NBA Power Rankings: Clippers Hit Rock Bottom, While Thunder Inch Closer to History
As the NBA races toward its annual Christmas Day slate of games, we're here with a holiday edition of the power rankings to go with your turkey, pie and presents.
As always, we'll sort all 30 teams by the same criteria we've used for years (team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity), but we're handing out extra treats this week.
Beyond knowing where your squad stands right now, you'll find every organization's biggest Christmas wish below.
30. Washington Wizards (4-21)
1 of 30
Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -14.3
Biggest Wish: CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton Suitors
Things are going exactly how we should've expected (and how the team probably wanted) for the Washington Wizards.
The losses keep piling up, young players such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson are showing flashes of upside, and veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton might be doing enough to coax some team to give up something like second-round picks for them.
McCollum is putting up 18.9 points and 3.4 assists, while shooting 40.3 percent from deep, and Middleton's 4.8 assists per 75 possessions suggest he could be a nice secondary playmaker off the bench for someone.
29. Sacramento Kings (6-21)
2 of 30
Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -10.6
Biggest Wish: A Restart
The Sacramento Kings' woeful 2025-26 campaign didn't get any better this week. They dropped both of their games since the last edition of the power rankings and are now 1-8 in their last nine.
We're also far enough into the season—and the careers of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine—to assume a dramatic turnaround isn't around the corner.
Between now and the trade deadline, Sacramento needs to do whatever it can to unload DeRozan, LaVine and probably even Domantas Sabonis. It's time for a new start.
28. Los Angeles Clippers (6-21)
3 of 30
Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -6.1
Biggest Wish: A New Era
"Off the rails" doesn't even begin to describe the state of the Los Angeles Clippers.
After ending the week with back-to-back blowout losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, L.A. has now lost five straight and is a staggering 3-19 since a 3-2 start. The Clippers are 4-13 in games that James Harden and Kawhi Leonard both play.
And there may not be another team in the NBA right now that looks as disconnected and uninterested in playing.
Just over six years after his arrival, it feels like this organization's Kawhi era is over. And the sooner the team makes that official, the better.
Contracts may make it difficult to move either of Harden or Leonard, but the Clippers at least have to be looking.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (6-22)
4 of 30
Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -7.7
Biggest Wish: Some Queen-Zion Minutes
It may be too much to ask for Zion Williamson to be available for an extended stretch. Remarkably, in five of his seven NBA seasons, he has appeared in fewer games than Derik Queen has as a rookie.
However, a lack of trade value brought on by that lack of availability means the New Orleans Pelicans may be stuck with Zion (at least for now). And if that's the case, we can still hope for an extended run with those two together.
To date, they've only logged 121 minutes together, but the Pelicans narrowly won those. The combination of Queen's passing and Zion's finishing gives that duo dynamic potential.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (11-17)
5 of 30
Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -3.7
Biggest Wish: A Giannis Resolution
Giannis Antetokounmpo's current absence extended to five games on Thursday, when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Toronto Raptors.
On the season, Milwaukee is now 2-9 when Giannis isn't in the lineup. And as that record just keeps getting worse, it's hard to imagine the trade rumors getting any quieter.
What the team could really use, perhaps even more than wins without Antetokounmpo, is a clear indication of what he wants. To date, he is still dancing around what everyone else seems to already know.
An explicit trade request would at least allow everyone to know what's going on and what's next. A definitive denial might do the same.
Right now, the Bucks are just in some kind of weird, painful middle ground that feels less comfortable every day.
25. Brooklyn Nets (7-19)
6 of 30
Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -5.5
Biggest Wish: A Rookie Breakout (from any rookie)
Michael Porter Jr. has been one of the best stories in the NBA this season, but he's a 27-year-old veteran with a history of back surgeries. His breakout has fueled as much speculation about another trade as it has hope for the Brooklyn Nets' future.
The latter almost certainly has to come from one of the five rookies Brooklyn selected in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Each one has shown flashes of "he might be a long-term role player" upside, but none have looked like sure-fire stars (at least not for more than a few possessions here or there).
The prime candidate may still be Egor Dёmin, the 6'8" No. 8 pick with real point forward upside. He's likely been a little too reliant on three-pointers to this juncture in his young career. The Nets sometimes entrusting others to run the offense when he's out there may also be hiding his most special skill.
If, over the course of the next few weeks, he's allowed to run more pick-and-rolls and take more ownership of the attack, he might be able to spur a little more optimism for his team's young core.
24. Indiana Pacers (6-21)
7 of 30
Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -7.7
Biggest Wish: More of the Same
The Indiana Pacers have offered brief stretches of competitiveness, and the play-in tournament extending all the way to 10th-place teams suggests that's not quite out of reach.
If the Pacers emerge from this opportunity for a gap year without a high lottery pick, though, they may instantly regret it.
This is their opportunity to add a dynamic young talent like Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa to Tyrese Haliburton. And every loss this season increases their chances for a brighter future.
23. Chicago Bulls (11-15)
8 of 30
Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -4.5
Biggest Wish: A Buzelis Breakout
The Chicago Bulls' seven-game losing streak in November and early December made it tempting to give up on them, but they've won two of their last three.
And the quality of the bottom of the Eastern Conference probably means they'll at least stay in the play-in hunt all season.
To get anywhere near the top six again, the Bulls are probably going to need more from second-year forward Matas Buzelis.
During their 8-6 start, Buzelis averaged 14.7 points and shot 40.3 percent from three. Since then, he's put up 11.9 points while shooting 21.6 percent from deep.
He doesn't suddenly have to be a star for Chicago to start winning again, but more consistent outside shooting would go a long way toward taking pressure off Josh Giddey and the rest of the team's creators.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (11-16)
9 of 30
Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -3.2
Biggest Wish: Their 2026 First-Round Pick
The Portland Trail Blazers are in a tight organizational corner.
On the one hand, Deni Avdija (who had 35 points, five rebounds and five assists in Thursday's win over the Sacramento Kings) is already playing like a star, and he's at the point in his developmental trajectory when some playoff (or at least play-in) experience could do him some real good.
On the other hand, if they land outside the lottery, the Chicago Bulls get their draft pick. Keeping it should have more value than whatever might be derived from a playoff appearance.
That might mean trading veterans such as Jerami Grant or Jrue Holiday for a better chance at pairing Avdija with someone like AJ Dybantsa.
21. Charlotte Hornets (9-18)
10 of 30
Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -3.1
Biggest Wish: A Healthy LaMelo
There's been a fair bit of buzz about potential LaMelo Ball trades of late. Kon Knueppel playing well enough to suggest he can become the face of the franchise is certainly part of that.
But if LaMelo could simply stay on the floor for a few weeks in a row, it might become clear that the best path forward is with both players on the roster.
On the season, despite their well-below-.500 record, the Charlotte Hornets are plus-3.3 points per 100 possessions when Knueppel and Ball are both on the floor. And it's not all that hard to see why.
Ball's playmaking and Knueppel's outside shooting are a natural fit. And if the front office can surround that duo with enough defense, the current core could become a winner.
20. Utah Jazz (10-16)
11 of 30
Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -6.9
Biggest Wish: A Clear Direction
To the chagrin of Utah Jazz fans hoping for a more aggressive tank job this season, their team is very much in the mix for a play-in spot in the West.
But there isn't really much the organization can do about the unexpected winning without begging for a fine.
As long as Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are healthy, Utah is going to be a tough out for most opponents. The only way to lean into lottery odds for a draft class that will include AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson might be to trade Markkanen.
That would, at the very least, signal what Utah really wants out of this season and likely pull it out of the conference purgatory.
On the other hand, the Jazz could be buyers at the trade deadline. And while those same tank-hungry fans probably wouldn't be thrilled by that, they'd likely appreciate knowing which way the team is headed.
19. Memphis Grizzlies (13-14)
12 of 30
Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -1.1
Biggest Wish: A Ja Morant Suitor
Memphis Grizzlies fans probably don't want to hear this, and the front office may not even be thinking it yet, but it's time to move on from Ja Morant.
After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Memphis is now 8-2 in its last 10 games without the 26-year-old. The ball flies all over the floor when he's out, the defense is more connected, and fewer possessions end with poor shot selection.
Beyond the off-court issues that have plagued Morant for years, he doesn't look as explosive as he once did. And without that burst, he's had to rely more on a jump shot and floater that look borderline broken. He has only two games all season with at least 10 minutes of game time and a field-goal percentage over 36.
Of course, all of the above probably means his trade value has never been lower, but the team needs to be exploring options to move him anyway.
There's a brighter, more hassle-free future with a core led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells.
18. Dallas Mavericks (11-17)
13 of 30
Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -3.3
Biggest Wish: Reset Around Flagg
If there was any lingering doubt about Cooper Flagg's potential to be a franchise cornerstone, he's likely put it to rest in recent weeks.
Since Thanksgiving, the 18-year-old has been over 20 points in more games than he's been under, has a 35-point performance in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and he became the youngest player in league history to eclipse 40 in a game.
On the heels of this run, it's clearer than ever that the Dallas Mavericks should get younger, pick up as many assets as they can for veterans such as Anthony Davis and tailor a roster that better fits Flagg's game (or at least one with less of a logjam at his position).
17. Golden State Warriors (13-15)
14 of 30
Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 1.5
Biggest Wish: Consistency
The Golden State Warriors have bounced around this season's power rankings like a yo-yo, and a lack of consistency is a big reason why.
Thanks in large part to injuries, the Warriors have already played a whopping 15 different starting lineups this season. And for a team that relies so much on feel and off-ball movement, players not having time to figure out how to play with each other is a problem.
And it's a shame, considering how much Stephen Curry is giving the team in his age-37 campaign. In his first two games back from injury, Curry totaled 87 points and hit 18 threes. And somehow, the Warriors dropped both contests.
16. Cleveland Cavaliers (15-13)
15 of 30
Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 2.0
Biggest Wish: Pre-Injury Darius Garland
Something has gone thoroughly awry for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 3-7 in their last 10 and have away games against the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs before the new year.
If they go winless in that road trip, expect whispers of a potential shakeup for this core to get louder.
Four seasons is a long time in basketball years, and that's how long the foursome of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been together.
If it's going to be viable much longer, Cleveland almost certainly needs the old Garland back. Over the three seasons prior to this one, he averaged 20.2 points and 7.0 assists, while shooting 39.6 percent from three.
In 2025-26, he's at 15.4 points and 6.4 assists with a 29.5 three-point percentage, and he just looks physically uncomfortable while he's out there.
15. Phoenix Suns (15-12)
16 of 30
Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: 0.0
Biggest Wish: Return of Jalen Green
The Phoenix Suns are still one of the biggest surprises of this 2025-26 campaign, but they've cooled off in recent weeks.
And with their offense ranking in the bottom half of the league, it's becoming increasingly clear that there's a little too much offensive responsibility on Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie's shoulders.
Cue the imminent return of Jalen Green, who could be back before we ring in the new year.
He's never been the most efficient scorer, but his career averages of 20.1 points and 2.5 threes will at least command more defensive attention than Royce O'Neale (or even Brooks and Gillespie) are getting. And that should make life a little easier for Booker.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (14-11)
17 of 30
Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 1.0
Biggest Wish: The Return of Joel Embiid's Jumper
Joel Embiid has played in each of the last three and four of the last five Philadelphia 76ers games. Against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, he turned back the clock with 39 points and 15 free-throw attempts.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that even in these recent appearances, it looks like he has clearly entered a different phase of his career, one in which he can't move the way he used to on either end. He's relying as much as ever on some of his time-honored tactics for getting to the line. And he's not the deterrent inside that he once was.
He's also been quicker to default to jumpers than he's been in the past. And right now, they're not really falling. On the season, he's shooting 38.5 percent on two-pointers from beyond 16 from the rim (a range from which almost 15 percent of his shots have come) and 22.6 percent from deep.
Tyrese Maxey's breakout (to the tune of 31.5 points and 7.2 assists) is one of the best stories in the league. VJ Edgecombe averaging 15.2 points and shooting 38.8 percent from three as a rookie is a game-changer.
If the Sixers want to make a deep playoff run in the East, though, they need some of those outside shots from Embiid to start falling, because it looks like the days of pure, physical dominance inside may be behind him.
13. Miami Heat (15-12)
18 of 30
Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: 2.8
Biggest Wish: Three-Point Volume
The Miami Heat were in serious need of Thursday's game against the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets. They entered that one on a five-game losing streak, but they ground out the win behind 24 points from Norman Powell.
Although they secured a victory, it was another example of a potential problem for the Heat. They only scored 106 points and went 9-of-28 from deep. That dropped their average for threes per game to 12.6, a mark that ranks 20th in the league.
Whether through increased volume from players already on the roster or with a trade, this team needs to find more three-point attempts to get its offense out of the bottom half of the league.
12. Atlanta Hawks (15-13)
19 of 30
Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 0.2
Biggest Wish: Clarity on Trae Young
Before a knee injury sidelined him for weeks, Trae Young only had five appearances this season. And the Atlanta Hawks were absolutely pummeled in his limited minutes.
While he was out, the team went 13-9 (maybe not inspiring, but still better than they were when Young was active) and Jalen Johnson broke out as a bona fide star. During the Trae-less stretch, Johnson averaged 23.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists. And most importantly, the Hawks won Johnson's minutes.
If there wasn't already an argument for Atlanta to tip off a new era built around Johnson, it exists now. And if the team can get some real value for Young in a trade, even better.
Now that Young is back in action, the next few weeks could be critical for the team's future. It can see how the new, confidence-juiced Johnson plays with him. Young can maybe boost his own trade value a bit.
The range of possible outcomes is wide. And it makes the Hawks one of the league's most interesting teams between now and the trade deadline.
11. Orlando Magic (15-12)
20 of 30
Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 3.0
Biggest Wish: Health for Paolo and Franz
Last season, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both suffered oblique injuries that held them out for extended stretches. And because their absences didn't happen concurrently, their time together on the floor was severely limited.
Now, though the injuries are different, it feels like deja vu has struck the Magic, who just lost Wagner almost immediately after Banchero returned to action. In 2025-26, Orlando has 16 duos with more total minutes than the Wagner-Banchero pairing.
And while these oddly timed injuries have provided plenty of fodder for analyzing each individual player (and how he plays without the other), they've severely limited our ability to understand how (or even if) these two stars can coexist.
10. Toronto Raptors (17-11)
21 of 30
Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 2.4
Biggest Wish: Return of RJ Barrett
The Toronto Raptors ended their week with a little two-game winning streak against the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, but it still feels like they really need the extra layer of playmaking and shooting provided by RJ Barrett.
Toronto is 5-6 while he's been out with a knee injury, and Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes could both use the pressure release that Barrett's 19.4 points, 3.8 assists and 1.8 threes will provide.
Fortunately, just this week, Barrett started "return-to-play activities," so he could be back in the lineup soon.
9. Boston Celtics (15-11)
22 of 30
Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 5.9
Biggest Wish: Health
The Boston Celtics are on a little two-game losing streak, but it's hard to look at their first third of the 2025-26 season as anything but an unqualified success.
Without Jayson Tatum, and after losing Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford, Boston is very much in the mix for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. And even more remarkably, despite missing last season's leading scorer, the Celtics are currently fourth in the league in points per 100 possessions.
But in some ways, all of this feels a little precarious. One more injury to a significant part of the rotation could be devastating. If Neemias Queta misses time, Boston's already bad defensive rebounding rate could crater. It's 5-6 in games that Jaylen Brown fails to reach 30 points, so the team probably can't afford to lose him for any amount of time either.
Keeping this going till Tatum returns (assuming he does) won't be easy, and it might not even be possible if the rest of the rotation doesn't stay upright.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-10)
23 of 30
Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 4.4
Biggest Wish: Backup Playmaking
With all due respect to Bones Hyland, his recent surge in playing time has as much to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves' guard rotation as it does his game.
With Mike Conley nursing an Achilles injury, Anthony Edwards out with a foot injury and Rob Dillingham failing to secure his own place in the rotation, Bones is suddenly starting games.
And though Minnesota won his minutes in each of his three starts, the situation feels tenuous, at best.
The Timberwolves are 27th in bench points per game, and big man Naz Reid has accounted for almost half of them. Whether Edwards and Conley are available or not, Minnesota likely needs more from the rest of that backcourt rotation to be a real threat for a deep playoff run.
They could conceivably get it from Hyland, Dillingham or Donte DiVincenzo (who's averaging 13.9 as a starter), but the T'Wolves might have to peruse the trade market, too.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (19-7)
24 of 30
Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 1.7
Biggest Wish: Perimeter Defense
The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best and most dynamic offenses in the NBA, led by three of the league's top creators.
After dropping a 45-point triple-double on Thursday, Luka Dončić is putting up 35.2 points and 9.1 assists for the season. Austin Reaves, who's out with an injury right now, is at 27.8 points and 6.7 assists. And LeBron James, who turns 41 in less than two weeks, is averaging 18.6 points and 7.5 dimes.
The problem, of course, is that none of the above are defensive stoppers. The specialist in the starting five for that, Marcus Smart, is oft-injured and past his prime. And games like Thursday's, which L.A. won despite giving up 135 points, are often closer than they maybe should be.
If the Lakers are going to meaningfully challenge teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets, they'll likely need better, more consistent and probably younger defenders to cover for the shortcomings of Luka, Reaves and LeBron on that end.
6. Detroit Pistons (21-6)
25 of 30
Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 6.0
Biggest Wish: Three-Point Shooting
It almost feels greedy to have the Detroit Pistons making a wish. For a team that went 14-68 in 2023-24, things are going remarkably well.
However, they could take a little better advantage of Cade Cunningham's high-end playmaking by surrounding him with a tad more outside shooting.
On the year, the Pistons are 28th in threes per game and 17th in three-point percentage.
5. Houston Rockets (16-8)
26 of 30
Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 9.1
Biggest Wish: Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith
The Houston Rockets have dropped two straight and three of their last four, but all of those losses were on the road and one was against the Denver Nuggets.
On balance, things are still going just fine for Houston, which ranks in the top six in both offense and defense and is getting All-Star-caliber production from both Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün.
Still, the recent skid highlights the absences of Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith, both of whom can defend multiple positions, hit open threes and generally fill gaps in lineups with the bigger-name players.
On the plus side, though there's still no timeline for DFS, Eason was recently listed as questionable, suggesting his return could be around the corner.
4. San Antonio Spurs (19-7)
27 of 30
Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 5.0
Biggest Wish: Seasoning
The San Antonio Spurs' NBA Cup dreams were dashed in the final by the New York Knicks, but they proved they were for real by knocking off the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semis.
In that game, or at least for stretches of it, the entire vision was on display. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper showed off the defensive will to bother OKC's stars on the outside. Those two and De'Aaron Fox provided three different and totally dynamic approaches to playmaking.
And of course, Victor Wembanyama's size, defensive instincts around the basket and finishing all over the floor make him perhaps the one player in the NBA that the Thunder truly have no answers for.
Altogether, even without any big trades (including one for Giannis Antetokounmpo), it looks like the Spurs already have enough talent to compete for a championship. It may just need a little more time to grow together.
3. New York Knicks (19-7)
28 of 30
Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 8.4
Biggest Wish: Keep Mitchell Robinson Healthy
Your 2025 NBA Cup champion New York Knicks are on fire. After completing their run in Las Vegas and following that up with a nail-biting win over the Indiana Pacers, New York has won 10 of its last 11 (official) games.
And one of the biggest reasons for the surge is the availability and offensive rebounding of Mitchell Robinson.
On the year, New York is significantly better with Robinson on the floor, and that's due in large part to the fact that he gobbles up over a quarter of his own team's misses. In the Cup championship game alone, he totaled 10 offensive rebounds in just 18 minutes.
That ability to create extra possessions makes an already dangerous Knicks team borderline terrifying. And if he's healthy into the spring and summer, something that has eluded him in years past, New York has a very real chance to make the Finals.
2. Denver Nuggets (20-6)
29 of 30
Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 9.4
Biggest Wish: Health
The Denver Nuggets getting off to the best start in franchise history is all the more impressive when you consider the fact that Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have both missed around a month of action.
Winning at this rate without two starters is impressive, but the Nuggets would obviously prefer not to have their depth tested to this degree.
An extended stretch with the first five all in action could do more than just improve the winning percentage, too. Newcomer Cameron Johnson needs some time with all of the regulars to develop continuity and adapt to his new role.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-2)
30 of 30
Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 16.5
Biggest Wish: Focus
The San Antonio Spurs made the Oklahoma City Thunder look mortal in their NBA Cup semifinal, handing the reigning champs their second loss of the season.
But this juggernaut got right back on track with a blowout win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and is still on pace to break the single-season record for wins (just one year after breaking the single-season record for point differential).
So, what exactly could the Thunder wish for?
There's no indication this is on the way, but as OKC continues to extend the gap between itself and the rest of the West, it may feel a temptation to ease off the gas. Boredom might creep in. Right now, it seems like that's about the only thing that might slow this team down.
Zeroing in on a goal, something like chasing 74 wins, could hold that off.
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