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NBA Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Rank Entering All-Star Weekend
After perhaps the wildest NBA trade deadline week in league history, we've made it to the All-Star break.
Much of the NBA will now get a little time to refresh, get healthy and refocus for the stretch run of this 2024-25 campaign.
In the meantime, we have the entire league sorted, as always, by team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
<strong>30. Washington Wizards (9-45)</strong>
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -13.0
The historically dreadful Washington Wizards have been a bit more competitive of late.
They had a random three-game winning streak to start the month of February. And though they followed that up with four straight losses to get to this edition of power rankings, they dropped those ones by an average of 9.5 points. Still bad, of course, but that's a marked improvement over their season-long minus-13.4 point differential.
As an exclamation point on this little stretch of borderline competence, Jordan Poole dropped 42 points on 29 shots in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (13-42)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.7
Powered by CJ McCollum's 43 points, the Zion Williamson-less New Orleans Pelicans beat an uninspired (at least on defense) Sacramento Kings team on Thursday to enter the All-Star break with a win.
But that victory wasn't enough to spare them a little slide in the power rankings.
Prior to Thursday, New Orleans had dropped 10 straight. If their fans hadn't already switched to cheering for losses and improved lottery odds, this recent run probably helped plenty of them get there.
28. Charlotte Hornets (13-39)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -5.5
With the Charlotte Hornets barreling toward a bottom-four record and LaMelo Ball again out of the rotation with an injury (this time, a sprained ankle), the most interesting recent note on the team may be the Mark Williams trade saga.
Shortly after it looked like he'd be the Los Angeles Lakers' starting 5 for the remainder of the season, L.A. rescinded the trade, citing red flags in his team physical.
Charlotte then released a public statement, saying it was "thrilled to see him rejoin" the Hornets.
Aaaand, just about 48 hours later, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Charlotte had contacted the league office and was considering challenging the Lakers' assessment.
Whether they formally challenge L.A.'s call or not, Williams is likely to remain with the Hornets for the rest of the season, and the awkwardness that might create isn't likely to lead to many more wins.
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27. Utah Jazz (13-41)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -7.0
The losses keep rolling in, but the Utah Jazz were a little peskier than usual to close the week.
After beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, they forced the Los Angeles Clippers to overtime (where they eventually lost) the next day.
On top of that, Utah has a new source of optimism in the lineup, too. Since Isaiah Collier entered the starting five full time on January 5, he's averaged 8.6 assists and has seven games with double-digit dimes.
26. Toronto Raptors (17-38)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -5.8
He still hasn't played a game for his new team, but the Toronto Raptors extended Brandon Ingram this week, and they're now pretty locked into their current core.
Ingram is under contract through 2027-28 (when he has a player option). Immanuel Quickley is under contract through 2028-29. Scottie Barnes' deal runs through 2029-30. And RJ Barrett's runs through 2026-27.
Whether that means Toronto is any better than mediocre remains to be seen, but it does seem like the Raptors have picked a direction.
With Ingram, Barnes and Barrett, they have three ball-handling forwards who do plenty of damage inside the three-point line (and are pretty inconsistent outside of it). That could lead to some offensive unpredictability, but it could also cramp the floor on that end.
Quickley and whoever occupies the 5 spot (assuming it's not Jakob Poeltl long-term) will have an awful lot of responsibility to keep the floor spaced for the three point forwards.
25. Chicago Bulls (22-33)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -4.8
The tank is on in Chicago, where the Bulls have dropped four straight and are 4-13 since mid-January.
Those four most recent losses clearly indicate that they don't even belong in the play-in tournament, though the Eastern Conference may force them there.
They're somehow still in 10th place, and their average margin of defeat during the current losing streak is a whopping 24.5 points.
In Tuesday's game alone, Chicago trailed the Detroit Pistons 71-29 at halftime.
24. Brooklyn Nets (20-34)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -6.0
The Brooklyn Nets weren't quite the sellers many anticipated they'd be at the trade deadline.
D'Angelo Russell, Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton are all still on the team, and the Nets have won six of their last seven.
Of course, some fans are likely wondering if any of the above is a good thing.
Brooklyn regained control of its 2025 first-round pick this past offseason, and it should be angling for that to be as high in the lottery as possible.
This recent stretch proves there's some talent on this roster, but the Nets don't have a guaranteed franchise cornerstone. Cooper Flagg could be that, and they should be chasing that possibility.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (20-34)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -3.8
It's officially time for the Philadelphia 76ers to consider packing it in, shutting down Joel Embiid and chasing losses (and lottery balls).
This week alone, we learned Embiid may need another knee surgery, the Sixers extended their current losing streak to five games and one of the losses came in embarrassing fashion for the seven-time All-Star, individually.
With the big man struggling to be available and not looking like his MVP self when he is, and Paul George averaging just 16.1 points on 42.6 percent shooting, Philadelphia might not make the play-in even if it tries.
So, again, why even try?
The 76ers are currently tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth-worst record in the league. If their 2025 first-round pick stays in the top six, they keep it. If it doesn't, it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There's real incentive to lose and increase their odds to stay in the draft's top six.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (23-32)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -5.4
The Portland Trail Blazers are on a three-game losing streak, but all three losses came on the road and against above-.500 teams. Two were against the surging Denver Nuggets.
Prior to this little hiccup, there were plenty of reasons for optimism from this roster.
From January 19 through February 6, Portland went 10-1. And even if you expand the sample to include their last three games, the Blazers have seven players averaging double figures in their last 14 games.
21. Miami Heat (25-28)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -0.9
The Miami Heat are officially in a bit of a tailspin.
After losing to the Anthony Davis-less (and of course, Luka Dončić-less) Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Miami has now dropped four straight and is 5-11 in its last 16 games.
It felt like there might at least be some benefit to moving on from the drama of the Jimmy Butler situation, but that certainly hasn't manifested itself yet.
And with Bam Adebayo having perhaps his worst campaign since 2018-19 (his box plus/minus is as low as it's been since then), we may never see a good run from this post-Butler version of the Heat.
Adebayo and Tyler Herro both have to be legitimate stars for Miami to scare anyone. And while the latter is capable of dropping 40, as he did in Thursday's loss, the former's offense has been far too inconsistent.
20. Phoenix Suns (26-28)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -1.7
Kevin Durant hit 30,000 career points this week, but the milestone came during a loss. And his Phoenix Suns are 2-7 in their last nine games.
It's hard to even blame the record on unavailability (something Phoenix should've anticipated anyway, given the age and health history of two of their top three stars).
This season, when KD is on the floor with both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns are a ho-hum plus-0.3 points per 100 possessions.
19. Atlanta Hawks (26-29)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.3
The slightly new-look Atlanta Hawks lost an overtime thriller, 149-148, to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, but they won their first three games after the trade deadline.
And two of the new additions are second and third on the team in points per game during this little stretch.
Caris LeVert is putting up 15.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 threes, while shooting 40.0 percent from deep. Georges Niang is at 15.0 points and 3.0 threes, with a 45.0 three-point percentage as a Hawk.
Given the fact Atlanta's first-round pick is headed to the San Antonio Spurs this summer, its seemingly rebuild-minded trades last week were a little puzzling. But the front office may well have believed that two role players in LeVert and Niang would provide more than De'Andre Hunter, while Terance Mann brings more defensive upside than Bogdan Bogdanović.
Add that to Trae Young's scoring and playmaking (he had 38 points and 19 assists in Wednesday's loss), and this team is still very much in the hunt for a play-in spot.
18. Orlando Magic (27-29)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -1.5
The Orlando Magic, and specifically Paolo Banchero, were in dire need of a game against one of the league's cellar-dwellers. They got one Wednesday, when they beat the Charlotte Hornets, 102-86.
They were a dreadful 3-11 in their 14 games prior to that. If you go all the way back to December 3, Orlando has the seventh-worst record in the league in that stretch.
And you don't have to look too much further than Banchero for a reason for the most recent slide.
He is averaging 20.6 points, but it's taking him 18.5 shots to get there. In the same stretch, he's averaging a team-high 3.4 turnovers (to just 4.8 assists). And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only Magic player with a worse average point differential.
As a former first overall pick and ostensible face of the franchise, Banchero simply has to be better in terms of shot selection, ball security and defensive consistency.
17. San Antonio Spurs (23-29)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: -1.7
After losing by double-digits to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs are now 2-3 in games De'Aaron Fox plays. And one of those victories came against the Washington Wizards.
There's suddenly a little separation between the Spurs and a spot in the play-in tournament, and they have one of the West's tougher remaining schedules.
Hopes of getting Victor Wembanyama playoff experience in his second year are waning.
That's not necessarily the worst possible outcome, though. San Antonio has its own 2025 first-round pick. The Atlanta Hawks' pick is headed their way, too.
Adding a couple more talents from a potentially loaded draft to the young core could set this team up for deeper, more consistent playoff runs in the future.
16. Detroit Pistons (29-26)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: 0.7
What a difference a year, a coaching change and a couple veterans can make.
We just reached the All-Star break, and the Detroit Pistons have already more than doubled last season's win total. They're three wins clear of their preseason over-under, with 27 games to play.
And they have a first-time All-Star who might even have a fringe All-NBA case if the Pistons keep playing the way they have recently (they're 6-2 in their last eight).
After he went for 29 points and seven assists in Wednesday's win over the Chicago Bulls, Cade Cunningham is now averaging 25.4 and 9.4 for the season.
15. Sacramento Kings (28-27)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: 1.0
It's been a bit of a mixed bag for the Sacramento Kings since they acquired Zach LaVine and Jonas Valančiūnas ahead of the trade deadline.
After losing to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans (without Zion Williamson) on Thursday, they're now 3-3 since the moves, with all three of the losses coming against teams that are currently below .500.
And after struggling a bit to find a consistent role when he was with DeMar DeRozan on the Chicago Bulls, there have been plenty of possessions in Sacramento in which LaVine has to fade into the background for DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and even, on occasion, Malik Monk.
It's going to take some time for this team to figure out its offensive balance, and over 50 games into the season, there just isn't much time left.
14. Dallas Mavericks (30-26)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 1.9
It felt like the weight of the entire basketball world was ready to fall on the Dallas Mavericks this week.
Not only did they unexpectedly move superstar Luka Dončić ahead of the trade deadline, but they also lost Anthony Davis to an adductor injury in his debut for the team, fans were booted from the arena during home games and former owner Mark Cuban berated some who were sharing their opinion of the deal from the stands.
Somehow, though, amid what feels like one of the most chaotic stretches any franchise has ever gone through, the Mavericks are winning games.
Dallas is 5-1 since the deadline. And it's getting huge, borderline random contributions from all over the roster.
Dante Exum led the way in scoring in the most recent victory against the Miami Heat with 27 points. Naji Marshall and Kessler Edwards have both led the team in a game in rebounding. Olivier-Maxence Prosper led the team in assists in Wednesday's win over the Golden State Warriors.
The constants throughout have been Kyrie Irving (who missed Thursday's win, but is averaging 26.0 points since the break) and Max Christie, who came over in the Luka deal and has scored in double figures in every game he's played as a Maverick.
It still feels like Dallas' chances at legitimate title contention decreased after the trade, but this at least has to feel good for his former supporting cast that has caught plenty of verbal strays over the last week and change.
13. Golden State Warriors (28-27)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 0.3
The Golden State Warriors have played six straight road games, and they have one more away from home after the break.
Being 3-3 on the current trip is actually pretty encouraging, especially since they're now 3-1 when Jimmy Butler is in the lineup.
His fit alongside Stephen Curry has looked as seamless as anticipated. He takes a ton of defensive attention away from the sharpshooter, without taking a lot of shots. He's a star who's willing to do typical "glue guy" things like rebounding, defending and moving the ball. And he gives the Warriors one more legitimate option for shot creation in late-game situations.
Golden State suddenly feels like perhaps the safest bet to make the play-in tournament (of the teams currently in the play-in range in the standings).
12. Indiana Pacers (30-23)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 0.1
The Indiana Pacers are in a bit of a schedule-induced lull.
From January 2 through February 3, they went 12-2, but they're just 2-3 since then. And Wednesday's win required overtime against the lowly Washington Wizards.
And surprise, surprise, the slight downturn has coincided with a little slump for Tyrese Haliburton.
During the 12-2 stretch, he averaged 19.8 points, 8.5 assists and 3.2 threes, while shooting 43.2 percent from deep. Over the last five games, he's at 13.8 points, 7.6 assists and 2.4 threes, with a 38.7 three-point percentage.
It may seem overly reductive, but the Pacers really do go as Haliburton goes.
11. Milwaukee Bucks (29-24)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 1.2
Kyle Kuzma may be the latest example that NBA players are often motivated by the situations they're in.
He was dreadful for the Washington Wizards this season and struggled in his first two games with the Milwaukee Bucks, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Milwaukee needed to stick with him.
And over his last two contests, Kuzma is averaging 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while hitting half his shots.
His job will undoubtedly get easier as Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard filter back into the rotation full-time, too.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (31-23)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 3.2
After going 1-3 in the week leading up to our last edition of the power rankings, the Los Angeles Clippers went 3-0 this week.
The most recent win was a little too close for comfort against the rebuilding Utah Jazz, but Norman Powell went off for 41 in that one.
And with the bench recently bolstered by the additions of Bogdan Bogdanović and Ben Simmons, and the starting five figuring out how to play with the recently activated Kawhi Leonard, L.A. should have a pretty good shot to stay in the West's top six ahead of the postseason.
9. Houston Rockets (34-21)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 4.4
After spending much of the pre-All-Star portion of the season in second place, the Houston Rockets have shown plenty of signs of their youth recently.
They lost to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday and are now 2-7 in their last nine games. The wins came against the sub-.500 Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns.
And while it's probably good in the long run for the younger stars to get these reps, it's become clear that Fred VanVleet's veteran leadership is still pretty important. He's missed the last seven games with an ankle injury, but he should be back shortly after the break.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (31-25)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 3.4
The Minnesota Timberwolves just suffered a disappointing loss to the Damian Lillard-less and Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, but they are pretty banged up themselves.
In general, though, they're headed in the right direction.
Minnesota is 9-4 in its last 13 games, with one of those losses coming to the dominant Cleveland Cavaliers. And once it gets Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley back, it should be one of the league's tougher outs.
When those two are on the floor with Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are plus-6.2 points per 100 possessions.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (32-20)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 0.8
The Los Angeles Lakers ended the pre-All-Star portion of their schedule on a sour note, losing to the Utah Jazz, 131-119, on Wednesday, but things are undoubtedly looking up.
They're 10-2 in their last 12. LeBron James is averaging (a seemingly impossible for a 40-year-old) 26.0 points, 9.4 assists and 8.7 rebounds during that stretch. And they just acquired Luka Dončić, perhaps the brightest young star in the league (and no, I didn't forget about Victor Wembanyama) for far less than his market value.
Coming off an injury, Luka has looked rusty in his two games with L.A. He's 11-of-27 from the field in purple and gold. But there's just no question he ups the team's championship potential this season.
And the Lakers still have a couple months before the playoffs to iron out the two-man game between the two superstars.
6. Denver Nuggets (36-19)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 5.8
The Denver Nuggets are entering the All-Star break on an eight-game winning streak, and it's not hard to see why.
For what feels like the first time since the 2023 playoffs (which ended with a championship), Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić are locked in at the same time.
During this streak, Jokić is averaging 30.1 points, 11.1 assists, 10.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals in just 34.0 minutes while shooting 63.4 percent from the field.
And over the same span, Murray, who dropped a career-high 55 in Wednesday's win, is putting up 26.1 points, 6.9 assists and 2.3 threes while shooting 38.1 percent from deep.
For the entire season, Denver is plus-12.3 points per 100 possessions when both stars are on the floor, a number that screams "title contender."
5. New York Knicks (36-18)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 6.0
The New York Knicks are 9-2 in their last 11 games, and one of those losses came against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
This team is an offensive juggernaut, led by a dynamic trio that boasts two superstars and one of the game's best glue guys.
After closing out the week with back-to-back 40-point, 10-rebound performances, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 24.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 threes, while shooting 43.8 percent from three. Jalen Brunson is adding 26.1 points, 7.5 assists and 2.3 threes, with a 39.7 three-point percentage.
And then you have Josh Hart, who's averaging an absurd, well-rounded 14.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals. He's currently fifth in the league in triple-doubles this season.
With those three flanked by Mikal Bridges and (a hopefully healthy) OG Anunoby, New York has a very real shot to upend anyone in the East and represent the conference in the Finals.
4. Memphis Grizzlies (36-18)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 6.9
The Memphis Grizzlies dropped their last game before the All-Star break, but Ja Morant missed that one, and they've looked like a title contender when he's on the floor.
When Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are both in the game, Memphis is a whopping plus-13.6 points per 100 possessions.
With a well-rounded and sweet-shooting (the Grizzlies are tied for sixth in the league in three-point percentage) supporting cast around those two, Memphis feels like a legitimate emerging contender.
3. Boston Celtics (39-16)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 9.2
Consider this an admission that the Boston Celtics' drop in last week's rankings may have been unwarranted.
They were coming off a ho-hum 15-10 stretch, but they just capped off a dominant 3-0 week, beating the New York Knicks by 27, the Miami Heat by 18 (both on the road) and the San Antonio Spurs by 13.
It's almost as if the reigning champions wanted to remind everyone they're pretty terrifying when they're not in cruise control.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 10.4
This season is starting to feel a little like 2015-16, when the Golden State Warriors went 73-9 and posted a simple rating system (SRS is a simple combination of point differential and strength of schedule) that now ranks ninth all-time. The same year, the San Antonio Spurs went 67-15 with an SRS that now ranks 10th all-time.
Two historic, dominant teams, but one got the bulk of the headlines.
This season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the team in the Spurs' shoes. After blowing out the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, their SRS ranks 13th all-time. They're on pace for 67 wins. And yet, they can't quite catch the Oklahoma City Thunder (who are on pace for the best single-season SRS ever).
Still, after a relatively underwhelming January from the Boston Celtics, Cleveland has given itself a comfortable buffer in the Eastern Conference standings. And after landing De'Andre Hunter at the trade deadline, the Cavs could very well have the league's best top 5-6 players.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 12.8
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost by double digits to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, but they've done more than enough to hang on to the top spot heading into the break.
Yes, they have the same record as the Cleveland Cavaliers, but OKC won the last meeting between those two teams by 20.
And even after losing by 15 to Minnesota, the Thunder still have a pretty overwhelming lead over the rest of the league in net rating.
They've earned a little leeway after the occasional letdown.
Stat of the Week
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The note above on the Detroit Pistons' preseason over-under got us thinking: Which teams were the NBA's biggest overachievers in the pre-All-Star-break portion of the 2024-25 campaign.
Detroit, of course, is there, but it's not the only team that has already exceeded preseason expectations. The 23-win Portland Trail Blazers are already a game and a half clear of their over-under, and the 20-win Brooklyn Nets just cleared their 19.5.
Within the next month or so, four more could join them. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets are all within 10 wins of their own preseason over-unders.
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