With plenty of changes happening over the past few days as the sports world converged on the NBA‘s trade deadline, here’s how we view the NBA landscape as it stands right now.
To limit subjectivity from our power rankings, we’ve put in place a handful of statistical metrics to drive the tiering process. This includes research of studies that have been most tied to success at the highest level and weighing them accordingly.
Efficiency on both ends of the floor is rewarded, as is versatility and plenty of other factors as we stack up these 30 teams for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
NBA Power Rankings Post-Trade Deadline
1) Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder profile as the best team in the league by just about any metric, and I have no reason to pivot from that belief. They own the league’s best defense (courtesy of the highest steal rate, something that fuels their offense), significantly better than the version of this team that ranked fourth a year ago.
I worry that they can be too aggressive on the defensive end at times (the highest percentage of opponent points come via the freebie) when it comes to their chase for a title, but for the regular season, it doesn’t concern me.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can get to his spot against anyone on this planet, Jalen Williams has continued to progress, and now … now they are getting healthy. Chet Holmgren was a difference-maker last season and could be what puts them over the top this summer if what we saw from him pre-injury is the version we get the rest of the way.
This is the betting favorite, and they have a pretty firm grasp on the top spot when it comes to the PFSN NBA power rankings!
SGA just keeps pouring it on 🌧️🌧️
He's got 8 of OKC's first 20 in the 3Q and the Thunder are on a 20-2 run 👀 pic.twitter.com/h759FkXBVR
— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2025
2) Cleveland Cavaliers
A 15-game win streak to open the season is a good way to send expectations into orbit, and while they’ve had little blips in the three months since, there’s no real reason to doubt what this team is capable of given the star power on its roster.
In addition to Donovan Mitchell’s highlight dunks and Evan Mobley’s growth that has this team currently holding the league’s top offense, Darius Garland is playing at an elite level and is the driving force behind the Cleveland Cavaliers’ league-leading assist-to-turnover rate.
They grade a tick above the Boston Celtics, albeit in the same tier, thanks to the stability of their profile. Boston can hurt you in many ways but rely heavily on the triple, whereas I’m slightly more comfortable in Cleveland winning in a variety of ways.
3) Boston Celtics
Some great teams get bored; you just hope that a downswing in performance doesn’t come at the worst time possible. The Celtics went through a struggle, by their lofty standard in December, posting an 8-5 record that saw them lose home games to the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers.
But that’s nitpicking. This team is as talented as any in the league and more than capable of becoming the Eastern Conference’s second repeat NBA champions since Michael Jordan’s Bulls.
Payton Pritchard’s scoring is up over 40% per game from a season ago and he has shown the ability to lead the second unit while thriving when his role is increased. If this team can stay healthy, they could enter the postseason as the betting favorite, a title they entered the season with.
My only other concern with them is their inability to put together a significant win streak this season — that’s not the end of the world, but I’d like some proof of concept when it comes to this version of this team sustaining elite-level play for an extended period.
4) New York Knicks
Behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, this is the NBA’s second-best offense, which makes them a real threat to run through the Eastern Conference. They won’t be favored over the top two teams, but their ceiling is just as high on a nightly basis, and that gives them hope.
We saw them flex those muscles with nine straight wins bridging December and January, a run that doesn’t happen without maybe the best role player in the league in Josh Hart. The former Villanova Wildcat is having the best shooting season of his career, and if that growth is here to stay, this offense is going to be a near-impossible cover, even for the elite East teams that check in ahead of them in these rankings.
5) Memphis Grizzlies
Jalen Green lit the Memphis Grizzlies up for 42 points on Jan. 13, but Memphis has been a different team since, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Ja Morant’s athleticism makes their offense as dynamic as any in transition, and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s (1.5+ blocks and 3PM for a seventh straight season) versatility makes them a tough matchup for anyone on both ends of the floor.
Jaylen Wells is the lesser-known impact player on this roster, but the rookie has accepted a regular role and makes winning plays on a nightly basis. If he can continue to grow as his first season progresses, he will give this team an added level of depth that could prove critical as the season wears on.
6) Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets don’t win ball games the same way that most teams do in 2025, and that’s just fine.
Nikola Jokić has this team again looking like a real threat despite the lowest 3-point rate in the league for a second straight season. Their 11-10 start is a distant memory at this point, and Russell Westbrook’s production has been a welcomed sight for those worried about this roster’s depth.
The defense remains a concern (third-worst opponent assist-to-turnover rate), but we’ve seen Jokić elevate this offense at such a level that a flaw like that is muted. This isn’t the best roster in the league, but they have the best player, and that is enough to scare any opponent on any night.
7) Houston Rockets
A quiet deadline shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of weakness for the Houston Rockets — the best offensive rebounding team in the league by a wide margin is poised for an extended run this summer. The on-court product is often greater than the individuals involved, and that is when special runs occur.
Amen Thompson’s development is well ahead of schedule, and while Green can be a sporadic player at times, Alperen Şengün’s versatility gives this offense the ability to more than support its hard-nosed defense.
Houston covering point spreads at a near 60% clip tells you how surprising their success has been up to this point — it’s time to change our perception.
8) Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Dončić.
It really is that simple.
Show Time has a new conductor, and the rest of the season will be an exercise in how quickly this team can adjust to a different offense, even if it’s far more optimal for how the game is played today.
The Los Angeles Lakers have rounded into form after a 2-7 stretch around Thanksgiving (2024-25: 10th-ranked offense, sixth best in transition), and they are clearly banking on that continuing with not only the Dončić deal but also by sacrificing Dalton Knecht and future picks in the Mark Williams trade. This is now a team with pretty clear roles and less mandated usage on LeBron James’ plate heading into the postseason.
I expect there to be a learning curve, and that is why their spot in these rankings can only adjust positively in the short term. My lone concern is how correlated their success has been to the tail outcomes in terms of blocks — the Lakers are 7-1 in their top-eight block rate games and 2-6 in their bottom eight — an upside that isn’t as consistently in the cards with Anthony Davis out of town.
The Thunder are in their own tier in the West; after that, things are wide open. After the Williams deal, I give the Lakers as good of a shot as any.
9) Indiana Pacers
Are the Indiana Pacers the NBA’s version of the Philadelphia Eagles? Philadelphia came out firing last season but peaked way too early and couldn’t do much in the postseason. This year, they hit their stride later in the season and won the NFC.
Early last season, Tyrese Haliburton looked like an All-NBA guard before struggling down the stretch (40% from 3 pre-All-Star break; 30.3% afterward). His shooting and team success were tied at the hip last season, and that’s been even more evident this year. However, his shooting has been more stable, allowing the Pacers to recover from a 10-15 start.
It can get ugly (37-point loss in Boston, 30-point defeat in Paris against San Antonio, and, most recently, a 23-point loss in Portland), but the upside is evident with four 15+ point scorers and Hailburton improving his assist-to-turnover rate for a third straight season. Earning home-court advantage for a playoff series is certainly possible, but they are one losing streak from falling into the play-in tier.
From March 4-17, they get the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks twice in addition to the 76ers (not on a back-to-back) and Minnesota Timberwolves. If they survive that stretch, they are in good shape. This ranking assumes ups and downs during that stretch, understanding that a streak in either direction could impact their ranking by a handful of spots.
10) Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant remained in town while Jusuf Nurkić was shipped to Charlotte, a move that made plenty of sense as he’s been assuming a reserve role that he wasn’t thrilled with.
The Phoenix Suns ripped off seven straight wins in the early going, but they’ve largely struggled with consistency ever since, and that has them middling in the standings.
The metrics like them more than their record suggests, and I’m inclined to believe them. Counting out raw talent like this is difficult to do, especially with their favorable post-All-Star break schedule that could kickstart a late run.
Their status as an above-average team isn’t safe, but they are there for this snapshot in time.
11) Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers entered the season with a 35.5-win projection, a number that is likely to be far too low when all is said and done. They’ve been able to handle their business against lesser competition while struggling against the upper echelon — not an ideal résumé when the postseason comes, but given this league’s top-heavy nature, it can be good enough in the playoffs.
They own a bottom-five turnover rate and are beholden to Kawhi Leonard’s maintenance schedule, two traits that make them difficult to be too bullish on. That said, if you’re buying Norman Powell’s age-31 breakout to be sticky for the next four months, this is a team that can thrive in a series setting.
12) Minnesota Timberwolves
After being one of the top stories of the NBA last season, the Timberwolves aren’t in as good of a spot as they were last season. The defeats have come in bunches (four losing streaks of at least three games), and the Julius Randle (currently battling a groin injury) fit isn’t what this team had hoped.
Anthony Edwards’ average shot distancing away from the rim has led to efficiency in terms of his shooting percentage, but at what cost? It eliminates, at some level, the pressure he puts on the rim and thus the looks his teammates get. Ant-Man is capable of putting the team on his back at any moment, but the playoff stability scares me with his assist-to-turnover rate dropping off a cliff.
Donte DiVincenzo (toe) remains out, and he may hold the key. After a sluggish start to his Minnesota tenure, he had found his rhythm; if he can add gravity to this offense when he returns, another deep playoff is possible.
13) Milwaukee Bucks
Trading for Kyle Kuzma reflects just how confident this team is in its Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard foundation — they felt it was more advantageous to make a lateral skill move in the name of a healthier body than to try to upgrade in a significant way.
Only time will tell if the faith is rewarded, but Kuzma is four years Khris Middleton’s junior and has a strong offensive-rebounding season on his résumé. Yes, it was back in 2021 with the Lakers, but a 6.3% ceiling is interesting for a team that routinely ranks among the worst in that category (25th last season and dead last thus far in 2025) due to the structure that comes with playing Brook Lopez.
That’s not necessarily a prohibitive flaw (the Thunder and Dallas Mavericks were both inside the bottom 10 last season), but it would be nice to solve around an offense that is potent but predictable. Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green are two X-factor types that can stretch defenses and unlock the upside that makes this team dangerous (remember that 8-1 run in January?).
14) Golden State Warriors
The Timberwolves won 16 more games in their first season with Jimmy Butler than they did the previous year, the 76ers won 11 of 14 games immediately following his debut for them in 2019, and the Miami Heat went to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons in town after missing the postseason in three of the previous five years.
Say what you will about him in terms of a long-term piece, but he’s been able to impact winning when he’s motivated, something that figures to be the case with the Golden State Warriors bringing him on board to extend their Steph Curry window.
For me, this move has a wide range of outcomes. Butler’s 3-point shooting has improved over the past three seasons and that is non-negotiable; it has to stick. Draymond Green is a critical piece to how this offense functions, and Jonathan Kuminga’s (ankle, nearing return) ability to slash provides a needed dimension, but Curry is going to need someone in addition to Buddy Hield to at least have the potential to garner some perimeter defensive attention.
The move feels a little desperate, and I don’t mind that. Franchise players don’t come around all that often, and Golden State wanting to push their title (?) window out as far as possible while Curry is capable of playing at this level is logical. There is an obvious risk that comes with this trade, but I’d be more likely to buy their stock now than I was pre-Butler.
15) Dallas Mavericks
The splash of the deadline was the Dončić trade, and there’s not much more to be said on that front. We broke down his impact on the franchise as a whole and how James feels about the move — it’s a move that should have a positive impact both in the short and long term.
The Davis era in Dallas looks like a clunky fit from the outside, but underestimating a motivated Kyrie Irving is dangerous.
Consider me more on the skeptical side about him handling as much usage as he is going to have to handle to sustain success. Do I think the ceiling will be enticing? I do. Their rest-of-season schedule is manageable, and the potential to play inside-out is unique by 2025 standards — but this team doesn’t appear to me, or statistically profiles, like a team that will be playing past the first round of the postseason.
16) Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings were a top-10 assist-to-turnover team before trading De’Aaron Fox and now are a team with plenty of questions.
I like Domantas Sabonis as much as anyone, but Sacramento is going to need him to be something similar to what Jokić is for Denver, and that feels a bit aggressive. There’s perimeter talent on this roster, but in my eyes, they all sort of do the same thing. For a defense-is-optional build, that creates a low floor — a floor we saw in Zach LaVine’s debut (130 points allowed, at home, to the Orlando Magic, the NBA’s lowest-scoring team this season).
Maybe this construction can work with a uniquely gifted Sabonis pulling the strings, but I’m more of the belief that we’ve already seen the best version of the Kings this season. They play seven of nine games on the road from Feb. 10 through March 5, a stretch that I expect to teach us about the immediate upside (and downside) of this new-look roster.
17) Orlando Magic
I use a statistical résumé to build out these tiers, and early season injuries to seemingly every impactful player on this team result in the uninspiring number next to their name, but is this team at full strength any different than the squad that won 47 games a season ago?
Their offensive ranking has tanked, even by their standards, this season; if they can just get out of the bottom third of the league, this is as good of a bet to fill the annual “no one wants to play them” mantra as any.
Orlando owns the highest block rate in the league, and that defensive tenacity can elevate this team to a truly competitive level if Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner can knock down triples at even a league-average rate.
18) San Antonio Spurs
I don’t care what anyone says — the move of the deadline with the greatest long-term impact was the San Antonio Spurs dealing for Fox. I made my feelings known the night of the deal with my “The Spurs Just Recreated a Past NBA Juggernaut” piece and truly believe that this team is a legitimate threat to win the West.
In 2026.
They’ve put themselves too far back now, though they are one of the few teams that I think would benefit from an NBA play-in tournament experience, potentially even winning a high-pressure game. In Fox’s debut, they hung 126 points on the Hawks, dishing out 36 assists against just 10 turnovers, an offensive structure that, with Victor Wembanyama as the fulcrum, can succeed at an awfully high level.
With The Alien in the middle, it’s no surprise that this team allows the lowest percentage of opponent points to come from the stripe, and with nothing coming easy, they are more than capable of playing with any team in this league.
This is a conservative ranking. By the end of February, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they are a handful of spots higher–– a three-game swing with the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Thunder (Feb. 26-March 2) will tell us just how ready they are to access their ceiling that I feel is inevitable.
19) Miami Heat
Gone is the Butler headache, thus opening the door for this team to focus on who is interested in playing for this team. The lead role looks good on Tyler Herro (over 20 PPG for a fourth straight season and a career-high pace in FG%), and Bam Adebayo is a great sidekick who is under contract for another three seasons.
Miami currently holds the lowest block rate in the league, but with rookie Kel’el Ware (15th overall pick) seeing his role expand with time, it’s not hard to envision them trending closer to the league average in that regard.
Asking Miami to stay out of the play-in tournament, however, might be a tall task, especially with a post-All-Star skid looking possible (Toronto Raptors, Bucks, Hawks, Hawks, Pacers, and New York Knicks).
The top-heavy Eastern Conference is likely to make the postseason trip a short one regardless of the Heat’s seeding. The remaining time left on the calendar this year will serve as critical information as to this roster’s readiness to join the Pacers and Bucks as a member of the second tier in the East, thus capable of advancing to the second round.
How strong is Heat Culture? We are about to find out.
20) Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are the best fast-break team in the league, not a surprise given that they ranked fifth a season ago but impressive with Jaden Ivey out for the season. Cade Cunningham has ascended to superstardom, though he will have to fix his turnover problem (back-to-back double-digit turnover games late in January).
He’s more than capable of playing at an elite level, even on the turnover front (38 assists against seven turnovers to open February), though he will need to be that version of himself regularly if this Detroit team is truly going to level up.
Detroit has held the fifth pick in consecutive drafts, but the returns have been limited at best from those selections (Ronald Holland II and Ausar Thompson). There is pedigree and upside on this roster, though accessing it in a truly impactful way might be 12 months away.
That said, they are battling to get out of a play-in position as a part of the middle class in the East; with a light part of their schedule coming at the beginning of March (Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Washington Wizards twice over 2.5 weeks), there’s a world in which they earn an outright playoff berth.
They’ve surprised up to this point, and the arrow is pointing up.
21) Philadelphia 76ers
The version of the 76ers that showed up and beat the Mavericks on Tuesday, Feb. 4 (62 points on 55.6% shooting, 23 assists, and 15 rebounds for Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid) remains enticing, but how many times a year can we count on that?
They are currently the worst rebounding team in the league, a flaw that gets solved pretty easily if No. 21 is suiting up on a semi-consistent basis.
Even if we get the optimal version of this team at the perfect time, can they make it through the marathon that is the NBA playoffs? At this point, the answer is definitively no. The race for the sixth seed could be an interesting one down the stretch in the East, and a fully powered 76ers team could close in style (Heat, Wizards, Hawks, and Bulls to finish the regular season), but at this point, they need to prove stability before I’ll assume it.
22) Atlanta Hawks
If you’re buying stock in teams, the Hawks rank much higher than this, but this is a short-term snapshot, and the fact of the matter is that this team still needs some refining before they are feared by the playoff staples in the East.
Jalen Johnson’s (torn labrum) fourth season ending after 36 games hurts their ability to make any noise this season, though it can’t be forgotten that his 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists will be counted on heavily next season.
Dyson Daniels has proven to be a tremendous acquisition this offseason (he already has more points this season than he did in two with the Pelicans), as he adds offensive potential with defensive playmaking. If Zaccharie Risacher can maintain some of the sparks we’ve seen (he lit up the Cavaliers on Jan. 30 for 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting), this season will be labeled as a success for Atlanta, no matter what the final record is.
23) Chicago Bulls
The Bulls moved on from LaVine during the trade deadline, but they held onto Nikola Vučević, an interesting move given that his career year would have likely returned as good a package as we’ve seen for the big throughout his career.
The Celtics are the clear top team in terms of 3-point rate, but the Bulls are next up, and that analytically sound approach is encouraging long-term. This is an interesting collection of pieces that, by themselves, carry an upside (Coby White has shown out for weeks at a time, Josh Giddey owns a unique skill set, and I like Ayo Dosunmu more than most), but as a collective, are going to struggle to post a winning record.
24) Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were never thought to be a serious threat this season (just ask Jakob Poeltl) despite having some interesting pieces in place, and that has proven to be accurate. They’ve competed hard over the past month behind strong play from Scottie Barnes, and that is at least encouraging for #WeTheNorth — his shooting stroke needs work, but his versatility is at the level where he can/should be labeled a major part of this rebuild.
With the play-in tournament likely out of the question, not to mention not a priority, we could see a repeat of last season down the stretch (2-19 in their 21 games coming home) to accelerate their roster reconstruction.
The acquisition of Brandon Ingram gives them two long-term assets on the wing, a spot on the court that is becoming more and more important with each passing season. Immanuel Quickley signed on for the rebuild this summer — this team might be closer to that third tier of Eastern Conference team than their record suggests.
25) Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are having the type of season that their fan base wants: show signs of a competitive fire but lose enough games to remain in the lottery. You could argue that they’ve been the best team in the league over the past three weeks, and their backcourt has enough upside to sell this team as one headed in the right direction.
That’s not to say that Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are perfect prospects (far from it), but we saw them score 40 of 102 points in a January win over Charlotte, adding 14 rebounds and making eight of 13 two-point attempts in the process.
Their youth holds the worst assist-to-turnover rate in the league, and that will hinder winning if not corrected, but all things considered, Portland’s fanbase should be cautiously encouraged.
26) Charlotte Hornets
Outside of a three-game stretch in the middle of January where the Charlotte Hornets rattled off three consecutive wins (the since-traded Williams in those games: 63 points, 45 rebounds, and 10 blocks + steals), Charlotte has struggled to put together four straight solid quarters. Brandon Miller certainly looked the part of a professional bucket-getter when healthy, but his development is going to be stunted due to the season-ending wrist surgery.
The Hornets appeared poised to lose at least two-thirds of their games for a third consecutive season.
27) Brooklyn Nets
Back-to-back wins over the Rockets to open February was a surprising result and, given how things have looked for the season up to this point, is likely to be labeled as a season highlight.
Cameron Johnson is having a career year and has established himself as a feared marksman, but until this offense shows discipline (inside the bottom 10 in effective FG% for a second straight season, due in large part to shot selection), the ceiling is going to be significantly capped as the lone Atlantic team without an identified franchise centerpiece.
28) New Orleans Pelicans
Injuries have made a team that was already oddly constructed to begin with an even more difficult evaluation, but they’ve underwhelmed by any measure you want to look at. After a 2-0 start, New Orleans dropped 29 of 32 games and effectively ended a season that came with hope before New Year’s Day.
Trey Murphy III’s explosive season after inking a $112 million extension in October is great to see — only time will tell how this team builds around him and the other stars on this roster, but they at least have one piece they feel good about as a foundational option.
That said, the bottom three defenses in the NBA landed in the final three spots in these power rankings; until that changes, elevating into the middle third is more of a pipedream than a realistic goal.
The Ingram trade (along with the lesser publicized move sending away Daniel Theis for cash) showed that they are willing to be patient with this process — the exact blueprint remains to be seen, but there is talent on this roster and some potential in their future assets.
29) Utah Jazz
The Jazz opened the season led in scoring by a different player in four straight games (and in six of their first seven), a level of depth that can have promise if directed properly. Unfortunately, that talent has been wasted by a lack of gained opportunities — Utah owns the highest turnover rate on one side and the lowest steal rate on the other.
Keyonte George impressed as a rookie and has been better in Year 2, giving this franchise hope for the future of their backcourt. There’s some young talent on this roster and they’ll add to it this offseason.
30) Washington Wizards
The Wizards are tearing everything down, something that was driven home at the deadline. Well, that and the fact that they seem destined to finish under 20 wins for a second consecutive season for the first time in franchise history.
Alex Sarr showcased some of the promise you want to see from the second overall pick in December (13.8 points on 45.5% shooting from 3 with 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in nine games), but there is a lot of learning for the 19-year-old to do before he impacts winning at a reasonable level.
Bilal Coulibaly might also be a piece to move forward with (seventh overall pick in 2023), but there is plenty of roster shuffling that will be done before Washington is deserving of our attention.
