NBA Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands a Month Before 2024 Trade Deadline
With just under a month to go before the NBA trade deadline, we're starting to get a pretty clear picture of which teams are already bona fide contenders, which ones might need a little help to get there and which ones should be sellers.
And while this week didn't dramatically shift perceptions on any of the above, it did cause some shakeups in the weekly power rankings. Blowouts, disappointments and big individual performances had their say, but our typical points of reference were still the foundation.
Based on team and individual numbers, championship chances, recent performance and plenty of subjectivity, here's how the entire league stacks up right now.
30. Detroit Pistons (3-35)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -11.4
In case there was any doubt about the Detroit Pistons being the worst team in the league, they were rocked by the 6-30 San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
And at this point, things have gotten so bleak in Detroit that it's fair to start wondering about the trade value of veterans like Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović.
They don't make much (if any) sense on this team's timeline, but it might also be hard for another team to justify surrendering a first-rounder for either.
If they were truly helpful players, would Detroit be 3-35?
To answer yes to that question, some team will have to convince itself that either veteran would look better in a lesser role and on a more competitive team.
29. Washington Wizards (6-31)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -10.2
The Washington Wizards are 1-9 in their last 10 games and very much in the mix for top-three lottery odds.
If they wind up with the No. 1 pick, it will have felt worth it, but it sure is tough to watch in real time.
28. Charlotte Hornets (8-27)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -11.1
The Charlotte Hornets seem like one of the likeliest trade deadline sellers, with LaMelo Ball out due to an ankle injury and Terry Rozier juicing his trade value in Ball's absence.
In 18 appearances since Ball left the rotation, Rozier is putting up 25.0 points, 7.4 assists and 3.2 threes, while shooting 39.2 percent from deep.
And while he isn't likely to maintain a role like that on whatever team might acquire him before February's trade deadline, it's becoming increasingly clear he could fortify just about any contender's backcourt rotation.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (10-27)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -9.5
The Portland Trail Blazers are doing their darnedest to join the "worst team in the NBA" conversation.
They've lost five of their last six games, and they suffered one of the worst losses in NBA history on Thursday.
In game in which Scoot Henderson shot 4-of-21 from the field and had three turnovers and two assists, the Blazers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder by 62 points. Only four teams in NBA history have lost a single game by more.
26. San Antonio Spurs (6-30)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -10.2
The Detroit Pistons' 2023-24 won't just be famous for featuring their 28-game losing streak. They also were on the losing end of Victor Wembanyama's first career triple-double.
On Wednesday, Wemby went for 16 points, 12 boards and 10 assists in a 22-point win over Detroit. And over his last six games, he's averaging 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.7 blocks.
With this recent stretch, he's surged into top-40-to-50 status in the league, and it's no surprise his team may be looking to make a win-now move before the deadline.
As funny as it would be for San Antonio to send back one of the picks it acquired for trading Dejounte Murray in the 2022 offseason, it's not hard to see why they would like to add him to a roster with Wembanyama.
The rookie phenom is already a dominant defender and above-average playmaker for his position. With a bona fide star point guard to set him up, his scoring efficiency could catch up to the rest of his game.
25. Brooklyn Nets (16-22)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -1.8
The Brooklyn Nets got off to a solid 13-10 start to the season, but they've been in a full-blown tailspin since then.
After dropping Thursday's game in Paris to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn has now lost 12 of their last 15.
And for a team built largely on a foundation of three-and-D wings and versatility, it hasn't really been getting any of that of late.
During this 15-game stretch, the Nets are 26th in points per 100 possessions, 30th in three-point percentage, 28th in effective field-goal percentage and 24th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Of course, their highest-paid player, 27-year-old Ben Simmons, should help with both ends. He's a former All-Defense player who can theoretically guard multiple positions. He's also been one of the league's highest-volume creators and assisters of three-point shots.
But Brooklyn is getting nothing from that roster spot right now, and there's still nothing resembling a timeline for his return to action from a back injury.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (14-23)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -5.1
Just when it felt like the perpetual avalanche of bad news was slowing down for the Memphis Grizzlies, a little more snow broke loose this week.
On Monday, the team announced that Ja Morant, who'd recently returned from a 25-game suspension, would miss the rest of the season because of shoulder surgery.
As tempting as it may be to bury the Grizzlies entirely, Memphis may not be ready to lie down.
Morant has missed the team's last two games, but it won both. And it's not like the Grizzlies were playing the Washington Wizards or Detroit Pistons. They won back-to-back road games against the healthy Phoenix Suns and a Dallas Mavericks team with both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving available.
In a couple of months, we might look back at this little two-game stretch as an aberration, though. Even after those two wins, Memphis is 8-20 when Ja is out of the lineup. And obviously, Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Steven Adams (knee) are out too.
This suddenly feels like a gap year in which the Grizzlies can push for improved lottery odds, add a blue chip talent and get right back to winning when the roster is whole in 2024-25.
23. Atlanta Hawks (15-21)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -1.4
The Atlanta Hawks may finally be crawling out of their season-long rut, thanks in large part to Trae Young.
If you shave the seven-game cold start off his numbers, Young's averaging 29.5 points, 11.2 assists and 3.8 threes, while shooting 38.0 percent from deep.
And that production is finally translating to some wins.
The Hawks are 3-2 in their last five, with both losses coming on the road and two of the wins coming over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers (who were without Joel Embiid, but still).
22. Golden State Warriors (17-20)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -0.9
The Golden State Warriors are in uncharted territory. Beyond being three games below .500 and posting an underwater point differential, they're still without recently unsuspended Draymond Green and getting unprecedented sound bites from the typically even-keeled Stephen Curry.
The morning after that postgame availability, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that, "The mindset in Golden State right now is everyone but Steph Curry is on the table."
After a decade at or near the top of the league, six Finals appearances and four championships, are we finally witnessing this Warriors era?
Trading either Draymond or Klay Thompson has felt unfathomable for most of the last couple of years, but there's a real argument they're no longer maximizing Curry's chances to sneak one more title onto the resume.
This season, Golden State is minus-2.5 points per 100 possessions when the legendary trio of Curry, Green and Thompson is on the floor.
21. Los Angeles Lakers (19-20)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.7
The Los Angeles Lakers needed a preposterous whistle the likes of which we hadn't seen this season to sneak a one-point win past the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
No, really.
And they followed up that controversial win with a blowout loss to the hands of the Phoenix Suns. They're now 5-11 since winning the In-Season Tournament, a game below .500 and 4.5 games back of sixth place and the chance to avoid the play-in tournament.
Few potential contenders (if we can still call them that) seem as primed for a trade as this one.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both, arguably, performed like top 10 players, but the supporting cast is in dire need of a boost.
20. Chicago Bulls (18-21)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.3
A Zach LaVine move still feels like one of the likelier outcomes between now and the trade deadline, but he may be starting to foil the "they're better off without him!" narrative.
LaVine played 41 minutes in Wednesday's overtime win over the Houston Rockets and had 25 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. And the Bulls are 3-0 since he returned to the rotation, and they're officially in the play-in mix.
For the whole season, the team's net rating is still 5.6 points worse when LaVine is on the floor. But at the very least, this recent stretch could be reminding potential suitors of the upside LaVine could bring to their teams.
19. Toronto Raptors (15-23)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -0.6
The Toronto Raptors lost their last two games of the week, but they've generally looked better since the OG Anunoby trade, and they were plenty competitive in each of those losses.
On Tuesday, Toronto was up one heading into the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena before a 23-2 free-throw count in the fourth quarter alone swung that game to the home team and inspired an epic postgame rant about officiating from Darko Rajaković.
On Wednesday, despite coming off that emotional loss and being on the second night of a back-to-back, they played the Los Angeles Clippers tight in a six-point loss.
With that context in mind, Toronto's 3-3 record with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in the rotation feels pretty good.
And when you add the averages of the new Raptors (21.8 points and 3.5 assists, with a 53.6 three-point percentage for Barrett and 19.2 points and 6.2 assists with a 46.2 three-point percentage for Quickley), it's easy to be encouraged about this team.
18. Utah Jazz (19-20)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -3.3
The post-Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell Utah Jazz surprised everyone at the start of 2022-23 before eventually cooling down and winding up in the lottery. After they started 10-18 this season, another trip to the lottery felt almost inevitable.
The surprisingly good play just showed up a little later this season.
After blowing out the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Utah is suddenly 9-2 in its last 11. The stretch also includes a 37-point win over the Dallas Mavericks and road wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
And while Lauri Markkanen has gotten (and deserves) plenty of credit for the Jazz's competitiveness since the start of last season, the more recent heroes may be the guards.
In terms of production, Utah may have had the worst backcourt rotation in the league during that 10-18 start. But during the last 11 games, Collin Sexton is averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists, while Jordan Clarkson is putting up 19.7 points and 6.0 assists.
17. Indiana Pacers (22-15)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +2.7
The Indiana Pacers got some bad and good news this week. On Monday, Tyrese Haliburton left the game with a hamstring injury, but early reports say he avoided serious injury. That's, of course, the good news.
But any absence from Haliburton is going to be tough to survive, and the fact that he'll be reevaluted in two weeks suggests he'll be out longer than that.
And the Pacers are about to start a six-game road trip that includes the Denver Nuggets, red-hot Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
Given that gauntlet, they were fortunate to play the Washington Wizards in their first game without Haliburton.
Consider this slight slide down the rankings as anticipation of how things will go without the star point guard.
16. Houston Rockets (18-18)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +2.0
Alperen Şengün and this summer's veteran additions have understandably gotten the bulk of the credit for the Houston Rockets' turnaround, but 20-year-old Jabari Smith Jr. deserves some credit too.
Houston lost in overtime on Wednesday, but Smith played 47 minutes, had 18 points and 15 rebounds and was a plus-eight for the game.
And when the 6'10" forward's outside shooting and defense are combined with Şengün and Fred VanVleet (one of those offseason pickups), Houston is plus-6.5 points per 100 possessions.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-15)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +2.0
Donovan Mitchell put on a show for NBA fans in Paris on Thursday, when he dropped 45 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
And it's time to give him some credit for keeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoff mix since Darius Garland and Evan Mobley left the rotation with injuries.
Jarrett Allen's contributions have been highlighted in this space before, and role players such as Max Strus and Sam Merrill have had their moments.
For the entire season, though, Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points and 6.8 assists per 75 possessions when Mobley and Garland are both off the floor. And the Cavs are outscoring their opponents in those minutes.
14. Orlando Magic (21-16)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +1.5
The Orlando Magic obviously aren't going to reach their ultimate ceiling without Franz Wagner, but he has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, and we're suddenly seeing how dangerous Paolo Banchero can be as a clearer No. 1 option.
In the first game of this stretch, he had a 32-point triple-double in a road win over the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. Over all three contests, he's putting up 28.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists. And for the entire season, when Wagner is off the floor, Banchero averages 28.1 points and 5.0 assists per 75 possessions.
Again, this isn't to suggest Orlando is somehow better without Wagner (arguably its best player). It just might need to tailor the rotation to get Banchero a few more minutes per game to cook with four deferential players around.
13. Sacramento Kings (23-14)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.1
The Sacramento Kings have been perhaps the trickiest team in the league to get a handle on this season, and the last couple weeks were a good reminder of that.
Back on January 2, they lost to the rebuilding and injury-ravaged Charlotte Hornets. And this past Sunday, they lost by 33 at home.
They're 6-2 in their last eight games, but for most of the season, they've struggled against good teams. And they're nowhere near the offensive juggernaut they were in 2022-23.
12. Dallas Mavericks (23-16)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +1.6
For much of the last two seasons, the Dallas Mavericks have had to hear plenty about what a mistake it was to let Jalen Brunson walk for nothing (and it certainly was), but his eventual replacement, Kyrie Irving, reminded everyone of his immense offensive upside on Thursday.
With Luka Dončić out with an ankle injury, Kyrie led the Mavs to a win over Brunson's New York Knicks with 44 points on 15-of-26 shooting and 10 assists.
Over his last five games, the eight-time All-Star is putting up 33.0 points and 5.8 assists. And knowing that he can reach these heights makes Dallas one of the league's most intriguing playoff teams.
We've already seen the "Luka and another dynamic creator" approach lead to a conference finals, and Kyrie might be able to take that approach to a higher level than Brunson did.
Of course, Dallas is also prone to letdowns like Tuesday's loss to the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies, so it's tough to give it a bump this week.
11. New York Knicks (22-16)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +4.0
The New York Knicks dropped a close one to the Luka Dončić-less Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but that moves them to 5-1 with OG Anunoby in the lineup. And he was still on the right side of the plus-minus column in the four-point road loss to the Mavs.
The sample is plenty small, but it's pretty easy to see why New York made the deal it did. Anunoby is a more reliable catch-and-shoot option than RJ Barrett, and he's juiced the team's perimeter defense.
Losing Immanuel Quickley wasn't ideal, but Donte DiVincenzo is playing well enough to pick up much of that slack.
In short, New York looks closer to the contenders' tier than it ever has under Tom Thibodeau.
10. Miami Heat (21-16)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +1.1
The Miami Heat closed the week with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they're 2-4 in their last six.
But on balance, it's not hard to remain encouraged about the team's Eastern Conference title defense.
Three of those four losses were on the road. Jimmy Butler has missed 13 games. And at least three members of the under-27 core look ready for another playoff run.
Tyler Herro is averaging a team-leading 22.4 points to go along with 4.5 assists. Bam Adebayo is at 22.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks. And rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 13.9 points and 2.7 assists.
9. Phoenix Suns (20-18)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +1.2
Whether because of injuries, inconsistency or some combination of those two things, the Phoenix Suns don't have the numbers-backed case that others do to suggest they're a contender.
Their season has been, in a word, underwhelming. But this is one of those teams where subjectivity weighs a little heavier on the scale, because it's impossible to ignore how good it can be.
On Thursday, behind Bradley Beal's best game in a Suns jersey, Phoenix crushed the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena by 18 points.
He had 37 points to lead the way, while Devin Booker had 31 and Kevin Durant barely broke a sweat getting to 18 on 7-of-12 shooting.
When all three stars are healthy, there's just no good option for an opposing defense.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (23-15)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +5.3
The New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the best teams in the NBA for over a month now, and they continued that run with a 141-105 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The run started just after December 7, when they were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinal game. Since then, they're 11-4 and first in net rating. And they're dominating opponents with one of the league's most balanced attacks.
Over those 15 games, Zion Williamson is averaging 20.9 points and 4.3 assists, Brandon Ingram is adding 20.7 points and 5.4 assists and CJ McCollum is at 19.9 points and 4.7 assists.
With those three piloting the offense, New Orleans has become one of the NBA's least predictable teams. The action could come from any of those sources, and things are even more dynamic when you add Jonas Valančiūnas' post-ups or Trey Murphy III's drives to the mix.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (26-11)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +5.2
The Minnesota Timberwolves have looked more human of late, going 4-5 in their last nine games.
But none of those losses were of the alarming variety. Four were on the road, and all five came against above-.500 teams. And the only blowout came courtesy of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Wednesday, Minnesota went shot for shot with the Boston Celtics in an overtime loss on the road.
In short, even as the Timberwolves descend toward the rest of the Western Conference in the standings, they look capable of competing against anyone on a given night.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (23-13)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +8.0
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers chased his 30-10 game streak on Friday, when they left him in late in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to the New York Knicks.
Embiid did get to his desired totals of exactly 30 points and 10 rebounds, bringing the streak to 15 games, but Philly lost by 36 points. More importantly, Embiid missed the two games after that with inflammation in his knee. And the 76ers lost both.
Given his history with injuries and late-season (or postseason) slowdowns, the team would be wise to choose discretion over accolades a bit more often.
5. Denver Nuggets (26-13)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +5.3
Something with the Denver Nuggets has felt just a bit off throughout this title defense, and the last six games have magnified the issue.
Denver is 3-3 in this run, with blowouts handed out by the Oklahoma City Thunder and sub-.500 Utah Jazz and a closer home loss against the Orlando Magic. And in all three of those games, you got the sense Denver was prone to letdowns. It comfortably lost the first quarters to OKC and Utah and got overwhelmed in the third by Orlando.
In general, it's sort of felt like a classic "we're in cruise control after winning the championship" type of season.
But OKC is a bona fide contender, Orlando is one of the season's best breakout stories and the Jazz are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Individually, final scores in the blowouts aside, none of those losses are particularly alarming.
And the Nuggets are still a dominant plus-14.9 points per 100 possessions when Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are both on the floor.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (24-13)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +5.4
The Los Angeles Clippers had an uncharacteristic letdown against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, but they've been one of the absolute best teams in the league for well over a month now.
The Clippers are 16-3 over their last 19 games, Kawhi Leonard is looking eerily like the 2019 postseason version of himself and the balance between him, James Harden and Paul George should be terrifying to the rest of the NBA.
During this stretch, Kawhi is averaging 26.5 points and shooting 56.9 percent from the field, George is at 23.4 points and 3.8 threes with a 45.5 three-point percentage and Harden is facilitating everything with 18.6 points and 9.9 assists.
And for the entire season, L.A. is plus-10.8 points per 100 possessions when all three stars are on the floor.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (26-12)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +4.7
The Milwaukee Bucks lost four out of five games during the first full week of January. And the early-season concerns about defense and coaching went from whispers back to roars.
However, things should quiet down again after the Bucks delivered a statement win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
The Celtics were on the second night of a back-to-back, but Milwaukee still deserves credit for beating them so soundly in the first half that the team literally quit at the break.
Down 37 coming out of halftime, Boston sat its starters for the rest of the blowout.
And against one of the league's premier defenses, Milwaukee demonstrated its offensive upside in brilliant fashion.
Few teams have as many options to at least throw in Giannis Antetokounmpo's path, but he still got to the rim at will. And when he's focusing on driving, and those drives are pulling defenses inward, the Bucks can bury opponents with a barrage of threes from Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley.
2. Boston Celtics (29-9)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +9.2
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Boston Celtics looked uninspired (or tired, or however you want to define it) enough for coach Joe Mazzulla to throw in the towel at halftime on Thursday.
The Milwaukee Bucks wound up winning by 33, and the Celtics starters didn't log any second-half playing time.
Given the schedule-based context, the result shouldn't raise too many alarms. On balance, Boston has clearly been the better team over the entire season. But Thursday was a reminder it's far from invincible.
The top of the East features multiple teams, including the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, that could beat the Celtics in a given game (or series).
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-11)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +9.1
After obliterating the Portland Trail Blazers by 62 points on Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder are just 0.1 points per 100 possessions shy of the Boston Celtics for the league's best net rating.
And while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have understandably gotten most of the attention during the team's surge into legitimate contender status, it's Jalen Williams who's been breaking out more recently.
Over his last 11 games, Williams is averaging 21.0 points, 5.5 assists and 2.0 threes, while shooting an astronomical 65.5 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from three.
Stat of the Week
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The degree to which this season's worst teams are driving toward the top pick is pretty wild.
Here are the bottom-ranked teams in the league by net rating (net points per 100 possessions) for each of the last five seasons.
And just to drive the point home, those two teams with double-digit negative net rating above were the only double-digit negative net rating teams during their given season.
In 2023-24, the Portland Trail Blazers are at minus-9.5, the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs are both at minus-10.2, the Charlotte Hornets are at minus-11.1 and the Detroit Pistons are at minus-11.4.
Those five have become very much punching bags for the rest of the NBA. Opponents have been able to fatten up their stats against each, and their race to the bottom has truly been something to behold... the year after Victor Wembanyama was in the draft.
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