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Power Rankings for NBA teams in the 2025-2026 NBA season. RotoBaller's Kevin Larson analyzes every NBA Team with Preseason Power Rankings from worst to first.
NBA Preseason Power Rankings: Every Team From Worst to First
Can you believe the NBA season is just a week away now? It doesn’t feel like the Thunder and Pacers going seven games for the title was four months ago but here we are. And after OKC took home their first title, they’re aiming to repeat. But teams in the West have made major changes and don’t want to let that happen. The East is going to see a shake-up as well with both Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum expected to miss the entirety of this season, knocking down the Pacers and Celtics quite a bit. The chase for the crown this season feels wide open. So let’s dive into our preseason power rankings. We’ll include win totals as they currently stand on DraftKings Sportsbook as well. What are the expectations for your team and where do they stand in our rankings? Let’s find out.
30. Utah Jazz
Vegas Win Total: 18.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
It’s looking like another development season in Utah. The Jazz drafted Ace Bailey out of Rutgers, the next apparent star for the Jazz. The rookie is lighting it up in the preseason, posting at least 20 points in each of Utah’s first two games. He’ll likely be asked to take on a bigger role this season with Utah parting ways with most of its guard talent in the offseason (Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton). Lauri Markkanen is still the headliner here, but it doesn’t look like Utah will be aiming to compete this season. They’re going to let the kids play. And if the preseason tells us anything about what that will be like, it’s going to mean a ton of points on each side.
29. Washington Wizards
Vegas Win Total: 20.5
There’s really only going to be one main goal for the first half of Washington’s season and that’s going to be that Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum do enough to net the Wizards a decent return at the trade deadline. Both veterans are in the final year of their contracts, positioning them as appealing rentals at the trade deadline. Outside of that, it’s yet another developmental year in Washington. The hopes for Alexandre Sarr and Bub Carrington to keep developing will be big. Outside of that, most Wizards fans won’t be caring to tune in all that often in yet another expected down season.
28. Brooklyn Nets
Vegas Win Total: 20.5
The Nets look like they’re going to be positioning themselves for another rebuild here shortly. The story of the offseason was that Cam Thomas and the front office couldn’t come to an agreement on a long-term contract, forcing the guard to sign a one year, $6 million qualifying offer that will make him an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Newly acquired forward Michael Porter Jr. should see more opportunities in Brooklyn’s offense to take control compared to what he did in Denver, but it’s unlikely that’s going to lead to a competitive season in Brooklyn. The Nets are at a bit of a pressure point this year that could lead to Thomas bouncing in the offseason, meaning more down seasons for the Nets could be right around the corner.
27. Charlotte Hornets
Vegas Win Total: 25.5
If there’s one team who could really surprise others in the Eastern Conference then I believe it’s the Charlotte Hornets. They made enough moves in the offseason to improve their depth at guard (trade for Collin Sexton, signed Spencer Dinwiddie) to hopefully stymie some of the downswings they’ve seen when LaMelo Ball goes down with an injury.
They drafted decently enough that the bench may have some firepower too. Are they going to run the table? Absolutely not, but count me as someone who strongly believes they’ll be in contention for the play-in tournament this season. There’s still a lot to prove, and this ranking and win total reflect that, but Charlotte has the potential to surprise teams in the East this season if they stay healthy.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
Vegas Win Total: 30.5
After last season’s injury debacles, the Pelicans just want to see a season where their IL doesn’t look like a CVS receipt. The starting five is going to look massively different than it has in the past few seasons after acquiring Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Saddiq Bey. Does that mean competitiveness in the West? Probably not, but if they all mesh and Zion Williamson stays healthy (which has obviously been a challenge) then we could be looking at a fun team down in the Big Easy.
25. Phoenix Suns
Vegas Win Total: 30.5
Time to flip the page past the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal era. The hopes in Phoenix still lie with Devin Booker, as they always have, but now he’s got Jalen Green by his side. The expectation is that’s going to add up to points, points, more points, points, some more points and then some additional points after that for everyone on the court.
Unfortunately the Suns haven’t been able to see that lineup’s potential yet as Green’s missed each of their preseason games with a hamstring injury. He’s aiming for a return on opening night, at which point we’ll be able to see this new Suns era. Will it lead to a competitive season? The odds say not quite, but games in Phoenix should be entertaining at the very least.
24. Portland Trail Blazers
Vegas Win Total: 34.5
Damian Lillard is back in Portland and Blazers fans are thrilled about that. But he’s going to be out this entire season so his presence will only be felt in the bench. And with Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton both leaving in the offseason, there’s a bit of a scoring void that Portland’s going to need to fill.
They brought in Jrue Holiday in the trade that sent Simons to Boston, but he’s never been a big scoring threat. That could mean more scoring opportunities for guys like Jerami Grant and Shaedon Sharpe. Sharpe’s been getting more looks in the preseason, but is it going to lead to regular season success? There are a lot of questions to be answered in Portland as they look to build a better foundation for when Dame returned in the 2026-2027 season.
23. Chicago Bulls
Vegas Win Total: 32.5
Chicago was faced with major roster questions last season as it looked like they were ready to enter a rebuild stage. After shipping out DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento last offseason, they sent Zach LaVine to be his teammate yet again. It appeared as if Nikola Vucevic would be the next out the door, but the Bulls have held onto him for now.
They’re looking to build a team around Josh Giddey, who they signed to a four-year deal this offseason. Giddey’s production really took off after the All-Star break and the Bulls followed suit, posting a +4.8 net rating after the break. The front office is banking on that second half being a sign of what’s to come as the Bulls enter yet another season where volatility may run rampant.
22. Sacramento Kings
Vegas Win Total: 35.5
The Kings made noise a couple seasons ago breaking out of obscurity and making a run into the playoffs, which ultimately got cut short by the Golden State Warriors. This Kings team looks much different than that did and faces a bit more uncertainty. They’ll continue their run without De’Aaron Fox at point guard while having trust in former Bulls teammates DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
They’ll have new addition Dennis Schroder helping out at point guard, but it doesn’t feel like what they have will be enough to get the past the play-in bracket. Though none of their key contributors become unrestricted free agents for two more seasons, it feels like this season will be a very pivotal one for Sacramento.
21. Miami Heat
Vegas Win Total: 36.5
This season may be one of Miami’s toughest tests in quite some time in terms of staying playoff relevant. They’ve always had the talent and coaching to find themselves in the race, but now they find themselves not even as the favorites in their own division with a roster that doesn’t have a ton of standouts. It’s very likely they still surpass their win total as long as everyone stays healthy, but how far can the roster take them? It’s a jumbled mix beyond Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. The addition of Norman Powell may be underrated. The big question lies in if it’s enough to get them beyond the play-in.
20. Indiana Pacers
Vegas Win Total: 37.5
Oh what could have been if Tyrese Haliburton hadn’t gone down in Game 7. With him out for the season, and Myles Turner departing for Milwaukee in free agency, Indiana can’t realistically expect to represent the East in the NBA Finals for the second straight year. That’s a bit of a shame given how their depth and team-friendly style of play helped them elevate in 2024-2025.
But their starting five this season may still be formidable with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin expected to lead the pack. Winning the East may not be realistic, but it’s not farfetched to think that the Pacers could end up as a top six seed again.
19. Memphis Grizzlies
Vegas Win Total: 39.5
After shipping off Desmond Bane to Orlando, the Grizzlies still have a real solid top two with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. But the rest of the roster looks to be filled with question marks. Memphis has always been able to succeed by playing a lot of team ball and that’s going to have to continue with their roster, especially given Morant’s injury history. They should improve on defense with the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a solid three-and-D presence, but how far can they go with this roster? That’s the main question for Memphis this season.
18. Toronto Raptors
Vegas Win Total: 38.5
The key for Toronto’s upcoming season will be health. They’ve struggled with it in the past few seasons and adding Brandon Ingram doesn’t exactly solve that issue. However, I expect the Raptors to be a team that surprises the league this season. Maybe not a huge surprise, but given their health I’d expect that they will make the playoffs in the East this season.
Last year they had a realistic chance at making the play-in but chose an “ethical tanking” route instead. That experience they gave to their bench players, instead of having the starters finish games. may help them this season. We’ll see how it works this season, but don’t be surprised if Toronto makes noise in the regular season.
17. Dallas Mavericks
Vegas Win Total: 39.5
They may not have all their fans back after last year’s front office decisions, but Dallas should be an interesting watch at the very least this season. After all, winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes isn’t a bad consolation prize for trading Luka Doncic. OK, maybe it’s not a great consolation prize at all in their eyes, but the 18-year-old can do it all and should bring some excitement for Mavs fans this season.
Anthony Davis should provide a very solid interior presence for Dallas as well, but as is always the case with AD he needs to stay healthy to maximize his impact. The addition of D’Angelo Russell at point guard will make Dallas games very interesting too, just maybe not always the way Mavs fans want it to happen. Dallas games will be, at the very least, intriguing to watch this season.
16. Boston Celtics
Vegas Win Total: 41.5
With Jayson Tatum likely out for the season, even though he’s not ruling out a return before season’s end, Boston saw the writing on the wall early. Kristaps Porzingis was shipped out to Atlanta and Jrue Holiday was sent out to Portland. So only Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are returning from last season’s starting five.
They’re still going to have offensive firepower, though, especially with the addition of Anfernee Simons. And they’re still going to shoot a ton of threes. That’s going to make them a threat. So even though we’re knocking them down from their normal championship contender status, they’re still going to be a handful for a majority of teams in the league.
15. Milwaukee Bucks
Vegas Win Total: 43.5
So what exactly is the plan here in Milwaukee? They’re undoubtedly trying to balance the possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s departure alongside trying to build a roster around him that will be able to compete. Myles Turner’s arrival through free agency helped them with size, especially after Brook Lopez darted to the Clippers in free agency. But is that going to be enough?
Size has always been paramount in Milwaukee’s offense, but so has three point shooting. While there may be enough here from beyond the arc, the strength of their guards on roster comes into question. It’s a pivotal season in Milwaukee that carries a lot of volatility with a small margin of error. Buckle up, Bucks fans.
14. Philadelphia 76ers
Vegas Win Total: 42.5
We keep harping on how important health is to some of these rosters and this franchise knows all about how important that is. They’re actually pretty tired of how things have gone if we’re being honest. Right as they were excited to have their big three all healthy again they got news that Jared McCain, who excelled when healthy in his rookie campaign last year, suffered a thumb injury that’s going to knock him out of the first few weeks of the season.
Can’t everyone just all be healthy at once? If they are then Philly fans will feel confident in their team. It may still take a while for Paul George to fully fit into the mix of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, though. In their limited time last season the Sixers had a net rating of -0.22 in the 294 minutes these three shared the floor. That’s not what they’re aiming for but is certainly a massive improvement over last year’s debacles. If these three can stay healthy (specifically Embiid) then the Sixers can return to the Eastern Conference playoffs in a year where the East feels open.
13. San Antonio Spurs
Vegas Win Total: 44.5
Is this the year that the Spurs finally return to playoff relevance? Their fans are certainly hoping so. Victor Wembanyama hopefully has his health issues behind him and can show through a full season that he’s everything we’ve already seen and more. Spurs fans are also anxious to see how the De’Aaron Fox and Wemby combo works over a full season. They didn’t get much opportunity after the trade deadline last year before Wembanyama was sidelined.
Similar to Philly’s big three, though, the two posted up a -1.95 net rating in 120 minutes they shared on the court. That shouldn’t be the expectation for them going forward, but they’ll need to prove this is a combo that’s going to work if the Spurs want to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.
12. Golden State Warriors
Vegas Win Total: 46.5
They may not know what exactly to do with Jonathan Kuminga quite yet but the Warriors are going to look to ride veteran leadership to another postseason appearance. Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler will be the drivers while newly acquired Al Horford will help provide size and additional threes that they may have been missing last season. That championship experience will help, but none of those three are young anymore. Just how much can we expect out of them and can they stay healthy long enough? That will be the big question for Golden State this season as it looks to become a threat in the postseason yet again.
11. Detroit PIstons
Vegas Win Total: 46.5
One of last year’s surprises, the Pistons are back and ready to show they can continue to compete. It was nice to make the playoffs but they want more than a first round exit. Cade Cunningham will continue to lead the upstart Pistons while they hope Jaden Ivey returns from his fractured fibula as a version of himself that’s anywhere close to who he was last season. That will certainly help push the Pistons into the realm of contenders. They may have a tough time leading the division with Cleveland ahead of them but they have plenty of reason to be excited about their chances of going deep this season.
10. Los Angeles Lakers
Vegas Win Total: 46.5
Is this actually going to be LeBron James’ last season? That’s going to be a question that lasts all season long. In the meantime they’ll have to show that James can work well alongside Luka Doncic for however long they’ll be paired up. Last season’s honeymoon ended abruptly with a first round loss to Minnesota. That should motivate them this year to fight harder to at least make the Western Conference Finals, especially if this is indeed James’ last season. It’s always a bit chaotic in LA, usually due to their own actions, but 2025-2026 is shaping up to be an intense season.
9. Atlanta Hawks
Vegas Win Total: 47.5
You look around and all of a sudden Kristaps Porzingis just falls into your lap. Now you get to pair him up alongside a healthy Jalen Johnson in an offense facilitated by Trae Young. The Hawks have all the makings of an incredibly efficient offense, even more so than in seasons past. The defense may struggle but what else is new in Atlanta? The Hawks now have expectations that they’ll be a threat in the East. They’re a beneficiary of Boston selling, not only in the standings but with the acquisition of Porzingis. And with Young’s contract situation sure to be a talking point soon (become unrestricted free agent in 2027 offseason) it’s a good time to improve now and show Young that Atlanta’s the place he’ll want to finish his career.
8. Los Angeles Clippers
Vegas Win Total: 47.5
The Clippers made a concerted effort to improve with size this offseason, signing Brook Lopez in free agency and acquiring John Collins via trade from the Jazz. That comes at the cost of Norman Powell departing, but they’re willing to take that chance and have someone else other than Zubac be a dominant interior presence for them. Not only can Lopez be a force inside but his three point shooting ability is something the Clippers haven’t necessarily had from a big recently. Oh yeah, they added Bradley Beal too. The Clippers are making a push for the title. But similar to the Warriors, quite a few of their big contributors are getting up there in age. How long can they hold up and will it be enough to bring home a title is going to be the defining question of LA’s season.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
Vegas Win Total: 48.5
For exactly one half in the Western Conference Finals last year it felt like the Timberwolves were really going to be able to drive home a good victory on the road and show they could compete with the best of the West. But after that half they faltered and couldn’t really get their footing back in the series. They’ve been knocking on the door the past couple seasons, losing in the Western Conference Finals each of the last two years. Now they have to show that they can break through with a roster that looks largely the same as it did last season. But the competition up top has gotten tougher so the task will follow suit. Can Minnesota finally break through? Or will they need to find more pieces to put around Anthony Edwards sooner than anticipated? This season will help guide that decision.
6. Orlando Magic
Vegas Win Total: 50.5
Orlando made a splash this offseason by acquiring Desmond Bane from Memphis, a clear admission that they need a lot more offensive firepower if they want to be able to compete for a title. The 27-year-old should be able to help with that as he was a main driver on offense for Memphis when Ja Morant was injured. He’s going to be solid alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in the starting five. The Magic have a real shot at representing the East this season and they’ll need the regular season to show they’re going to be who we think they can be.
5. New York Knicks
Vegas Win Total: 53.5
How last season ended left a bad taste in New York’s mouth. It caused them to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau and bring in Mike Brown. A change in head coach may help take them to the next level, but an over-reliance on their starters certainly hampered them in the playoffs. The contract between their depth and the depth of the Pacers (and the Thunder for that matter) showed just what they need to go to the next level. Their bench should be better equipped and better utilized this season, which should preserve their starters longer. The Knicks will look to make the NBA Finals this year for the first time since 1999.
4. Houston Rockets
Vegas Win Total: 53.5
Houston made arguably the biggest splash of the offseason by landing Kevin Durant via trade. The Rockets noticed that, while their defensive presence was spectacular, the offense needed a spark and Durant can provide that. To start the season they may be facing some struggles, though. Fred VanVleet was lost for the season after he tore his ACL in a team workout. FVV and Jalen Green were the primary ball handlers in Houston’s offense last season. But with both gone it will need to be someone new. That may be Alperen Sengun, who is sometimes put into a mini-Jokic type role in Houston’s offense. They’ll have to get creative in order to make the KD trade worth it.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Vegas Win Total: 56.5
The Cavaliers absolutely rolled in the regular season last year, but injuries caught up to them in the second round when the Pacers took them out in what appeared to be a surprise at the time. Cleveland should be approaching things with a bit more caution this year but that doesn’t mean they won’t be as dominant. And with last year’s postseason failures on their minds, and the East as open as it is, they’re going to be smelling blood in the water. Expect Cleveland to be dominant in the East yet again.
2. Denver Nuggets
Vegas Win Total: 54.5
In full transparency, I’m a Nuggets fan. So I try to approach this ranking without any bias but I don’t think it can be understated just how good Denver’s offseason was. After losing in the second round to the Thunder they recognized they were in need of more bench depth, an issue that’s not new in Denver. They were able to trade Michael Porter Jr. and turned his $38 million salary into Cameron Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. The latter three are going to greatly help the bench depth while Johnson is going to be someone who produces as much or better than what MPJ provided in Denver. If Nikola Jokic can continue to do what he does, and Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon stay healthy, the Nuggets stand a phenomenal chance at representing the West in the Finals again.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Vegas Win Total: 62.5
Last year’s champs come back as our top overall seed. With the roster largely the same as their championship winning roster, OKC is in great position to contend for a title yet again. This year may be different, though, as everyone is going to be giving them their best punch. On top of that, do they have any sort of hangover effect in the regular season that holds them back potentially from a top seed? There’s not much to assume that right now and a 62.5 win total is high enough to show us that’s not the expectation. The roster’s still one of the youngest in the league and should be able to thrive yet again. Get used to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The only thing they can do wrong is commercials. Other than that, they’re here to stay as the Thunder will open the season as our number one ranked team.
