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NBA Power Rankings: Stacking Up All 30 Teams After Trae Young Trade
Trade season is upon us. This week's Trae Young deal officially tipped it off, and the move was big enough to cause a little shakeup in the NBA power rankings.
Of course, the action on the floor made a difference, too. Contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks have looked more mortal of late, while surprises like the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics kept stacking up wins.
We'll look at all of the above, as well as the rest of the league through the same criteria we've used for years—team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity—to sort all 30 teams below.
30. Sacramento Kings (8-29)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -11.3
It was another winless week for the Sacramento Kings, who've now lost six straight and 12 of their last 14.
They're now, finally, at the very bottom of the net rating leaderboard, too. And despite entering this campaign with visions of the play-in tournament dancing in their heads, it's probably fair to officially count them out.
The rest of the season should be about finding anyone to take DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, playing the young-ish players left on the roster (like Keegan Murray, Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud) and hoping for the best possible odds in this summer's draft lottery.
29. Indiana Pacers (7-31)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -8.9
The Indiana Pacers' losing streak is over.
It ended on Thursday, after a whopping 13 games, when they snuck by the Charlotte Hornets, 114-112.
During the winless stretch, the average score of an Indiana game was 109.8 to 121.3. The Pacers allowed opponents to shoot a league-high 50.3 percent from the field.
But they're off the schneid now. Rick Carlisle became the 11th coach in NBA history to get to 1,000 wins(!), and the lottery odds for 2026 remain as strong as ever.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (8-31)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -7.9
The New Orleans Pelicans' five-game winning streak in December already feels like a distant memory.
They've lost their last nine games. And while Zion Williamson is starting to put up more classically Zion numbers (24.4 points on 62.6 percent shooting over his last 11 games), Derik Queen may be hitting the rookie wall.
During the losing streak, Queen is averaging 11.8 points on 11.0 shots and leading the team in turnovers per game at 2.8.
27. Washington Wizards (10-26)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -10.8
After their 3-20 start, the Washington Wizards are 7-6 in their last 13.
And as they were prying open the window for a potential play-in berth (just a crack, but still), they made the first blockbuster deal of the season this week.
There were plenty of reasons for the Wizards to stay away from Trae Young, but at the price they wound up paying for him (CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert and no picks), this deal was almost impossible to pass up.
McCollum, who's 34 years old and on an expiring contract, wasn't going to be a part of Washington's future. It essentially got a four-time All-Star in his 20s for Kispert.
And if the Wizards can coax a little more of a team-first approach out of Young, he could supercharge the offensive opportunities of young players like Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr.
That may not translate to a ton of wins right away, but this move absolutely recalibrates Washington's direction a bit.
26. Brooklyn Nets (11-23)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -4.3
Michael Porter Jr. is rightfully getting the bulk of the attention for the Brooklyn Nets being 8-7 over their last 15 games.
He's making a fringe All-Star case with averages of 26.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 threes and 3.3 assists (not to mention his 41.1 three-point percentage), but we've already devoted plenty of power-ranking real estate to MPJ.
This week, we'll shine a light on rookie Egor Dёmin, who's starting to figure out how to positively affect games. In his last nine appearances, Dёmin is putting up 15.3 points and 3.3 assists in 29.3 minutes, while shooting 43.8 percent from deep.
25. Dallas Mavericks (14-24)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -3.6
It's time for the Dallas Mavericks to surrender their pursuit of a play-in spot (assuming they haven't done it already).
Trade Anthony Davis, enjoy the big Cooper Flagg nights (like Thursday, when he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a loss to the Utah Jazz) and chase better lottery odds.
There's some value in playing high-leverage games early in your career, but the play-in would likely give Dallas just one or two of those. And that doesn't come close to measuring up to the potential of a Flagg pairing with one of the top prospects in this upcoming draft.
24. Utah Jazz (13-24)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -7.0
The Utah Jazz have had some tank-tastic losses this season, in which they competed for 40-45 minutes before eventually losing and preserving a decent shot at the No. 1 pick this summer.
They couldn't quite walk that tightrope on Thursday, though, when they beat the Dallas Mavericks, 116-114, behind 33 points from Lauri Markkanen and a double-double from Kevin Love.
This organization was fined for tanking a little too transparently last season, but if it wants a real shot at AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson, it may have to find new ways to keep the veterans out of the action.
23. Charlotte Hornets (13-25)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -1.5
It's tough to get a handle on the Charlotte Hornets.
They crushed (yes, crushed) the Oklahoma City Thunder (in OKC!) this week, but they followed that up with back-to-back home losses to the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.
They're in the middle of the pack in overall net rating and plus-12.4 points per 100 possessions when LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are all on the floor, but they have almost twice as many losses as wins.
Inconsistency may just be part of the equation with young teams, but it really feels like the Hornets should be better.
22. Chicago Bulls (17-20)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -4.3
Right when the Chicago Bulls had clawed their way back to .500, they rattled off three straight losses this week.
It wasn't all bad, though. Their most intriguing young prospect, Matas Buzelis, is more consistently showing his star upside of late.
Over his last 11 games, Buzelis is putting up 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 threes, while shooting 41.7 percent from deep.
21. Memphis Grizzlies (16-21)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.6
The Memphis Grizzlies are fading to the back of the play-in tournament (and possibly out of it if they keep playing like this).
They're 1-5 in their last six games, Ja Morant is back on the injury report (though the Grizzlies have been better with him off the floor this season), Cedric Coward recently joined him on that list and Zach Edey is still there.
But it's not all bad in Memphis. If the Grizzlies can find a taker on a Ja trade and get the young core healthy, they might at least get back to being interesting.
Zach Edey (who's 23 years old) is averaging 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in just 25.8 minutes, Cam Spencer (25) is at 12.1 points and 5.0 assists in 23.6 minutes (with a 47.3 three-point percentage), Jaylen Wells (22) is averaging double-figures for the second time in two seasons and Cedric Coward (22) is averaging 13.7 points and 2.9 assists as a rookie.
20. Milwaukee Bucks (16-21)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -2.2
The Milwaukee Bucks ended their week with a loss to the middling Golden State Warriors, and they're still five games below .500, but their fans are out celebrating in the social media streets after The Athletic posted this week's interview with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now, if the Bucks could just keep him on the floor, there's still an outside chance they could make a real playoff run this spring.
This season, Milwaukee has a point differential around that of a 63-win team when Giannis is on the floor and one around that of a 19-win team when he's not.
Presumably, and assuming decent health, those non-Giannis minutes should be fewer and farther between in the postseason.
19. Atlanta Hawks (18-21)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -0.9
The Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young era is over. On Wednesday, they sent him to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
And while the return probably seems underwhelming to longtime fans of the franchise, this season suggests Atlanta should, at least in the short term, be comfortably better without Young.
The Hawks were 2-8 in games Young played in 2025-26, with a genuinely terrible defense that was pretty easy to pin on the four-time All-Star's effort level.
Now, they can move forward with a better starting five (at least on the defensive end) headlined by Jalen Johnson and filled out by tons of defense and athleticism from Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Zaccharie Risacher.
They can back that group with a second unit led by McCollum, who can operate as a slightly more controlled version of Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford.
And they still have enough time to push for a top-six finish and a play-in-free path to the playoffs.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (13-23)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -2.3
The Los Angeles Clippers cooled off a bit this week, going 1-2 and being outscored by 42 points in those three contests.
But that's not enough to send them flying too far down the ranks.
The teams that most recently beat L.A. were the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, both of whom have a chance to represent the East in the Finals. And the Clippers are still 7-2 in their last nine.
Most importantly, Kawhi Leonard has looked like his old, Terminator-esque self during this run, with averages of 33.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks.
17. Portland Trail Blazers (18-20)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -2.5
The Portland Trail Blazers are 9-4 since mid-December and have victories over the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets during their current four-game winning streak.
And while Deni Avdija has been working on an All-Star resume all season, he's been especially good during this run.
Over the last 13 games, Avdija is averaging 27.8 points, 8.5 assists, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 threes.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (23-12)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: -0.5
The Los Angeles Lakers have to be one of the weirdest top-four teams the Western Conference has ever seen.
A month shy of the All-Star break, they have almost twice as many wins as losses, but they have a subzero net rating that ranks in the bottom half of the league.
They're 13-0 in games that reach "clutch" time (when a game is within five points in its final five minutes), but they're dead last in total minutes played in the clutch.
Even positives in their team profile (like the record in or out of the clutch) are easy to discount. And their bottom-10 defense makes it tough to buy them as a title contender.
And yet, they have three dynamic scorers and playmakers in Luka Dončić (33.7 points and 8.8 assists), Austin Reaves (26.6 points and 6.3 assists) and LeBron James (21.7 points and 6.8 assists) who make them one of this season's biggest "puncher's chance" teams.
If two of those three get hot in a seven-game series, L.A. is still going to be a tough out.
15. Miami Heat (20-17)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: 2.3
The Miami Heat are 5-2 in their last seven (with both losses coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves), but it's probably fair to be a little concerned about the offense.
Their pace makes their point totals look good, but Miami is 17th in points per 100 possessions, and Bam Adebayo hasn't reached 20 points in almost a month. Over his last nine games, Bam is averaging 11.8 points, while shooting 40.0 percent on twos and 25.0 percent on threes.
For a team that lost Jimmy Butler midway through last season and is often without Tyler Herro (who just returned from his second prolonged absence of this season), Bam has to live up to his star billing on both ends of the floor. He does it on defense, but his inconsistency on the other end is hurting the Heat.
14. Golden State Warriors (20-18)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 1.5
The Golden State Warriors are 7-3 in their last 10 games, but five of those wins came against sub-.500 teams. And it's starting to feel like the organization may be wasting another all-time Stephen Curry season.
He's putting up 28.8 points (the most ever in an age-37-or-older season for players not named LeBron James), 4.7 threes and 4.5 assists, while shooting 39.1 percent from deep.
But outside of Jimmy Butler, who's averaging 19.7 points on 11.9 field-goal attempts per game, Curry simply isn't getting enough help from his supporting cast.
He and Butler have combined for nearly two-thirds of the roster's total wins over replacement player.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-18)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 2.2
It felt like the Cleveland Cavaliers might've been gaining a little traction heading into this week, but they struggled to put away the Indiana Pacers and Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets and lost to the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.
And as we approach the middle of January, it's probably fair to wonder if this core's contention window has already closed.
If Cleveland continues to hover around .500 for the next month or so, expect the Cavaliers (particularly Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland) to show up in plenty of trade rumors.
12. Orlando Magic (21-17)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 1.5
The Orlando Magic need their best player back. After going 2-2 this week, they're now 7-8 in this stretch without Franz Wagner (when you count the game he left early with his ankle injury).
But there is a bright side, and it comes courtesy of Paolo Banchero, who's finally finding his rhythm as a scorer.
In his first 22 games of the season, Banchero averaged 19.8 points, while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 22.5 percent from deep. Over his last six, he's putting up 25.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three.
And if he performs at anywhere near that level after Wagner returns, Orlando should be able to string a few wins together.
11. Toronto Raptors (23-15)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 2.1
After an undefeated week leading up to these power rankings, the Toronto Raptors are 5-1 in their last six, but the good vibes may not be here to stay.
RJ Barrett has barely been back from his extended absence for a week, and now they could be without Brandon Ingram.
Early in Wednesday's win over the Charlotte Hornets, Ingram suffered a sprained thumb on his shooting hand. And that means Scottie Barnes and Barrett may have a little heavier lifting to do over the next few games.
So far this season, Toronto is plus-17.9 points per 100 possessions when those two play without Ingram, but the sample size is likely too small for meaningful takeaways. And with the next three games being against the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, Ingram's scoring could be sorely missed.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (20-15)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 1.5
A shocking loss to a Denver Nuggets team down Nikola Jokić, its four other starters and two more rotation players aside, the Philadelphia 76ers are starting to look like a potential problem for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
And while Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe still deserve plenty of credit for making the Sixers a more explosive and exciting team, the reemergence of Joel Embiid is what's truly making Philadelphia different.
Over the last five games, a stretch in which the 76ers are 4-1, Embiid is averaging 28.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
9. Phoenix Suns (22-15)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 2.1
All season, the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics have been in a running battle for the title of "2025-26's biggest surprise," and the former may have pulled ahead this week.
Phoenix went 3-1, with the lone loss coming by way of a Kevin Durant buzzer-beater and the most impressive win coming over the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now almost halfway through this campaign, Phoenix has established itself as one of the hardest-playing, most team-first organizations in the league, which is a complete 180 from the approach of last season's Suns.
There is plenty of credit to go around, but new coach Jordan Ott's schemes, Dillon Brooks' intensity and Devin Booker's scoring and leadership all deserve specific mentions.
8. New York Knicks (24-13)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 4.6
The New York Knicks' 123-111 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday ended a four-game losing streak that included an embarrassment at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
A few weeks from now, this is probably just going to look like a typical lull that even good teams can go through during an 82-game slate, but it's fair to at least have a little concern over this team's defense.
Right now, it ranks in the bottom half of the league on that end of the floor. And the resistance is dramatically worse when Jalen Brunson is in the game.
Again, it's probably no cause for alarm, but a team that fancies itself a title contender would rather not have such an obvious target on defense.
7. Denver Nuggets (25-12)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 6.0
These Nikola Jokić-less games really couldn't be going much better.
No one would've been surprised if they'd gone 0-6 (when you count the game he left early with a knee hyperextension). But thanks to unexpected wins over the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics (all on the road), Denver is 3-3 in this stretch (again, when you count the Miami Heat loss).
The most shocking victory came on Monday, when the organization essentially punted the Sixers game. All five starters, plus Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas, sat. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both played. And they were outgunned by Peyton Watson and Jalen Pickett.
During these six games, those two are averaging 22.2 and 10.0 points, respectively. They and the rest of the supporting cast now facing significantly more responsibility should grow from this and be more prepared for the playoffs.
And, as if that wasn't enough of a silver lining for this Jokić absence, it's getting harder and harder to argue against Jamal Murray's All-Star candidacy. During this run, he's putting up 24.8 points and 11.4 assists, while averaging just 2.2 turnovers.
6. San Antonio Spurs (26-11)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 5.5
Victor Wembanyama has been on a minutes restriction for most of the last month, and the numbers he's putting up are absurd.
In his last 11 games, Wemby has averaged 22.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 blocks in… 23.3 minutes. That's it.
Per 75 possessions (closer to what most starters might play), he's at 33.2 points, 15.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.2 blocks.
If we ever get a sustained, two- or three-month stretch with Wembanyama healthy, it's going to be hard to see the San Antonio Spurs as anything but a bona fide contender.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-13)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 5.2
It wasn't their toughest stretch of games, but the Minnesota Timberwolves still went 4-0 this week and outscored their opponents by an average of 18.3 points in those contests.
And as the T-Wolves are scratching their way back into the West's contenders' tier, their anchor is building a very real case for his fifth Defensive Player of the Year nod.
Victor Wembanyama isn't on pace to meet the 65-game minimum for postseason awards, and Rudy Gobert ranks in the 99th percentile in defensive estimated plus-minus. His team also allows an almost unfathomable 16.1 fewer points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
4. Boston Celtics (23-13)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 7.7
The Boston Celtics ended their week with a shocking loss to the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets, but that feels more like a hiccup than a sign of things to come.
The Celtics are, remarkably, up to third in the league in net rating and second in offensive rating. They're 8-2 in their last 10 and 18-6 since mid-November.
And in that longer stretch, Jaylen Brown is performing like an obvious All-NBA player. In those 24 games, he's put up 30.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while shooting 38.0 percent from deep.
3. Houston Rockets (22-12)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 8.2
The Oklahoma City Thunder have cracked the door open for the top spot in the power rankings for a couple weeks, but no one seems willing to walk through.
The Houston Rockets, for example, went 1-2 this week, with both losses coming to sub-.500 teams.
It wasn't all bad, though. Kevin Durant helped Houston avoid a three-game losing streak by burying his former team with a game-winner, and then he talked about his specific motivation against the Phoenix Suns.
With the Rockets' wealth of defense, athleticism and playmaking to carry them through the beginning of games and KD's ability to close them out, Houston has to be taken seriously as a title threat (even if it can't quite take advantage of OKC's struggles right now).
2. Detroit Pistons (28-9)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 7.1
After stumbling a bit through a road trip in late December, Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons made a statement this week.
Beyond going 3-0, Detroit annihilated the New York Knicks on Monday, 121-90. And the Pistons proved to have something New York simply may not have an answer for.
Cade looked unstoppable in that contest, totaling 29 points and 13 assists in just 29 minutes, controlling the pace throughout the game and getting where he wanted to on the floor, regardless of who the Knicks sent his way.
In the NBA, the team with the best individual player often wins the series. And if these two teams meet in the playoffs, Cunningham has shown that he's capable of out-dueling Jalen Brunson.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (31-7)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 13.0
On Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed overtime and a 46-point, 19 free-throw-attempt performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to beat the sub-.500 Utah Jazz and move to 7-6 in their last 13 games.
In other words, the San Antonio Spurs aren't the only team that can make the reigning champions look mortal.
When officials allow OKC's opponents to defend a bit more physically than usual or the Thunder's three-point shooting goes cold, they're beatable.
Now, neither of those things is a given against any opponent (except maybe San Antonio). And Oklahoma City is still on pace for 67 wins.
But for a season that felt like it was headed for "a repeat championship is a foregone conclusion" territory just a few weeks ago, this Thunder skid has suddenly made it more interesting.
