NBA Power Rankings: Breaking Down Every Team 1 Week Before 2024 Trade Deadline
We're under a week away from the NBA's 2023-24 trade deadline. The All-Star break will be hot on February 8's heels. And believe it or not, the regular season's stretch run comes right after that.
As the league's calendar rolls on, so do all 30 teams, many of which are jockeying for position on either end of the spectrum.
Several have emerged as bona fide or fringe contenders. And this season, five or six are very much in the hunt for a bottom-three record and 14 percent chance at the No. 1 pick in 2024.
Both groups, and every team in between, are ranked by our typical criteria below.
Based on team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity, here's how the entire NBA stacks up.
30. Charlotte Hornets (10-36)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -11.8
The Charlotte Hornets are suddenly dealing with another extended absence for LaMelo Ball, which probably isn't the worst news for the organization at the moment.
No, you never want your star player to be hurt, but LaMelo's absence will likely add to the loss column in an already lost season that's now about draft lottery odds. Without him, rookie Brandon Miller has had a bit more opportunity to shine too.
In a run that extends back a little further than Ball's injury absence, Miller is averaging 20.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 threes, while shooting 36.8 percent from deep over his last eight games.
29. Detroit Pistons (6-41)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -9.5
After missing eight straight games in mid-January, Cade Cunningham has now played in two of the Detroit Pistons' last three. And somehow, they won the game he sat in the middle of those three.
The Pistons have generally been better with the 22-year-old on the floor over the course of his career, so a solitary win without him doesn't raise any alarm bells. But a third straight season with well-below-average scoring efficiency might.
All the typical caveats about his supporting cast not taking much pressure off him apply, but at a certain point, he has to start making shots.
After a solid 8-of-16 night in Wednesday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cunningham is up to 44.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep (and again, both numbers are below average).
28. San Antonio Spurs (10-38)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.5
Victor Wembanyama's acclimation to the NBA game is happening far more rapidly than even the most optimistic draftniks could have imagined.
With his recent play, there's an argument that the 20-year-old has been one of this season's top 30 to 40 players. And he might even have a fringe All-Star injury replacement case (assuming that's even needed).
After going for 21 points and five blocks in Wednesday's loss to the Orlando Magic, Wembanyama is averaging 24.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.4 blocks in just 26.4 minutes over his last 16 games.
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27. Washington Wizards (9-38)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -8.4
By 2023-24 Washington Wizards standards, this week was a rousing success.
They beat tanking contemporaries in the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs (both on the road), before closing out the week with a respectable loss to the surging Los Angeles Clippers.
And during this mini-run, point guard Tyus Jones is putting up a should-entice-teams-in-need-of-a-backup-1 stat line of 10.3 points, 8.3 assists and 1.7 turnovers.
Despite all this season's losses, Washington has a handful of veterans, including Jones and Kyle Kuzma, who might be able to fetch them some rebuild-ready assets.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (15-33)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -8.1
Seasons at the outset of a rebuild can feel pretty rough, so it's worth celebrating the occasional wins that come along.
This week brought some for the Portland Trail Blazers, who beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in Damian Lillard's return to the Moda Center. It also featured some slightly better play from Scoot Henderson, who's otherwise been historically bad as a rookie.
Henderson is averaging 12.3 points while shooting 40.7 percent on twos and 30.9 percent on threes. He also has an uninspiring 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Among the 943 three-point-era rookies with at least 1,000 minutes, Henderson's minus-6.9 box plus/minus ranks 941st (minus-2.0 is considered replacement level or a "bench player").
But, over his last 10 games, Henderson is at 13.1 points, with a 36.4 three-point percentage and a minus-2.6 box plus/minus.
Even if it's incremental, that's progress. And again, for those in Blazers fans' position, progress is worth celebrating.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (18-30)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -5.2
If this season didn't already feel like a gap year for the injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies, it certainly does after Thursday.
Prior to a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers that night, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Memphis was sending veteran and injured center Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets for Victor Oladipo (who isn't playing) and three second-round picks.
Thanks to Taylor Jenkins' coaching and the ascendance of Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson, the Grizzlies will continue to be competitive on plenty of nights, but the countdown to 2024-25 must be on for Memphis fans missing Ja Morant.
24. Brooklyn Nets (19-28)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -1.1
Ben Simmons made his long-awaited return to action on Monday and looked borderline spectacular in a win over the Utah Jazz.
In just 18 minutes, he totaled 11 assists, 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. And when he was on the floor, it was easy to get excited about the prospect of a transition attack led by him.
Prior to Brooklyn's next game, though, news broke that Simmons was out again, this time with a knee injury.
He's made just seven appearances this season, and the prospect of him ever being healthy for an extended stretch feels more outlandish with each passing week.
23. Toronto Raptors (17-30)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -2.0
Thanks to a veteran-heavy starting five that included Bruce Brown and Dennis Schröder, the Toronto Raptors closed the week with a win over the Chicago Bulls, and the front office should maybe be hoping this the start of a turnaround.
Toronto had lost nine of 10 prior to Tuesday's win, and if their 2024 draft pick lands in the top six, they keep it. Right now, they have the sixth-worst record in the league. If that pick stays with the Raptors, they'd be playing for the same game of roulette in 2025, which is the stronger draft class.
Long story short, they might rather finish with a draft pick outside the top six, which would be moved to the San Antonio Spurs. Then, the 2025 pick is in the clear. Ensuring they're outside the top six means Toronto might need to keep those veterans to compete for wins.
22. Atlanta Hawks (20-27)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.6
The incessant trade rumors probably aren't going anywhere, but back-to-back wins over the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers to close the week had to feel alright for the Atlanta Hawks.
If you extend back a touch further, Trae Young's play since returning from injury has to be a little encouraging for whatever's left of the team after the trade deadline.
In three games since coming back from a concussion, Young has put up 28.7 points, 12.0 assists and 3.0 threes.
Atlanta hasn't really done it yet, but there's surely some way to field a contender (or at least a borderline contender) around an offensive engine as high octane as Young.
21. Chicago Bulls (23-26)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.7
The Chicago Bulls started the season 5-14, and they've seemingly been clawing to get back to .500 ever since.
This week, they crept closer to that presumed goal, going 2-1 with two wins on the road and adding a little more evidence to Coby White's Most Improved Player case.
After he put up 35 points and nine in a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, White is averaging 19.0 points and 5.1 assists (up from 9.7 and 2.8 a season ago).
If he keeps this up, and the Bulls stay in the hunt for a .500 record and a play-in spot, he has an outside shot at the award (he's currently tied for the third shortest odds on FanDuel).
20. Utah Jazz (24-26)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -2.6
Lauri Markkanen was one of this week's All-Star snubs, and he followed up that news with 28 points and 10 rebounds in a national TV showcase against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
He was plus-1 for the game, but the Utah Jazz lost and their hot streak in December, and January is starting to feel like a distant memory.
Utah has now lost six of its last eight, and it's firmly back in the bottom 10 in net rating.
With the trade deadline less than a week away, this is perhaps a reminder that this team is a ways away from contention. And if it can turn veterans such as Jordan Clarkson or Kelly Olynyk into draft assets or young talent, it probably needs to do it.
19. Golden State Warriors (20-24)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -0.4
It's been a difficult January for the Golden State Warriors, but they closed it out with an encouraging win over the Philadelphia 76ers in which Stephen Curry poured in 37 points on 12-of-17 shooting, hit eight threes and handed out seven assists.
They're starting to get some consistency out of Jonathan Kuminga, too. After he scored 26 on 11-of-19 against Philadelphia, Kuminga is now averaging 25.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.3 steals over his past seven games.
If he can maintain production anywhere near this level, Brandin Podziemski continues to develop and old standbys like Draymond Green and Klay Thompson continue to play like they did in January (Thompson averaged 20.0 points and shot 40.5 percent from deep, while Green averaged 8.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks), there's still an outside shot Golden State makes the playoffs.
18. Houston Rockets (22-25)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +0.9
The Houston Rockets may have a below-.500 record, but they still rank in the top half of the league in net rating thanks to a stout defense.
And if Jalen Green keeps playing like he has lately, the Rockets may start to make some noise on the other end too.
Over his last five games, Green is averaging 29.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 threes. And while Houston is 2-3 in those games, it's plus-21 in Green's minutes.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (25-25)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -1.3
A loss to the Boston Celtics almost felt like a foregone conclusion for the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
The game was in Boston. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were out. And, of course, Boston has led the league in net rating and winning percentage for the bulk of this season.
But LeBron and AD's supporting cast played an inspired game—particularly on defense—that suggests L.A. should be better when everyone's healthy.
All year, the two stars have played like top 10 players, but they've needed more help from the rest of the roster.
If Austin Reaves (who had 32 points on 10-of-18 shooting on Thursday) and D'Angelo Russell (24.4 points and 6.8 assists over his last 11 games) can maintain their recent level of play, there's still plenty of time for another late-season run from the Lakers.
16. Orlando Magic (25-23)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.9
For the second season in a row, Paolo Banchero has been one of the league's least efficient, high-volume scorers, but an extended absence from his No. 2 (or 1B) had something to do with that.
During the eight games Franz Wagner missed in January, Banchero shot 39.9 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three. In the six games since Wagner has been back, Banchero is averaging 25.3 points, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from deep.
If he can stay anywhere near that second level for the remainder of the season, the Orlando Magic might be able to push out of the league's bottom 10 on offense.
15. Dallas Mavericks (26-22)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -0.4
On Friday, Luka Dončić tied Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth-highest single-game point total in NBA history when he dropped 73 on the Atlanta Hawks.
And that game was sandwiched between three games of at least 33 points the week before and a 45-point, 15-assist masterpiece on Monday.
After the absurd stretch (he averaged 41.0 points, 11.8 assists and 11.3 rebounds over his last six appearances), Dončić missed Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle, and the Dallas Mavericks were blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And all of the above sort of sums up this Mavericks campaign. The five-time All-Star has to be available and spectacular for this team to compete.
Game score provides "a rough measure of a player's productivity for a single game," and Dončić is fifth in the league with performances that added up to at least a 30.0 game score (Behind Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo).
Dallas is 10-3 in those games and 16-19 in every other game this season.
14. Miami Heat (25-23)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: -1.0
Prior to beating the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the Miami Heat had lost seven straight. It was the organization's longest losing streak since 2008.
And while it probably feels nice to at least momentarily get off the schneid, the win came against a below-average defense. And questions about Miami's attack remain.
13. Indiana Pacers (27-22)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +1.6
Tyrese Haliburton has been back for two games, and they happened to be on the road and against two of the East's best teams (the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks).
So, it's maybe not all that surprising that the Indiana Pacers closed out the week with back-to-back losses and are now 3-5 since Pascal Siakam entered the rotation.
It's going to take some time for those two stars to figure out how to really play off each other, especially with Haliburton coming back from an injury and currently operating on a minutes restriction.
Even with the bumpy road, though, it's not hard to see the vision.
Siakam is averaging 5.1 assists as a Pacer and looks ready to pilot some of the offense when Haliburton is off the floor. And when they're together, they can take a little pressure off each other by setting up easy looks both ways.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (27-21)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +3.9
Back in mid-January, it looked like the New Orleans Pelicans might be able to make a push for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. There may still be time for that, but they're now 4-6 in their last 10 after dropping three games this week.
And their lone win came on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, in a game that Zion Williamson missed.
Over the first four years of his career, New Orleans was plus-3.7 points per 100 possessions with the 23-year-old on the floor and minus-2.6 with him off. This season, that trend has reversed. In 2023-24, the Pelicans are plus-1.6 with him and plus-6.2 without him.
The change could be the result of multiple factors, including coach Willie Green's rotation, but it might also be further evidence of a muted impact brought on by a decline in explosiveness.
There are still games when Williamson looks like the force of nature he was at Duke and during his first couple NBA seasons, but there are also protracted runs in which he doesn't appear to be launching off the floor or moving side to side quite like he used to.
To make that push for a top-four seed, New Orleans probably needs something closer to previous versions of Williamson.
11. Sacramento Kings (27-19)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +0.7
The Sacramento Kings ended their week with a road loss to the Miami Heat, but that shouldn't sour their mood too much.
The Kings had won four straight (including three on the road) prior to Wednesday's game, and the general trajectory of second-year forward Keegan Murray continues to be encouraging.
The 23-year-old had a slow start, shooting 28.7 percent from three over his first 13 appearances, before missing four games with an injury.
Since he returned from those absences, Murray has averaged 17.4 points and 2.6 threes, while shooting 41.5 percent from deep, over 29 games.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (30-17)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +6.5
It was a tough week for the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost Joel Embiid to a meniscus injury during Tuesday's loss to the Golden State Warriors.
As of this writing, the news isn't much more specific than that.
This slide down the rankings is obviously a reflection of Embiid's anticipated absence. Philly's net rating is significantly worse without him, but Tyrese Maxey gave 76ers fans reason for hope in Thursday's win over the Utah Jazz.
On the road, the 23-year-old dropped a career-high 51 in a tight win.
With Maxey's uncommon combination of speed and outside shooting ability, this team should be able to hover above play-in range (they're fifth in the East) until Embiid returns.
Ideally, that won't be too long.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-16)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +4.5
They had to scratch and claw against the pesky Memphis Grizzlies for their most recent win, but the Cleveland Cavaliers stayed red-hot this week.
After going 4-0 since the last edition of our power rankings, Cleveland is now 12-1 in its last 13 games. And even with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley finally back in the lineup, it looks like Donovan Mitchell may continue to operate as a de facto point guard.
For years with the Utah Jazz, it felt like Mitchell's ultimate ceiling would be reached at the 1 (after all, he's only 6'3"). And during Garland's extended absence, he put up 28.0 points, 7.9 assists and 3.3 threes per game.
For the sake of the Cavaliers, Garland may have to shift to the combo guard role.
8. New York Knicks (32-17)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +6.3
The New York Knicks are surging.
They're up to fourth in the league in net rating, sixth in defense and seventh on offense. They've won nine straight and 15 of their last 17. And they're suddenly within a half game of the Milwaukee Bucks for second place in the East.
And while recently announced All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle deserve much of the credit for this run, a Donte DiVincenzo breakout feels like it could be the real game-changer.
The two stars are sort of doing what was expected of them after last season. If DiVincenzo keeps playing like a fringe star (he's averaging 19.4 points, 4.4 threes and 3.0 assists, while shooting 39.8 percent from deep over his last eight games), New York is going to be one of the toughest outs in the conference.
7. Phoenix Suns (28-20)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +2.6
The Phoenix Suns' big three (or various pieces of it) has understandably been the subject of most of the buzz around the team this season, but their ceiling might depend as much on the supporting cast.
And the other two members of Phoenix's now seemingly healthy starting five are having pretty underappreciated campaigns.
After going for 28 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Wednesday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, Jusuf Nurkić is now averaging 11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on the season.
When he's on the floor, the Suns are plus-8.9 points per 100 possessions, compared to minus-4.7 when he's off.
And though he missed Wednesday's game with an ankle injury, Grayson Allen is averaging 13.2 points and 2.7 threes while posting an otherworldly 69.9 true shooting percentage. No one in the league matches or exceeds all three of those marks (and no one's really close).
6. Milwaukee Bucks (32-16)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +3.7
The Milwaukee Bucks' loss to the Denver Nuggets in Ball Arena Monday wasn't concerning. They kept the game close and held the reigning champions to an offensive rating below their season-long mark.
Moving to 0-2 under new coach Doc Rivers thanks to a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers has to at least raise some eyebrows.
No, we shouldn't expect a dramatic transformation within Rivers' first week on the job, but Wednesday's loss almost highlighted some of the issues that predated his arrival.
Milwaukee surrendered 119 points to a team with the league's 29th-ranked offense. Its perimeter defense struggled to contain Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon and, on a few possessions, even Scoot Henderson.
And all three reserves who played at least 10 minutes (Jae Crowder, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton) were all minus-10 or worse for the night.
Rivers has a strong reputation as a players' coach, and cutting Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard loose should lead to plenty more regular-season wins. But the Bucks' lack of defense and depth might have had as much to do with the roster as it did Adrian Griffin.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (34-14)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +5.8
The Minnesota Timberwolves came back to Earth a bit in January, going 10-7 and posting a bottom-half-of-the-league offensive rating.
However, they still emerged from the month in first place in the West, thanks in large part to Rudy Gobert and the league-best defense he anchors.
Gobert was plus-18 in a blowout win over the Luka Dončić-less Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. On the season, the Wolves are now plus-9.7 points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor and minus-0.5 when he's off.
With Gobert patrolling the paint and often surrounded by a ton of positional size from Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota continues to present the league's biggest challenge for opposing attacks.
And while that sometimes sluggish offense may be a concern, defense travels and often translates to the postseason.
If the Wolves have that foundation behind another superstar performance from Edwards in the playoffs, they have a chance to prove this regular season anything but a fluke.
4. Denver Nuggets (33-16)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +4.3
The Denver Nuggets lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, but Nikola Jokić missed that game with low back soreness, and Aaron Gordon did a solid impression of the two-time MVP in his absence.
Gordon was plus-7 in the five-point loss and finished with a well-rounded 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. It was a good reminder of how tough Denver can be when he is playing center.
And after his minutes as a backup 5 during the 2023 playoffs contributed to an NBA title, you can bet coach Michael Malone will be playing that card again in April, May and potentially June.
He just doesn't have to use it much in the regular season (which is probably good for Gordon's durability).
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-15)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +7.8
The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped two games in the middle of the week (including a truly terrible loss to the tanking Detroit Pistons), but they got back on track against the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets on Wednesday behind 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The All-Star guard is now averaging 31.3 points, 6.4 assists and a league-leading 2.2 steals. And his pace- and playing time-adjusted numbers put up a fight against Jokić's in a blind comparison.
If SGA keeps this up and leads the second-youngest roster in the league to first place in the West (where it's currently projected to finish), there will be a loud and probably justified contingent pushing for him to win MVP, especially if Joel Embiid fails to qualify for the award.
2. Los Angeles Clippers (31-15)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +6.2
The Los Angeles Clippers dropped a game against the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, but that doesn't really cloud the fact that L.A. has been on a tear too.
The Clippers followed up that loss with an easy win over the Washington Wizards and are now 14-3 in their last 17.
And if Kawhi Leonard wasn't already making a pretty strong push to get back onto an All-NBA team for the first time since 2020-21, this run has to have him in the conversation.
During the aforementioned stretch, he is averaging 23.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.1 steals, 2.0 threes and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 46.2 percent from three.
While those numbers might not look quite as gaudy as some of the others we're seeing during this leaguewide offensive explosion, they're almost spectacular for someone who has to share touches with Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
And when you settle in to watch a Clippers game, you can catch Leonard looking like the dominant, Terminator-like version of himself from the 2019 postseason on any given night.
1. Boston Celtics (37-12)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +9.1
After starting the season 20-0 at home, the Boston Celtics are suddenly 22-3 in the friendly confines of TD Garden.
And while the first two losses probably shouldn't alarm anyone (the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are both contenders), losing to the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James and Anthony Davis is bad. It's potentially "worst loss of the season" bad.
And it may be another reminder that Boston should at least be a little more willing to adjust on the fly when things aren't going its way.
The Celtics' 42.7 three-point attempts per game leads the league. On Thursday, they took 48 and posted a below-average three-point percentage while only attempting seven free throws.
Over the course of a season and most seven-game series, the math is eventually going to work for Boston's three-heavy attack, but occasional departures are sometimes warranted.
Stat of the Week
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Last season, this space was used semi-regularly to keep track of total 40-point performances. By the end of 2022-23, the NBA had totaled 203 such games, a mark that smashed the old record of 142 set in 1961-62.
After Luka Dončić and Devin Booker both eclipsed 60 this week, maybe it's time to keep an eye on that total.
Those two, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all gotten there in 2023-24. And the total of five is already the third most in any season in NBA history.
There's almost no chance today's players will get to the 17 the league totaled in 1961-62 (when Wilt Chamberlain had 15 by himself), but the 1962-63 total of nine is within reach.
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