New NBA Power Rankings Tout LeBron James, Lakers Rising At Perfect Time
We're officially in the home stretch of the 2025-26 NBA campaign. Roughly three quarters of the season is behind us, and teams all over the league are jockeying for playoff or lottery position.
On the one hand, the loaded middle in each conference is duking it out and trying to avoid the play-in tournament. On the other, around a third of the league is blatantly chasing losses and a chance at the top pick in a potentially generational draft. And of course, the title contenders are trying to find the balance between staying sharp and staying healthy before the postseason starts.
As all that movement happens all over the NBA, we're here to sort all 30 organizations by the same criteria we've used for years: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
30. Sacramento Kings (14-50)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -10.6
It's getting more and more difficult to find positive talking points for a 14-50 team that entered the season with no intentions to tank, but there are some bright sides.
The constant one is the fact that this dreadful campaign will end with a high lottery pick. It might even be first overall. The other is how hard veteranOn T Russell Westbrook has played throughout.
On Thursday, Russ had his 10th game with 10-plus assists. Only five players in NBA history had more in a single season after turning 37.
29. Indiana Pacers (15-47)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -8.2
After another winless week, the Indiana Pacers are on track for the worst record in franchise history. Surviving this campaign has been no small feat for the Pacer die-hards.
But the light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and brighter.
There's only a few weeks left in the season, they have about a 50-50 chance of getting a top-four pick (it goes to the Los Angeles Clippers if it lands anywhere from fifth to ninth), Tyrese Haliburton will be back for 2026-27 and just about everyone who's played winning basketball this season is under contract for the next one.
28. Washington Wizards (16-46)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -10.8
Trae Young finally played his first game as a Washington Wizard. And given his limited playing time coming off an injury, it went fairly well.
Young played 19 minutes, had 12 points and six assists and was plus-four in a 10-point loss to the Utah Jazz.
And that last part is what's most important. The Wizards need to keep losing , regardless of who plays and especially against fellow tankers.
Despite having the worst net rating in the league, Washington doesn't currently have a bottom-three record and 14 percent chance at the No. 1 pick.
27. Brooklyn Nets (15-47)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.9
After ending the week with back-to-back losses to the Miami Heat (by an average of 21.0 points), the Brooklyn Nets have dropped 10 straight and surged into the league's bottom three.
And with just five of their last 20 games against fellow tankers, there's a pretty good chance Brooklyn will hang onto its 14 percent shot to land the No. 1 pick.
The Nets need the luck of the lottery balls as much as anyone. All five of their first-rounders from last summer have below-average box plus/minuses, and Egor Dёmin is the only one above replacement level.
26. Utah Jazz (19-44)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -7.2
The Utah Jazz are still within shouting distance of a bottom-three record, but they've been surprisingly competitive while stacking recent losses.
Before the Jazz beat the Washington Wizards on Thursday, their six most recent defeats were each by 11 or fewer points. They kept the deficit in single-digits against the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers this week.
And after dropping 32 points in Thursday's win, fifth overall pick Ace Bailey has had seven games with at least 20 points since January 20.
25. Dallas Mavericks (21-41)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -4.0
Cooper Flagg returned from injury on Thursday, but he shot 7-of-22 from the field and couldn't get the Dallas Mavericks off the schneid.
After losing to the Orlando Magic, Dallas has dropped five straight and is 2-15 since late January. And honestly, that's just fine.
This team was never going to compete for anything beyond a play-in spot or first-round exit, so securing a lottery pick (especially since the Mavs don't control their firsts for a few years after this one) in 2026 was always going to be more important than winning right now.
Adding one of this summer's high-end prospects to Flagg could dramatically change the long-term outlook for this team.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (23-38)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.2
As if the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade wasn't obvious enough, the Memphis Grizzlies are really leaning into the tank now.
Ty Jerome, who's averaging 19.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.7 threes in just 21.3 minutes, came back in late January and has yet to play more than three games in a row. He's missed five out of Memphis' last eight.
And Cam Spencer, who's arguably been the team's best player in 2025-26, has started just one game in the last month.
Memphis started too competitively to meaningfully challenge the season-long tankers for the worst record in the league, but it can still add a few more ping pong balls to their lottery chances between now and the night they're drawn.
23. New Orleans Pelicans (20-44)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -5.0
Since the New Orleans Pelicans traded their 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks, getting competitive down the stretch isn't really going to cost them anything.
On the contrary, New Orleans is at least getting a look at a formula that might lead to more success next season.
After beating the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, the Pelicans are now 7-4 in their last 11. And with with Saddiq Bey and Trey Murphy III spacing the floor around him, Zion Williamson's slashes to the paint are starting to look borderline unstoppable again.
22. Chicago Bulls (26-37)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -4.4
From January 26 through February 26, the Chicago Bulls went 1-14 and looked poised to enter the great tanking race of 2026.
But Collin Sexton has had other ideas.
Chicago is 2-1 in its last three games, with Sexton leading the way in scoring in each. In Thursday's win over the Phoenix Suns, he dropped 30 and handed out five assists for good measure.
The winning may not be great for the Bulls' lottery odds, but these performances sure could help Sexton's individual value as he enters unrestricted free agency this summer.
21. Milwaukee Bucks (26-35)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -4.3
At last check-in with the power rankings, the Milwaukee Bucks were within five games of a .500 record. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming back, the play-in tournament appeared to be in range.
But Milwaukee went 0-4 this week (two games were with Giannis and two were without). One of the losses came against the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks, which stretched the 11th-place Bucks' deficit in the standings to five games.
That's a big gap to make up with 21 games left, and Basketball Reference's Playoff Probabilities Report gives Milwaukee a worse-than-two-percent chance of finishing in the top 10.
And if the Bucks wind up in the lottery, you better believe the Giannis trade speculation is going to fire up again.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (30-33)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -3.0
Deni Avdija has missed 15 of the Portland Trail Blazers' last 23 games. And his absences are starting to take a toll. Portland is 7-11 since late January.
Fortunately (depending on what the Blazers and their fans want out of this campaign), the rest of the West is tanking hard enough that the slight uptick in losing probably won't cost them a spot in the play-in tournament.
Portland's in 10th place, and the five teams behind them are the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, all of whom are dropping games at a comical rate.
Still, even if Avdija does make it back to full strength ahead of the play-in tournament, it's starting to look like the Blazers will likely join the above in the lottery after losing one of those knockout games.
They're just sort of stuck in an NBA purgatory between the upper half of the play-in and the full-on tankers for now.
19. Golden State Warriors (32-30)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: 1.3
The Golden State Warriors, despite the absence of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porziņģis, just keep scraping out enough wins to stay above .500.
On Thursday, they entered a road matchup with the Houston Rockets at 31-30. They were big underdogs. The loss column should've pulled even with the wins.
But the vaunted Golden State system and big-time effort from Brandin Podziemski (26 points and nine rebounds), De'Anthony Melton (23 points, three steals and two blocks), Al Horford (17 points, five assists and two blocks), Draymond Green (eight assists) and the rest of the Warriors led to an unexpected, overtime win.
There's an argument that losing and getting to the lottery actually makes more sense for Golden State right now. But performances like this one keeps a glimmer of hope alive that the Warriors might escape the play-in.
18. Atlanta Hawks (32-31)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: 0.2
The Atlanta Hawks have been the most spectacularly mediocre team in the NBA for years. Literally... years.
Now, of course, that record is one game out of date. The Hawks' win on Wednesday bumped them to a game over .500 in each of the time frames listed above.
And over the last month and change of this season, they have a chance to stretch that out a bit more.
Jalen Johnson was a worthy All-Star this season. Dyson Daniels is one of the league's best perimeter defenders. And CJ McCollum recently became a fixture of the starting lineup.
When those three are all on the floor, Atlanta is plus-27.4 points per 100 possessions.
17. Phoenix Suns (35-27)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 0.8
Injuries are officially plaguing the Phoenix Suns.
Devin Booker recently came back, but Dillon Brooks was ousted from the rotation by a broken hand just before then. And now, starting center Mark Williams is out with a stress fracture in his foot.
The injury timeline is currently set at a minimum of two-to-three weeks, but foot injuries and big men are a scary combo.
If Phoenix, which is 5-8 since February 1, is cautious with his return to action, the Suns could be stuck in the play-in.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (30-31)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: 0.4
It was natural to see the Los Angeles Clippers trade James Harden and Ivica Zubac and think maybe they'd given up on this campaign. But their first-round pick going to the Oklahoma City Thunder means they had no real incentive to tank.
And the moves they made could very well set them up for a brighter post-Kawhi Leonard future.
Darius Garland is 10 years younger than Harden. Bennedict Mathurin is only 23. And Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (who injured his foot in Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers) turns 23 this month.
That trio gives L.A. a legitimately intriguing path forward. And in the meantime, Kawhi is doing more than enough to keep the team in the playoff hunt.
This season, when he and Brook Lopez are on the floor together, the Clippers are plus-7.6 points per 100 possessions.
15. Orlando Magic (33-28)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 0.3
The Orlando Magic finished their week with back-to-back wins, but they still aren't exactly inspiring the kind of confidence many had in them before this season started.
Orlando's an even 10-10 in its last 20 games. Seven of its last eight wins have been against sub-.500 teams. And the Magic currently have no indication of when they'll get their best player (Franz Wagner) back from an ankle injury.
If there are reasons for optimism, they'd be Paolo Banchero's recent play (23.4 points and a 36.4 three-point percentage since the calendar flipped to 2026) and the fact that several of the teams in front of them are similarly underwhelming (a top-six finish is still in the cards).
14. Toronto Raptors (35-27)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 1.5
The Toronto Raptors had a spirited loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, and they're now 1-4 in their last five.
After spending much of this season in the hunt for a top-four finish (and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs), they're suddenly one loss away from the play-in and three away from fourth.
The more optimistic read is that all four of those losses came against teams in the top 10 of these power rankings and Brandon Ingram has been scoring like a star of late.
Over his last 13 games, Ingram is putting up 22.7 points and 1.9 threes, while shooting 43.9 percent from deep.
13. Miami Heat (34-29)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: 3.1
The Miami Heat have had a solid few weeks.
They're 7-3 in their last 10. And while it's tempting to nitpick those wins (five came against the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards), season-long numbers suggest Miami could still be a tough out in the playoffs.
On the year, when facing teams in the top 10 of net rating, the Heat are ninth in net rating and fifth in offensive rating.
12. Philadelphia 76ers (34-28)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: -0.1
The Philadelphia 76ers are an uninspiring 5-7 in their last 12, and they're now in very real danger of winding up in the play-in tournament.
Of course, Joel Embiid has missed most of this little stretch. That's probably the biggest part of the slide. And given his history, it's fair to wonder if he'll be at full strength for a play-in game or playoff series.
If he is, the Sixers could make a run. They're plus-7.8 points per 100 possessions when Embiid is on the floor with Tyrese Maxey. If he's not, there's no guarantee they even get into the postseason.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (37-25)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 0.2
The Los Angeles Lakers ended their week with a loss to the Denver Nuggets, but the game was in Denver, L.A. weathered an early surge and it stayed in that game throughout.
Moral victories don't do much for any team in the NBA, but they probably feel better on the heels of a three-game winning streak.
Now, that streak came against the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, but wins are wins. And two of the three were blowouts, which is more important for the Lakers than they would be for most teams.
L.A. has spent most of this season with a negative point differential. A handful of easy wins could go a long way toward boosting their confidence and building some chemistry.
And on top of all that, it's hard to shake the feeling that this team having Luka Dončić almost makes them a title threat by default. He's maybe the scariest individual matchup in the playoffs. And if he has a little momentum heading into those games, the Lakers will be a tougher out than their record suggests they'll be.
10. Charlotte Hornets (32-31)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 4.0
The hottest team in the NBA just had another undefeated week, raised its net rating from 2.9 to 4.0 (a ridiculous jump for seven days this late in the season), extended its current winning streak to six games and won each of those games by at least 16 points.
When every member of the current starting five (LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté) is available, the Charlotte Hornets play like a juggernaut.
There's shot creation, shooting and passing all over that lineup. It features plenty of switchability. And Diabaté has seemingly come out of nowhere to become one of the East's more dynamic rim-running, rim-protecting bigs at the middle of it.
Altogether, Charlotte is plus-30.4 points per 100 possessions when that entire group is on the floor.
9. Houston Rockets (38-23)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 5.2
The Houston Rockets ended the week with a disappointing loss to the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors.
And in their last four games, they had a double-digit loss to the Miami Heat and tight wins over the tanking Washington Wizards and ho-hum Orlando Magic.
In all but the Miami loss, Reed Sheppard had a double-digit plus-minus, and it's getting harder and harder to understand or justify Ime Udoka's hesitance to make him a full-time starter.
He went back to the bench against Golden State, but he played 37 minutes and scored 30 points. His shooting, playmaking and nose for the ball on defense could all go a long way toward helping the first unit.
8. Denver Nuggets (39-24)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 4.4
It isn't quite panic time for the Denver Nuggets, but it may not be far off.
They beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, but they couldn't put them away decisively (despite multiple opportunities to do so) and are now 7-8 since Nikola Jokić returned (and 19-18 since mid-December).
Perhaps most concerning, Jokić hasn't quite looked like himself during the few weeks he's been back, particularly as a playmaker.
After turning the ball over nine times against L.A., he's now averaging 4.3 in his last 15 appearances.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-23)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 4.3
After winning eight of their last nine (a stretch that includes road wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets), the Minnesota Timberwolves are starting to look like a title contender again.
And with the surge being fueled by some superstar performances (and plays) from Anthony Edwards, we're understandably starting to hear some whispers about his MVP case.
During this stretch, Edwards is averaging 29.0 points, 4.2 threes and 3.6 assists, while shooting 43.7 percent from deep.
6. New York Knicks (40-23)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 6.2
The New York Knicks may have ended their week with a tight loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the big picture is still looking pretty good.
New York is 15-5 in their last 20, with four of those losses coming against the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and Thunder.
Catching Detroit is likely out of the question, but this run has kept New York in the mix for second in the East and a chance to face a play-in team in the first round.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-24)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 4.3
The Cleveland Cavaliers cooled off a tad in late February, but they're still 15-4 since mid-January. And now, they're even winning games without Donovan Mitchell.
Their superstar has missed the last two games with a groin strain, and Cleveland came out on top in both. The victory over the Brooklyn Nets wasn't all that notable. They're among the lengthy list of teams clearly angling for better lottery odds. But beating the first-place Detroit Pistons? That was a big deal.
The emergence of second-year pro Jaylon Tyson is too. He dropped 22 on Detroit and pulled his scoring average to 13.6 points and three-point percentage to 45.8. The 6'6" wing has also been a solid secondary creator.
And after years of wondering who might step up as the consistent fifth starter for this team, it suddenly feels like Cleveland has multiple viable options between Tyson, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade and maybe even Keon Ellis.
4. Boston Celtics (41-21)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 8.0
They ran into the Charlotte Hornets buzzsaw on Wednesday, but the Boston Celtics are still 12-3 in their last 15 games, thanks in large part to a pair of guards wreaking havoc on opposing backcourts.
Derrick White and Hugo González are in the 98th and 94th percentile, respectively, in defensive estimated plus-minus. González hustles like every possession could be his last. And White, the reigning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month, guards all over the floor with off-the-charts defensive IQ.
Jaylen Brown has understandably gotten most of the attention for this better-than-expected Boston campaign, but he's far from the only Celtic driving winning.
And it continues to feel like All-NBA-level reinforcements could be on the way before the playoffs. Jayson Tatum has been cleared to practice with Boston's G-League affiliate for weeks, and reporters are already speculating on his specific return date.
3. Detroit Pistons (45-16)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 7.6
After ending their week with back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, the Detroit Pistons no longer have the best record in the league (that's back in the Oklahoma City Thunder's hands). And in the couple two weeks, they're 3-3, with a pair of losses to the Spurs.
In the three defeats, Cade Cunningham is shooting 27.9 percent from the field (on 22.7 shots per game). And his inefficiency may be a very real concern for a team that rightfully fancies itself a title contender.
Cunningham is obviously a net plus on offense. He's in the 96th percentile in offensive estimated plus-minus, and Detroit scores a lot more points per 100 possessions when he plays. But he's also been one of the absolute worst volume shooters in the NBA this season.
And if teams load up on his playmaking attempts in the postseason, continuing to shoot like this could doom Detroit.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (49-15)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 11.0
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back. The Oklahoma City Thunder went 4-0 this week. And they beat both the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks in this stretch.
In short, though some other teams have had their dalliances with the top spot in these power rankings, when SGA is available, OKC still looks like the safest bet to win it all.
This season, he has a grand total of eight games with a raw plus-minus below zero.
1. San Antonio Spurs (45-17)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 7.0
The New York Knicks blew them out at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but that's the San Antonio Spurs only loss since February 1.
After cruising to a 15-point victory over the East-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday, the Spurs are now 13-1 in their last 14 games.
And if they can keep this pace up and eventually pass the Oklahoma City Thunder for first in the West, voters might have to seriously consider Victor Wembanyama for MVP.
After going for 38 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks in Thursday's win over Detroit, Wemby is now averaging 23.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals in just 29.3 minutes.
