the West, with them holding a five-game lead over the Grizzlies for the final play-in spot. But with Memphis now apparently looking to tank, and the Mavericks not being in a position to really make a run, there's not much pressure on the Blazers.

That will mean they can get their roster healthy for the play-in. But will they have enough on the roster to make noise once the play-in starts? That's going to be the biggest question until April comes around.

No. 18 - Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers' upward trajectory in the West took a major hit this past week as they were forced to trade away James Harden and later shipped out Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin are now Clippers, though Garland may not be making his Clippers' debut anytime soon as he deals with toe issues. Los Angeles will now be forced to play smaller without a solid interior presence. John Collins can be strong inside, but he's a bit undersized, and Brook Lopez doesn't exactly have age on his side.

Kawhi Leonard now has to shoulder an even heavier load. The Clippers, similar to the Blazers, have gotten themselves locked into the play-in. But their rest-of-season projections may be tough to predict so we'll just have to wait and see how this all works out for them.

No. 17 - Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets' nine-game win streak came to a rather eventful end on Monday night in a 110-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons. What happened in that loss may cost the Hornets in the short term, though. As of this writing, no punishments have been announced for Monday night's brawl, but it won't be surprising to see the league suspend both Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges for a period of time.

They have been paramount to Charlotte's recent success, especially Diabate. So any time missed is going to hurt. But Charlotte has been resilient since the calendar flipped to January and simply will have to figure out a way if they are to miss any length of time.

No. 16 - Miami Heat

The Heat didn't make any major splashes at the trade deadline despite being involved in what felt like every big-name rumor. They instead will continue through the season with the roster they're already familiar with. That's not going to be the worst thing for them, but they need to be better against lesser competition. On Monday they fell to the Utah Jazz in a game where the Jazz sat their main contributors in the fourth quarter.

That can be a major wake-up call for them or it can be a sign of the future for Miami. Heat fans better be hopeful it's the former and not the latter.

No. 15 - Orlando Magic

The Magic are looking pretty solid to at least make the play-in, but they are aiming higher given their preseason expectations. At 1.5 GB of the Sixers for the six-seed, they're going to want to try and make that jump, but their fans need them to be a little bit less Jekyll and Hyde. The offense has been spectacular in their wins but often scores fewer than 100 points when they lose, at least as of late.

They'll need a bit more consistency on the offensive end to be able to rattle off enough wins to make it out of the play-in. And with the offseason expectations after the Desmond Bane trade, avoiding the play-in would be preferable for them.

No. 14 - Golden State Warriors

It's now been 10 games without Jimmy Butler, and the Warriors are 4-6 in that span. They did land a big name at the deadline in Kristaps Porzingis, but he's been dealing with quite a few issues this season that have limited his on-court ability. He'll be better than a benched Jonathan Kuminga, but Golden State still has an uphill battle.

Stephen Curry has been battling a knee issue as well that's going to keep him out until after the All-Star break. The future Hall-of-Fame player is dynamite when healthy, but if the injury keeps lingering, it may spell doom for the Warriors.

No. 13 - Phoenix Suns

It's not all that bad in Phoenix right now with both Jalen Green and Devin Booker back healthy, at least for the moment. And they've been needing them back too as the Suns were just 1-3 in their last four games prior to Tuesday night's matchup against Dallas.

Devin Booker hunted out by Cooper Flagg here, & says absolutely not defensively.

Slides his feet well to win to each spot, keeps help from being engaged with the chest up below the free throw line.

Timely stop. pic.twitter.com/bVrjk5TF0J

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) February 11, 2026

With both of them healthy they may be set to leap into a top-six seed and avoid the play-in altogether. One of the league's biggest surprises is set to continue surprising, as long as Booker and Green stay healthy.

No. 12 - Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers still are holding onto a negative net rating, and that still points towards negative regression (as I've been pointing out here week after week) but they've done a fairly decent job at holding off that negative regression. Maybe that will come during the second half of the season, but for now, they're holding onto the five-seed in the West. There's not much breathing room, though, between them and Phoenix in the seven seed.

To stave off that negative regression longer, they are going to need to have the offense pick it up more than they have been. If the offense gets clicking, then the Lakers should be just fine.

No. 11 - Philadelphia 76ers

After winning five straight games, the Sixers have dropped two of their last three. It's not the worst turn in the world, but they hold just a 1.5-game lead over the Magic. That can quickly disappear if they slack, but Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have been phenomenal for Philadelphia. They're going to be very important to Philly's success going forward, especially with Paul George suspended.

Luckily, the Sixers have the ninth-easiest remaining schedule (according to Tankathon), so they should be able to survive without PG. But Orlando is anxious to avoid the play-in altogether, so Philadelphia can't rest too easily.

No. 10 - Toronto Raptors

The Raptors may have missed out on Domantas Sabonis, but that's going to be all good for them for now. They're 7-3 in their last 10 games and have been pretty solid on offense in their wins, putting up 120+ points in six of those 10 games. But the defense has been the reason for their success, allowing fewer than 110 points in six of those 10 games as well.

The Raptors are playing very well right now and, if they keep it up, could potentially find themselves in a top-four seed with home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

No. 9 - Minnesota Timberwolves

Are things OK in Minnesota? The record says things are OK, and the recent play isn't terrible, but maybe there's some contempt inside the locker room. Rudy Gobert recently made headlines with his comments saying, "There's just no effort," regarding the Timberwolves' defense. "There's no sense of urgency. No accountability." That kind of stuff doesn't just get leaked out to reporters without some internal issues.

Minnesota is currently in the six-seed and doesn't have much wiggle room above Phoenix in the play-in. Minnesota has the talent, but they can't let team chemistry hold them back.

No. 8 - Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland was the beneficiary to one of the bigger trade deadline surprises with James Harden requesting a trade. The Cavaliers now have both Donovan Mitchell and Harden in their backcourt, giving them a real solid one-two punch. That should get even stronger once Evan Mobley returns to the fold. In the meantime, the Cavs are 14-5 since the calendar flipped to January.

Top performance of the night (2/9):

Donovan Mitchell 32 PTS, 10 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 3 3PM, 7/8 FT on 11/23 FG vs Nuggets pic.twitter.com/kAbZcTABkK

— Top Performances (@PostingSportsWs) February 11, 2026

They're finally looking like the threat they were last season, and Harden's facilitating and three-point presence may be enough to get them back into the NBA Finals.

No. 7 - Houston Rockets

The Rockets are a bit of a confusing squad at times. They clearly have the talent to potentially win the West, but at times, you wonder if they'll be able to put it fully together for a full seven-game series. They have shown more of the former in recent weeks with solid wins over top-tier teams like the Pistons and Thunder. But they also have had some subpar offensive performances that have cost them.

They're 7-3 in their last 10 games, and in each of their three losses, they've failed to break 100 points. An inefficient offense was their downfall last season, and they need to find ways to stave off these kinds of performances in the future if they want to go far in the playoffs.

No. 6 - Boston Celtics

The Celtics are certainly exceeding preseason expectations this year, but at times it can feel a bit like they're playing with fire. As of late they've been a real struggle to watch in the first quarter, putting up fewer than 25 points in each of their last three games and under 20 in two of those three. They've also scored under 100 in each of their last two games, which isn't something you'd expect from an offense that can be as prolific as the Celtics can be.

Part of that may be getting newly acquired Nikola Vucevic acclimated to the offense, but Boston needs to find a way to stave off these subpar offensive performances. Also of note, Jayson Tatum has been cleared for practices in the G-League. Could we actually see him return this season?

No. 5 - Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are back in a spot where four of their starting five are now back after Cameron Johnson returned from a knee injury after missing about a month and a half's worth of action. But Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun still need to be cautious with minutes in their starts. On top of that, Peyton Watson is going to be out for the next four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Denver isn't quite in danger of falling to the play-in, but they do need to find a way to pick it up to get back towards the two-seed. Winning one of their last five isn't a way to stay successful in a very tough Western Conference.

No. 4 - New York Knicks

The Knicks rattled off a nice eight-game win streak, which all of a sudden feels very important after dropping two of their last three games right after that. A loss on Tuesday to the Pacers now has them in the three-seed in the East with just a 3.5 game lead over Philly in the six-seed. They're not in danger of dropping further than that, but things are all of a sudden pretty tight.

They're going to need to find a way to rattle off another solid winning streak to build confidence in the roster and keep them in the top four. Home court is going to be very important for the Knicks and their fans at Madison Square Garden as they look to finally represent the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1999.

No. 3 - San Antonio Spurs

Last Week Ranking - 3

Maybe we aren't paying enough attention to the Spurs. It felt like they were everyone's darlings after upsetting the Thunder in the NBA Cup, but they got quickly forgotten about after that. Well, they're back and cruising, and people need to have their eyes on San Antonio. They've won 10 of their last 13 games after taking care of the Lakers on Tuesday night.

Everyone is contributing for the Spurs in this stretch, with seven players averaging at least 11 PPG in these 13 games, with Victor Wembanyama leading the way. The Spurs may not catch the Thunder in the regular season, but they're most certainly going to be a threat to them in the playoffs.

No. 2- Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have been the Eastern Conference's best team all season long and have dealt with adversity through injury this season, but that hasn't stopped them. They're likely going to have to face a bit more adversity with a potential suspension coming for Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart after Monday night's events in Charlotte.

Luckily, they have a sizable lead over every other team in the East, which is going to make it much easier to absorb that blow for however many games they may miss. Detroit is poised to be the top seed in the East headed into the playoffs, something they haven't done since the 2002-2003 season.

No. 1 - Oklahoma City Thunder

Our top seed again is the Oklahoma City Thunder. But they're facing a little more adversity than normal right now. Last year's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is dealing with an abdominal strain that's keeping him out through the All-Star break. He's set to be re-evaluated after the break, but any other potential time missed has yet to be determined.

Losing an MVP is going to hurt any team, but luckily for the Thunder, they're a pretty deep team. Jalen Williams is also finally healthy after missing much of the season and can help shoulder the load. If SGA is forced to miss real time then it's going to hurt, but the Thunder are deep for a reason. They're our top team yet again but can't slip up with the Pistons right on their heels.

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