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NBA Power Rankings in the Wake of Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Saga
As if trade season isn't already exciting enough, this week, for what feels like the 10th time, we got the "Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be traded!" news.
And this one seems more real than any previous Giannis updates.
So, what does that mean for the power rankings? Well, it's hard to imagine the Milwaukee Bucks staying near the middle of the pack much longer. And if a Giannis trade actually is finalized before the deadline, some team is likely to jump up a few spots.
While we wait for the final word, though, it's business as usual. Below, you'll find all 30 teams sorted by the trusty criteria that's guided this exercise for years: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
30. Milwaukee Bucks (18-28)
1 of 30
Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -3.9
For months, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been hinting at his desire to move on from the Milwaukee Bucks, while simultaneously denying it every time someone put a microphone in front of him.
This week, following another calf strain that will presumably end his media availability through the trade deadline, the public comments finally gave way to the reporting.
It felt inevitable from the moment Damian Lillard ruptured his Achilles last season. Waiving and stretching him made it even more so.
And now, it feels pretty safe to say that the Giannis era is over in Milwaukee.
Whether he's traded this week or during the offseason, there's a good chance he's played his final game in a Bucks jersey.
And with the rest of this Milwaukee roster being completely devoid of starpower (sorry, Myles Turner), that means this team might not be favored in another game this season.
29. Washington Wizards (12-34)
2 of 30
Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -10.2
The Washington Wizards earned this little one-spot climb by ending their week with back-to-back wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and free-falling Milwaukee Bucks.
And even though they're on pace for just 21 wins, each one could jeopardize their odds to secure the top pick in the 2026 draft.
The Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers are all tied with Washington in the win column, but they have more losses. That means those three teams have the coveted 14 percent chance at the top pick, while Washington is at 12.5.
28. Sacramento Kings (12-37)
3 of 30
Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -9.9
It feels like the Sacramento Kings are just waiting out the clock till the trade deadline. It's next to impossible to imagine all the veterans still being there after it.
To the surprise of just about no one outside the Kings' front office, reuniting Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan didn't work. Domantas Sabonis probably isn't a playoff-caliber defensive anchor. And 37-year-old Russell Westbrook wasn't able to bail out a deeply flawed roster.
It's time for a full-fledged reboot, and it should start this week.
27. Indiana Pacers (12-36)
4 of 30
Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -7.8
The Indiana Pacers are on pace for 21 wins and have the fourth worst net rating in the NBA. They're really bad and are almost certainly going to wind up with one of the top picks in the 2026 draft.
But! They play about as hard as any team this bad has played. And there's enough talent on the roster, even without Tyrese Haliburton in the rotation, to surprise teams.
Indiana went 2-1 this week, with one of the wins coming on the road and against their 2025 NBA Finals opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And over his last 16 games, Pascal Siakam is averaging 24.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.1 threes, while shooting 39.5 percent from three.
With him, Haliburton and whoever the Pacers land from this loaded draft, they should be right back among the East's best teams next season.
26. Utah Jazz (15-33)
5 of 30
Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -8.6
The Utah Jazz' intent to tank is getting a little easier to see in recent weeks.
They're 3-14 since December 30, and Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkić and Ace Bailey have all missed multiple games in that stretch.
What's more, multiple members of the young core, including Bailey (when he's available), Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams, have seen their playing time increase during these 17 games.
Utah can accelerate its race to the bottom by trading Markkanen, Nurkić or some of its other vets, but the last month or so has shown that might not be necessary to keep improving those lottery odds.
25. Brooklyn Nets (12-34)
6 of 30
Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -6.8
The Brooklyn Nets didn't win a game this week, but if they really want to ensure a bottom-three record by the end of the season, they have to seriously consider trading Michael Porter Jr.
On Thursday, he had 38 points in a homecoming game against the Denver Nuggets and was plus-12 in the four-point loss.
Keeping him on the roster is a potential detriment to Brooklyn's 2026 lottery odds, and contenders around the league have to view him as one of the most valuable trade assets potentially on the market this week.
MPJ's combination of size, three-point shooting and experience as a role player would make him an easy fit for just about any suitor.
24. New Orleans Pelicans (12-37)
7 of 30
Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -6.6
The New Orleans Pelicans have quietly been "not atrocious" for a few weeks now. And while that might not sound like much of a compliment, that's real progress (depending on your objectives for this season) for the last-place team in the West.
The Pelicans are 4-6 in their last 10 games, and Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III are resurfacing the idea that they can make up a winning duo.
During this stretch, Murphy is averaging 24.0 points and 4.5 assists, while Zion is putting up 21.0 points and 3.3 assists in 30.1 minutes.
The team is still signaling that neither is available at the trade deadline. And if that's true, we can at least see the faint outline of a competitive team built around these two, assuming they're surrounded with more shooting this offseason.
23. Dallas Mavericks (19-29)
8 of 30
Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.3
The Dallas Mavericks followed up an undefeated week by going 0-4 since the last edition of the power rankings.
If they have a few more runs like this most recent one, great. Adding one of this draft class' potential stars to Cooper Flagg could set Dallas up for contention for years.
And if the Mavs can combine more losing with more games like Thursday's from Cooper Flagg, even better.
Dallas came up short against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, but Flagg showed his upside as a volume scorer with a career-high 49 points.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (18-27)
9 of 30
Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -1.7
The Memphis Grizzlies appear to have entered the tank race, in earnest.
They're 3-11 in their last 14 games. Trade rumors on both Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are flying all over the internet. And while they have just a 6.8 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick right now, they're within shouting distance of the Brooklyn Nets and a 10.5 percent chance.
At this point, if they don't make some trades that make the team meaningfully worse (in the short term) before the deadline, it'll be a little surprising.
21. Chicago Bulls (23-25)
10 of 30
Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -2.3
The Chicago Bulls have signaled a hesitance to move Nikola Vučević at the deadline, but they should be one of the league's bigger sellers.
They're nowhere near contention. And another year in the mediocre middle can't be what the fans are dying for.
Vuč, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu could (or probably should) all be on the move. And the Bulls should spend much of the rest of the season chasing losses and better lottery odds.
20. Atlanta Hawks (24-26)
11 of 30
Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.0
The Atlanta Hawks got rocked by 18 on Thursday, but Jalen Johnson sat that game (the second half of a back-to-back), and they appeared to be gaining some rhythm prior to the loss.
Before Thursday's matchup, Atlanta had won four in a row. They beat the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics during that streak. And Jalen Johnson is starting to look like an All-Star again.
Over his last five games, Johnson has put up 23.4 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
19. Los Angeles Lakers (28-18)
12 of 30
Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -0.9
The Los Angeles Lakers have been on fraud watch for a while. Their point differential has never been anywhere near the typical marks of teams with their record. And their "expected" record, based on Basketball Reference's Pythagorean Wins, is 22-24.
Now, the playoffs aren't seeded by Pythagorean Wins, of course. As plenty of fans are quick to point out, the games are played on the court, not a calculator.
But it's not hard to see what the numbers are seeing during games like Wednesday's 30-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
L.A. is woefully short on athleticism and defense. And the dropoff in overall talent after Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James is severe. After the Cavs blowout, the Lakers have 16 double-digit losses. Only the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets have more.
18. Charlotte Hornets (21-28)
13 of 30
Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: 1.8
The Charlotte Hornets' record is finally starting to catch up to their point differential.
It was slow going for a while. As recently as January 12, they were 12 games below .500. But they've suddenly won five straight and eight of their last 11.
And on Thursday, they won the Blue Devil showdown between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, thanks in large part to Knueppel and his 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
17. Golden State Warriors (27-22)
14 of 30
Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: 2.9
The organizational sting of the Jimmy Butler injury is still fresh for the Golden State Warriors. And barring a miraculous in-season trade (like for, oh say, Giannis Antetokounmpo?), they probably aren't legitimate contenders.
But for at least this week, the Warriors can feel OK. Maybe not about their entire situation, but at least they went 2-1, with both wins coming on the road.
And even if they don't pull a rabbit out of their hat before the trade deadline, fans still have the privilege of watching Stephen Curry from night to night. After hitting seven threes in this week's wins, Curry is at 27.3 points and 4.9 assists, while shooting 39.0 percent from deep, for the season.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (23-25)
15 of 30
Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -1.8
As soon as the Portland Trail Blazers crept over .500 and into the top 15 of these rankings, they ran off three straight losses, including one to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
But Deni Avdija missed two of those games with an injury. And for a team at the outset of a rebuild, the season-long outlook is still good.
The Blazers are currently ninth in the West and very much in the mix for a spot in the play-in tournament. They're outscoring opponents when Avdija is on the floor. And they have some pieces that could make them buyers at the trade deadline.
Some combination of Jerami Grant's salary, Scoot Henderson and picks could land a difference-maker next to Avdija. And if that happened, Portland might even sneak into the top half of the play-in.
15. Orlando Magic (24-22)
16 of 30
Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -0.4
The Orlando Magic ended their week with a desperately needed win over the Miami Heat, but they'd dropped four straight before that one. They're 9-12 since mid-December. They're down to a negative net rating. And on the season, they're minus-3.1 points per 100 possessions when Franz Wagner is off the floor.
For a team that just paid a boatload of assets for Desmond Bane this past offseason, has a former No. 1 overall pick on the roster in Paolo Banchero and entered 2025-26 as at least a fringe contender in the East, that's a pretty scary team profile.
Of course, most teams would struggle with their best player missing as much time as Wagner has. If he can ever get and stay healthy, Orlando could quickly start to look like a tough out in the playoffs. But the last several weeks have done little to inspire much confidence in that potential turnaround.
14. Miami Heat (26-23)
17 of 30
Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 1.2
The Miami Heat are among the bona fide suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo. And if they land him at the trade deadline (depending on what they give up), they'll probably jump out of this morass in the middle of the power rankings.
If they don't get the superstar forward, it's starting to get difficult to imagine them being anything but mediocre.
Since December 9, the Heat have only headed into one matchup with a record more than three games clear of .500.
13. Philadelphia 76ers (26-21)
18 of 30
Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 0.9
The Philadelphia 76ers closed out last week with an impressive win over the Houston Rockets. But in this one, they lost to the New York Knicks, got blown out by 37 points by the Charlotte Hornets, beat the reeling Milwaukee Bucks and barely squeaked by the imploding Sacramento Kings.
In other words, this team is probably still a little too inconsistent to be declared a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, but its highs sure make it tempting to do so.
When Joel Embiid (29.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists over his last 11 games) and Tyrese Maxey (29.2 points and 6.8 assists all season) are both on the floor, Philadelphia is plus-8.3 points per 100 possessions.
12. Toronto Raptors (29-20)
19 of 30
Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 1.5
The Toronto Raptors ended the week with a blowout loss to the New York Knicks, but they'd won four straight (all on the road) before that. And one of those wins was over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Perhaps just as encouraging as the wins themselves, in recent weeks, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has emerged as a dynamic, playmaking, small-ball 5 who adds to the versatility already brought by Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram.
Since he became a full-time starter (a stretch that includes 10 appearances), CMB has averaged 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (22-24)
20 of 30
Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 0.0
This is getting ridiculous.
After starting 6-21 and giving writers all over the internet reason to start eulogizing their season, the Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the absolute best teams in the NBA since mid-December.
They're 16-3 over their last 19. In that stretch, they have the second-best offense in the NBA (behind only the Charlotte Hornets) and the sixth-best defense.
And if there was any confidence in Kawhi Leonard hitting the 65-game minimum for postseason award consideration (he can only afford four more absences), he'd almost certainly be an MVP candidate.
During this hot streak, Leonard is averaging 31.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals, while shooting 43.1 percent from three. And for the entire season, he's up to fifth in the league in box plus/minus (behind only Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama).
10. New York Knicks (29-18)
21 of 30
Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 4.8
The demise of the New York Knicks may have been a little overstated.
They've emerged from their 2-9 rough patch to win four straight. And while two of those wins were against the tanking Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings, the other two were on the road and against the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.
And although they missed Wednesday's win over the Raptors, this little winning streak may be revealing just how important Mitchell Robinson is to their success.
In the other three wins, he was a whopping plus-59 in 71 minutes. For the entire season, he supercharges the team's net rating by 4.2 points and its offensive rating by 4.3 points when he's on the floor. And right now, he's averaging 9.2 offensive rebounds per 75 possessions, which would smash the previous record of 7.6.
9. Phoenix Suns (29-19)
22 of 30
Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 2.6
We're far enough into this season to accept a couple truths.
This Phoenix Suns team is not a fluke. And Dillon Brooks' irrational confidence might actually be helping this team.
The Suns' point differential is dramatically better when Brooks is off the floor, but after dropping 40 in Thursday's win over the Detroit Pistons, he's up 21.0 points per game on the season, second only to Devin Booker among Suns.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-20)
23 of 30
Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 3.2
The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally starting to look like the team that had the East's best regular-season record in 2024-25.
They're 7-1 in their last eight. Four of those wins have been by double-digits. Four were on the road. And on Wednesday, they crushed the Los Angeles Lakers by 30.
And while we've spent much of this season waiting on Darius Garland and/or Evan Mobley to step up and force this team to another level, Donovan Mitchell has taken matters into his own hands.
During this eight-game run, Garland has made one appearance, Mobley missed the Lakers game (and could be out for a few weeks) and Mitchell has averaged 28.8 points and 7.0 assists, while shooting 37.0 percent from deep.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-19)
24 of 30
Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 4.5
The Minnesota Timberwolves are this season's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
They're capable of five-game losing streaks that include games against the Utah Jazz, like the one they had earlier this month, but they can also comfortably beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, like they did on the Thursday.
With Anthony Edwards leading the offense and Rudy Gobert anchoring the defense, this team is capable of reaching the conference for a third straight year. But in the loaded West, they could also lose in the first round.
6. Houston Rockets (29-17)
25 of 30
Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 6.0
After a concerning couple weeks in early and mid-January, the Houston Rockets are 6-2 in their last eight, with wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons during this stretch.
There are still nights when it looks like this team is woefully short traditional point guard play. Reed Sheppard cooling down after a hot start to the season has certainly contributed to that. Losing Steven Adams for the rest of the season to ankle surgery is a big deal (Houston was way better when he was on the floor).
But the foundation of this team, even without Adams and Fred VanVleet, still makes sense. There's tons of length and athleticism on defense, and Kevin Durant continues to defy all conventional thinking on aging in the NBA.
After dropping 31 points in Thursday's win, KD is averaging 26.5 on the season.
5. Boston Celtics (29-18)
26 of 30
Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 6.9
The Boston Celtics smashing expectations without Jayson Tatum has been one of this season's best and most surprising stories. And for the last few weeks, it's been buoyed by the idea that Tatum might be back in time for a playoff run.
Tatum and the organization itself lent credibility to that idea by recently having him work out in front of media.
But on Wednesday, NBA on Prime's Chris Haynes reported that Tatum is actually considering sitting out the entire season to complete his recovery from a ruptured Achilles.
That, in combination with the fact that Boston is 6-6 in its last 12 and Derrick White is shooting 25.7 percent from three since Christmas, has finally put a bit of a damper on this Celtics season.
The team is still significantly better than anyone anticipated. And the door isn't entirely closed on a Tatum return. We may just have to recalibrate our thinking on Boston's title chances a bit.
4. San Antonio Spurs (32-15)
27 of 30
Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 5.2
The San Antonio Spurs suffered a disappointing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, but they made a statement a few days later.
They beat the Houston Rockets on the road and showed off the depth that could make them a problem for any playoff opponent.
With Dylan Harper (who had 16 points in 22 minutes against Houston) and Keldon Johnson (17 points and five assists), San Antonio's bench can overwhelm other second units with slashing and playmaking. Luke Kornet's rebounding and rim protection can make a difference, too.
This team's success is still largely creditable to Victor Wembanyama, but he doesn't have the Spurs in second place by himself.
3. Denver Nuggets (32-16)
28 of 30
Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 4.4
After beating the Michael Porter Jr. in a potential revenge game on Thursday, the Denver Nuggets are now 10-6 during Nikola Jokić's bone bruise-induced absence.
And with Jokić almost officially disqualified from MVP consideration (he can only miss one more game and remain eligible), another Nugget may take his place in the conversation.
There's next to no chance anyone will catch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Jamal Murray is up to fifth in Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("...based on a model built using previous voting results."). And his leaps as both a playmaker and scorer, for a player in his age-28 campaign, is nothing short of remarkable.
He's posting career highs in points per game, assists, per game, effective field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
2. Detroit Pistons (34-12)
29 of 30
Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 6.8
The Detroit Pistons are cruising toward the top seed in the East, but they've had some recent reality checks against the West.
This week alone, they lost to the Houston Rockets, beat the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets by two and got crushed by the Phoenix Suns. They're now 12-6 against the league's tougher conference (and 22-6 against their own).
If this all sounds a little nitpicky, it's because it is. The Pistons have spent this pre-deadline portion of the season establishing themselves as bona fide title contenders. A little lull in January probably doesn't mean much, but we might think back to it if this group (which has yet to win a playoff series together) struggles in the postseason.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-11)
30 of 30
Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 12.1
The Oklahoma City Thunder's struggles aren't severe enough to bump them from the top spot, but we can at least table the "OKC vs. the field" talk for a while.
The Thunder went 1-3 this week, with one of those losses coming against the Indiana Pacers. They're now a pedestrian 14-10 since their 24-1 start.
And while there's still plenty of time for the defending champs to get back on track, packing the paint and forcing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast to shoot from the outside might be a realistic strategy to upset them in the playoffs.
