NBA Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands After 2024 Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone. On Thursday, a number of role players were shuffled all over the league. And now, we only have the All-Star break between us and this season's stretch run.
As always, teams are constantly changing perceptions of them, whether they made any tweaks through trades or not. Several squads are red-hot, and the tankers continue to be ice-cold.
To sort through all of the above, we'll use the same criteria we have all season. Based on team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity, here's how the entire league stacks up in the wake of the trade deadline.
30. Charlotte Hornets (10-40)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -11.8
The Charlotte Hornets are three wins clear of the Detroit Pistons, but they're only tightening their grip on the league's worst net rating over the last several weeks.
Charlotte is currently on a nine-game losing streak. And though Brandon Miller has shown signs of promise (he's averaging 22.9 points and shooting 38.7 percent from deep during the skid), the team is getting pummeled when he's on the floor.
During this run, the Hornets are minus-15.1 points per 100 possessions when he plays.
And all these numbers could get worse over the rest of the season. The Hornets made a pair of deals on deadline day that cost them Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington, and 23-year-old Tre Mann and a first-round pick were the best assets that came back to Charlotte in those deals.
29. San Antonio Spurs (10-42)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -8.7
Most of the attention paid to the San Antonio Spurs this season has understandably headed Victor Wembanyama's direction. Advanced numbers already suggest he's been a top-30 player this season, and he's seemingly good for a jaw-dropping highlight every night he plays.
But the Frenchman isn't the only core piece for the Spurs worth keeping an eye on.
San Antonio was blown out by the Orlando Magic on Thursday, but Devin Vassell had 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting. He's now scored at least 20 in nine of his last 11 games. And his outside shooting ability makes it easy to envision him as a long-term fit alongside Wembanyama.
28. Washington Wizards (9-41)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.8
Rebuilding seasons like the one the Washington Wizards are going through can be tough. Fans often have to squint for reasons for optimism.
But this team has one that has actually been pretty obvious in recent weeks.
Deni Avdija struggled in Wednesday's loss to the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers, but he is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.3 threes while shooting 47.3 percent from deep over his last 20 games.
Those numbers in combination with the 23-year-old's consistent, multipositional defense give Wizards fans at least one thing to look forward to on game days.
And on Thursday, they got something to look forward to this summer too. Just ahead of the deadline, Washington sent center Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks for Richaun Holmes (who could probably be re-routed as an expiring contract next season) and a 2024 first-round pick.
27. Detroit Pistons (8-43)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -8.7
The Detroit Pistons closed out the week on a two-game winning streak (yes, a winning streak), and they're now 4-4 in their last eight games.
The biggest reason for the upswing could well be coach Monty Williams finally giving Jaden Ivey a little free rein.
Over his last 15 games, the 21-year-old is averaging 20.7 points and 4.9 assists, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (15-36)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -8.2
The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off an overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they're still several wins clear of the rest of the tanking teams, and they mostly stood pat at the trade deadline (with the exception of picking up Dalano Banton for a second-round pick).
Keeping Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant (who had 49 in Thursday's loss) and Deandre Ayton means Portland will continue to be capable of surprising teams more often than anyone else in the bottom four.
And though there certainly would have been some value in turning any of the above into younger talents or draft picks, having the veterans around could help with the development of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and the rest of the young core.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (18-34)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -6.2
It's hard to take much away from Memphis Grizzlies games these days. Injuries have completely annihilated their season.
And during trade deadline week, they unloaded two of their nine players with at least 700 minutes. David Roddy is headed to the Phoenix Suns, while Xavier Tillman is now a Boston Celtic.
But all the absences have at least provided some opportunities for Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson, both of whom have played well enough to possibly stay in the rotation for a hopefully healthy team in 2024-25.
Since January 13, Williams has averaged 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and Jackson has put up 13.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.1 minutes while shooting 39.2 percent from deep.
24. Toronto Raptors (18-33)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -3.2
It's been a rough few weeks for the Toronto Raptors, who had lost 12 of 14 prior to beating the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
And as the current and future face of the franchise adjusts to his new reality without Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, it looks like he'll experience some growing pains.
Over this 15-game stretch, Scottie Barnes has hit just 29.5 percent of his threes and turned the ball over 3.2 times per game.
Perhaps that's part of why the Raptors surprisingly approached the trade deadline more as buyers than sellers. Toronto gave up Kira Lewis, Otto Porter and a 2024 first-round pick for Ochai Agbaji and veteran Kelly Olynyk. They also acquired and then waived Spencer Dinwiddie for Dennis Schröder (presumably to get some flexibility for re-signing Immanuel Quickley and Olynyk this summer).
If Barnes isn't quite ready for a bona fide superstar ascension, moves like this might give him a little more runway.
23. Brooklyn Nets (20-31)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -1.7
The Brooklyn Nets made a pair of moves on trade deadline day, unloading Spencer Dinwiddie to the Toronto Raptors (who subsequently waived him) for Dennis Schröder.
They also picked up Keita Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin in a three-team trade that cost them Royce O'Neale.
And honestly, neither of those moves is likely to have a massive impact.
Still, the fact that Brooklyn kept all of its primary pieces, like Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton, suggests the team still thinks it's in the hunt for a play-in spot.
And given the weakness in the middle of the East, maybe it is. Despite being 11 games under .500, the Nets are only two games back of 10th place.
22. Atlanta Hawks (22-29)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -2.4
They closed out their week with back-to-back losses to two of the best teams in the league (the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics), but the Atlanta Hawks have been better of late and suddenly seem like a fairly safe bet to make the play-in tournament.
Prior to the two-game losing streak, Atlanta had won four straight. And Jalen Johnson has a lot to do with that improvement.
Over his last eight games, the 22-year-old is averaging 18.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.4 steals while shooting 37.1 percent from deep.
The team must think it has a decent shot at a top-10 finish in the East too. Despite loads of rumors during the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it hung onto Dejounte Murray.
21. Utah Jazz (26-27)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -2.4
The Utah Jazz had one of the league's more puzzling trade deadline days.
They were already short on wings, and they traded starter Simone Fontecchio to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. Then, they moved Kelly Olynyk and another wing in Ochai Agbaji to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
They got a first from Toronto and three players who have long struggled to get on the floor for their teams in those two trades, and Fontecchio and Olynyk were both key contributors in the run that pushed Utah from a surefire lottery team to a play-in contender.
Ultimately, that first may prove worth it. Fontecchio and Olynyk are 28 and 32 years old, respectively. Both would have been past their primes by the time this group is ready for any kind of serious contention. And Danny Ainge may have his eye on a 2024 draft prospect who'll turn into something special.
Right now, though, this feels like sort of a half-measure deadline day that just weakens a weakness (the team's lack of wings).
20. Chicago Bulls (25-27)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.5
Despite years of mediocrity with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević on the roster, as well as season-ending surgery for LaVine, the Chicago Bulls opted to stand pat at the trade deadline.
They ended their quiet Thursday with a single-digit win over the injury-decimated Memphis Grizzlies.
And though the middle of the East being as bad as it is probably ensures Chicago a play-in spot, it's hard not to wonder about the Bulls' long-term plan.
At best, they'll sneak into the seventh or eighth spot in the playoffs and get crushed by one of the conference's best teams. DeRozan's contract will expire in the summer, and Chicago won't have the cap space necessary to replace him if he walks. Re-signing probably just extends the mediocrity.
Instead, the Bulls could have collected as many draft assets and young talents as possible (over the last couple years, really) and tipped off an overdue rebuild.
19. Houston Rockets (23-27)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +1.0
The Houston Rockets have slowly but surely slid outside the West's play-in range over the last several weeks. They're 5-11 in their last 16 games, but there's still plenty of reason for hope.
No one expected this team to push for a top-six seed (or anything close to that) this season, and several of the young core pieces have looked great during the aforementioned slide.
Over those 16 games, 21-year-old Alperen Şengün is averaging 21.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists, 19-year-old rookie Cam Whitmore is averaging 14.3 points in 21.4 minutes and 21-year-old rookie Amen Thompson is at 8.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in just 18.5 minutes.
18. Golden State Warriors (24-25)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +1.0
Just when it was starting to feel safe to finally count the Golden State Warriors out, Jonathan Kuminga started a meteoric rise that his teammates couldn't help but follow.
The Warriors have won five of their last six (with four of those victories coming on the road). And the 21-year-old forward's individual run stretches back even further than that.
Over his last 12 games, he has failed to reach 20 points just three times and is averaging 23.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 threes.
For most of this season, Golden State struggled to find anyone who could consistently play like a high-end No. 2 option behind Stephen Curry. Kuminga eventually forced his way into that role with undeniable athleticism and a developing feel as a scorer.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (27-26)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -1.1
The Los Angeles Lakers had one of their most impressive stretches of the season before closing the week with a loss to the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Prior to that contest, L.A. had won three straight (all on the road). And two of those victories came against the Boston Celtics (without Anthony Davis and LeBron James) and the New York Knicks.
The supporting cast, which got a vote of confidence when the front office stood pat on trade deadline day, has been better of late. And if Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura continue to hit shots, the Lakers feel like a pretty safe bet to make the play-in tournament (and maybe even survive it).
16. Orlando Magic (28-24)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.9
The Orlando Magic had a tough January, but the return of their best player (at least for now) has gone a long way toward stabilizing things.
Franz Wagner has been back for 10 games. The Magic are 6-4 in those contests, but even that sort of undersells the impact.
The team has found a groove recently, winning four of its last five, including three victories on the road. And the 22-year-old scored at least 34 in two of those wins.
With Wagner and Paolo Banchero both available, teams are forced to choose who will get the bulk of the defensive attention, and the forward who doesn't is prone to go off.
15. Indiana Pacers (29-24)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.2
The Indiana Pacers need their hometown All-Star break.
After getting crushed by the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, they're now 6-9 in their last 15. And Tyrese Haliburton has struggled to find a rhythm like he had earlier this season while on a minutes restriction. Over his six games since coming back from injury, he's averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 assists in 23.4 minutes.
Hopefully, he'll be back to full activity after some time off, because Indiana needs his superb playmaking to get back to dominating offensively and to integrate Doug McDermott, who was acquired on trade deadline day to replace the volume shooting of Buddy Hield, who's headed to the Philadelphia 76ers.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (30-20)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +5.0
There were signs of life for the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game during Joel Embiid's latest absence. They beat the Utah Jazz (in Utah) behind a massive 51-point performance from Tyrese Maxey.
But they followed that up with three straight losses (all at home) to the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.
And the reality of life without Embiid (for at least the next several weeks) is starting to set in. Following this skid, Philadelphia is only three games clear of seventh place and a spot in the play-in tournament.
So it should probably come as little surprise that team president Daryl Morey made a series of moves on Thursday to shore up his team's chances of staying out of the play-in tournament.
Ahead of the deadline, the 76ers added sharpshooter Buddy Hield and swapped out Patrick Beverley for Cam Payne.
At the very least, Philadelphia will be able to deploy some explosive backcourt minutes from Maxey and Hield. And if Embiid does indeed come back before the playoffs, the spacing Hield can provide around his high- and low-post touches will help.
13. Sacramento Kings (29-21)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +0.2
The Sacramento Kings responded to a pair of All-Star snubs with plenty of individual production from the snubs themselves.
Since news broke that they weren't named to the Western Conference All-Star team, De'Aaron Fox has averaged 24.3 points, while Domantas Sabonis has put up 20.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
But the generally uninspiring play from the team (the Kings' net rating is much closer to mediocre than their record) that may have contributed to the snubs (and there are arguments that they're legitimate snubs, especially for Sabonis) showed up at the end of the week.
The Kings dropped back-to-back games, including a home loss to the woeful Detroit Pistons. And it's little stretches like this that make it difficult to buy much Sacramento playoff stock.
12. Dallas Mavericks (29-23)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +0.2
The Dallas Mavericks were one of the most active teams in the league on trade deadline day, unloading Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a first-round pick for P.J. Washington in one deal and Richaun Holmes and a first for Daniel Gafford in another.
The resulting roster has more versatility at the 4 spot than Williams was providing. Washington is more dangerous off the bounce and has higher career rebound, block and steal rates.
Gafford, meanwhile, gives Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving an experienced rim-runner and -protector to play the center minutes rookie Dereck Lively II isn't getting.
If Irving can stay on the floor for most of the rest of this season, he and these reinforcements could help Dallas make a push to avoid the play-in tournament.
11. Miami Heat (28-24)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -0.2
Things finally seem to be stabilizing for the Miami Heat after their seven-game losing streak toward the end of January.
They have suddenly won four of their last five, and it feels like Jimmy Butler may have finally activated late-season/playoff mode.
Since January 27 (a stretch that extends back into that losing run), the 34-year-old has averaged 24.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from deep.
10. Milwaukee Bucks (33-19)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +2.8
It's still too early to hit any kind of panic button for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Los Angeles Clippers lost James Harden's first five games there and eventually turned things around, and Milwaukee has been missing Damian Lillard for its last two games.
But following a blowout loss at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, the Bucks are now 1-5 since Doc Rivers took over coaching duties. And the defense still looks comically bad at times.
They made a minor move to address that concern on deadline day by acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers, but he isn't going to singlehandedly push the team out of the bottom half of the league in defensive rating.
Fixing this on the fly won't be easy, but that's exactly what Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rivers are tasked with.
9. New Orleans Pelicans (30-21)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +4.7
The New Orleans Pelicans are on a roll lately, winning four straight and closing out the week with a road victory over the surging Los Angeles Clippers.
And this run has been a vivid reminder of how deep and well-balanced this roster is.
During the streak, four different players (Jonas Valančiūnas, Zion Williams, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum) led the team in scoring. Ingram dropped 41 on the Toronto Raptors, and Williamson had 10 assists against the Clippers.
And beyond those four, New Orleans has multiple role players who can swing a random quarter, as Trey Murphy III did early against L.A.
They haven't been the most consistent team in the West, but the Pelicans' ability to attack opponents from so many different spots makes them a potential playoff nightmare.
8. New York Knicks (33-19)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +5.7
With the exception of the Memphis Grizzlies, the New York Knicks are about as banged up as anyone in the league right now, but they won the NBA's unofficial trade season.
And assuming they can get close to back to full strength after the All-Star break, they're now primed for a potentially deep playoff run.
Beyond the addition of OG Anunoby late in December, the Knicks added Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks on deadline day. Their rotation now features loads of experience and shooting around the star power of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. And they didn't have to give up any of their core players to get there.
It may be wise to wait a few weeks and watch the overhauled roster in action before launching any hot takes. The Boston Celtics still look like a juggernaut on most nights. But when you combine the tenacity with which the Knicks have played all season with this week's additions, it's easy to get carried away with this team's potential.
7. Phoenix Suns (31-21)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +3.2
The Phoenix Suns had already seemingly turned a corner prior to trade deadline day.
After beating the Utah Jazz on Thursday, they're now 12-3 in their last 15 games, but there were still concerns about the team's depth. And they made a move to address them.
As part of a three-team trade that cost them Yuta Watanabe, Chimezie Metu, Keita Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin, the Suns added Royce O'Neale and David Roddy.
O'Neale, 30, has plenty of playoff experience and has long been a reliable three-and-D forward. Roddy, 22, still needs a lot of development, but it's easy to see why Phoenix felt it needed a different approach to the non-big three minutes.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (34-16)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +5.6
This run the Cleveland Cavaliers are on is absurd.
After cruising past the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, they've now won eight straight and an eye-popping 16 of their last 17.
And while the obvious take near the start of this run was some variation of "Is Donovan Mitchell better off without Darius Garland?", the return of Garland and Evan Mobley certainly hasn't slowed the team (or Mitchell) down.
Since all three have been back in the rotation, Mitchell is averaging 32.8 points, Mobley is at 16.6 points and 9.4 rebounds, and Garland is adding 11.7 points and 5.0 assists in just 25.4 minutes.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (36-16)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +6.1
The Minnesota Timberwolves have cooled off a bit in recent weeks, but they embarrassed Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday and offered a reminder of how dominant they can be on defense.
In Giannis' 27 minutes, they held him to 7-of-14 shooting (he's at 61.0 percent from the field on the season). And Minnesota was plus-18 in those minutes.
When Minnesota tightens the screws defensively and gets just enough firepower on the other end from Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, it can still look like one of the best teams in the league.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-16)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +7.9
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of one of their more human stretches, going 3-3 in their last six, with the wins coming against the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets, the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors.
On Tuesday, they closed out their week with a loss to the Utah Jazz in which they were outscored by 14 points in the second half.
But it's not like it's time to ring any alarm bells or anything. OKC is still very much in the mix for first place in the West, and with Joel Embiid set to fall short of the 65-game minimum required to win MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander suddenly looks like the top threat to Jokić for the game's highest individual honor.
He's currently second in Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("based on a model built using previous voting results"), averaging 31.1 points, trailing only Embiid in estimated plus-minus.
He has some help on the way following deadline day too. Without having to give up any draft assets, the Thunder acquired Gordon Hayward on Thursday. He's certainly not the player he was prior to joining the Boston Celtics in 2017, but as a complementary talent behind SGA, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Hayward has a chance at a conference finals run.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (34-16)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +5.9
The Los Angeles Clippers showed some signs of mortality on Wednesday when they dropped a home game to the New Orleans Pelicans, but they still have the best record in the league since the middle of November.
And Kawhi Leonard is understandably starting to generate some MVP buzz as a result of this climb up the standings.
He's now cracked the top 10 of Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("...based on a model built using previous voting results"), and he's often looked like the 2019 postseason version of himself that willed the Toronto Raptors to a championship.
2. Denver Nuggets (36-16)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +4.5
The Denver Nuggets have hovered around fifth in the power rankings for most of the season, but we'll use the trade deadline as an excuse to sort of reset their spot.
Denver stood pat on Thursday, and it was probably justified in doing so. The Nuggets have appeared to be in post-championship cruise control for a lot of 2023-24, but every once in a while, the playoff version of this team will show up.
It happened last month, when they handed the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season. It happened again for the last few minutes of Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets and Nikola Jokić played sloppily for most of that game before activating playoff mode in the fourth quarter. The defense tightened up, and the two-man game between Jokić and Jamal Murray took over. And Denver outscored the Lakers in L.A., 10-2, in the last two minutes.
1. Boston Celtics (39-12)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +9.7
It was a good week for the Boston Celtics, who went 2-0 and bolstered their depth with trades for Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer.
Tillman's offensive numbers have plummeted across the board this season, but he's a stout defender who can bang inside with anyone's big-bodied centers.
His defensive estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in NBA front offices) ranks in the 99th percentile this season. And on a team as good as Boston, he won't have to do much offensively.
As for Springer, he hasn't played much during his three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, but he was a 43.5 percent three-point shooter in college, and Boston probably has more faith in its own defensive capabilities than it does in Philadelphia's.
Stat of the Week
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Stephen Curry dropped 42 points in the Golden State Warriors' win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, and the performance pulled him one game closer to a two-decade-old record.
Michael Jordan registered 44 40-point games after his 30th birthday. Curry's in second place and now has 37.
And somehow, that wasn't his most impressive individual feat this week.
Curry had 60 in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, which gave him eight 50-point games since turning 30. The previous record holder, Wilt Chamberlain, had his last 50-point outing in 1969.
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