With the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline right around the corner and blockbuster trades going down left and right, let’s rank every NBA team in our latest power rankings. The Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for Luka Dončić has caused a lot of commotion in the Western Conference and has certainly impacted their respective rankings.
Now, De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine have also been dealt in a three-team deal between the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Chicago Bulls. Victor Wembanyama will now have an All-NBA running mate in San Antonio.
Let’s break down these moves and more as the rest of the NBA prepares for the trade deadline and all of the deals that will come with it.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-9)
The Thunder have lost three of the last seven, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains atop the league’s leading scorers as we near the All-Star break, making him an easy MVP candidate. Though it’s still early for these conversations, he’s been nothing but consistent this season.
As it seems to be a two-man race for NBA MVP
It is pretty wild that 6-foot-6 guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a miles better rim protector than 7-foot Nikola Jokic https://t.co/5aH1nllyJO
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) February 2, 2025
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (40-9)
Despite a three-game losing streak, the Cleveland Cavaliers have quickly bounced back and have won their last four games by a total of 104 points. Up six games over the Boston Celtics, Cleveland is in complete control of the Eastern Conference. This is much thanks to the three All-Stars they’re sending to San Francisco.
3. Boston Celtics (34-15)
While the reigning NBA champions aren’t dominating the league as they did last season, they are still one of the best teams in the league. The Celtics sit No. 2 seed in the East, and Jayson Tatum is currently sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.7 PPG to go along with 8.9 RPG and 5.5 APG. Though it will be tough, there’s still plenty of time to catch the Cavs.
4. Houston Rockets (32-16)
The Rockets are easily one of the most surprising teams this season, tied for the No. 2 seed in the West. This is much thanks to their young stars in Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengün, who was named to his first All-Star game this year. Over the last month or so, they’ve also notched wins over some of the league’s top teams including the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Celtics, and Cavs twice.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (32-16)
With Ja Morant’s health being an issue over the last few seasons, the Grizzlies were a big question mark entering this season. Last year, they went a mere 27-55 without Morant, and it didn’t appear they’d get back to their same dominance. That said, Jaren Jackson Jr. has stepped up in a big way, putting less pressure on Morant to carry the load. This has led him to be named to his second career All-Star game.
6. New York Knicks (32-17)
While nobody knew how Karl-Anthony Towns would fit on the Knicks’ roster, it’s proven to be very successful. Along with averaging nearly 25 PPG, he’s also averaging 13.7 RPG. This pairing has been beautiful alongside star guard Jalen Brunson. New York is the only other team close to the Celtics in the East, putting them in a comfortable position as we near the All-Star break.
7. Denver Nuggets (30-19)
While it’s hard to leave any team led by Nikola Jokić out of the top five, they haven’t had the same success as the teams listed prior. That said, Jokić is still dominating, playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double. Again, while it’s early, Jokic will almost certainly be among the favorites for the MVP award.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (28-19)
After making the biggest trade of the season thus far adding superstar Luka Dončić to their roster, the Lakers are a completely different team.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
While this trade doesn’t make much sense for Dallas, this is an incredible addition for Los Angeles. The pairing of Dončić and LeBron James is automatically one of the best in the league, and they could become one of the most entertaining teams in NBA history. It’s unlikely that their success won’t match that level of entertainment.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (26-20)
The Bucks are once again seeing a lot of success in the regular season as they remain amongst the top teams in the East. Damian Lillard has seemed to fully find his rhythm with Milwaukee as he’s been one of the best guards in the association. Giannis Antetokounmpo is also having a great year as he’s second in scoring behind only Gilgeous-Alexander.
Though the Bucks are only the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, they have plenty of time to climb up the standings before the playoffs.
10. Indiana Pacers (27-20)
The Pacers are red-hot as they’ve won 11 of their last 13 games and are currently on a three-game winning streak.
After losing by 30 to the San Antonio Spurs, they were able to bounce back and win by 38 in their second of back-to-back games in Paris. This team is still young, so there will be some hiccups, but this is their second straight year of being an elite team led by Tyrese Haliburton, who has been really solid in this stretch averaging over 20 PPG.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (28-21)
With the Clippers able to stay afloat despite Kawhi Leonard’s absence, they’ve set themselves up to be in a great position as they enter the All-Star break. Leonard is beginning to shine as he typically does.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-22)
Depsite losing Townes to the Knicks, the Timberwolves have managed just fine thanks to superstar guard Anthony Edwards. Though their five-game winning streak came to an end against the Wizards, they were without Edwards as he fell ill before the game. That said, over his last 10 games, Edwards has been nothing but dominant, averaging 31.2 PPG to go along with 5.8 RPG and 6.0 APG.
13. Phoenix Suns (25-23)
Though their record might not show it, the Suns are on a great upward trend as they’ve won 10 of their last 15 games. This is much thanks to the addition of Nick Richards, who has helped add a balance to their game. In games that he’s played in, the Suns have a 5-3 record. While it’s not amazing, it’s definitely something for Phoenix to look forward to.
14. Orlando Magic (24-26)
Despite a 2-8 skid over their last 10 games, the Magic are still in play-in position as they currently sit at the No. 8 seed in the East. They shouldn’t be losing consistently for too long as star forward Franz Wagner is back in the lineup. As they begin to adjust with him back in the lineup, and Paolo Banchero starts facing less pressure to do more, this team will begin to look like themselves again.
15. Detroit Pistons (25-24)
The Pistons are another surprising team this year as they’ve already won 10 more games than they did all of last season. With their young star Cade Cunningham continuing to shine, Detroit has to have a positive outlook on the situation. They are sitting comfortably at .500 and at the No. 7 seed, which would put them in a playoff position at the end of the season.
16. Sacramento Kings (24-24)
The Kings made the second big trade of the weekend as they sent star guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that included the Chicago Bulls, who sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento.
BREAKING: Sacramento is finalizing a trade to send De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a multi-team trade that moves Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine to the Kings, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Ftmo8N4hMj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025
While this is a fantastic trade for the Spurs, it doesn’t make much sense for the Kings. Fox was on the trade block and he’s been in the rumor mill for years, but for Sacramento to receive LaVine as a replacement, it’s just underwhelming. Not that LaVine is bad by any means, it just doesn’t improve their roster a whole lot and his contract is brutal.
17. San Antonio Spurs (21-25)
While the Spurs just got significantly better by adding Fox to the roster, it’s hard to put them any higher without seeing the fit on the court. That said, it’s highly unlikely that Fox won’t work out on their roster, as he’s the perfect complement to Victor Wembenyama and Co.
The speed he plays with will be extremely hard for defenses to navigate while also trying to account for Wemby. The best part about this trade for San Antonio is that Fox is still only 27 years old, giving him time to develop with the rest of the Spurs’ young stars.
18. Miami Heat (24-23)
Aside from Tyler Herro’s first All-Star selection, the Heat have had an underwhelming season thus far. Sitting just one game over .500, they haven’t been spectacular but they also haven’t been bad. They’re in a tough position — Miami seems stuck in the middle ground until they figure out the Jimmy Butler situation.
19. Golden State Warriors (24-24)
Similarly to Jokić, it’s hard to count a team led by Steph Curry out, but the Warriors are making it hard to take them seriously as contenders. They’re certainly capable of big wins, but if they don’t make a big move at the trade deadline, it’s unlikely they’ll make an appearance deep in the playoffs.
20. Dallas Mavericks (26-24)
The Mavericks would have been much higher on this list, but they just made what fans are calling the “worst trade in NBA history.” Dončić was the saving grace of this Mavericks team as he could single-handedly put the team on his back.
Even so, it’s hard to say that this will make them a bad team as they did receive Anthony Davis in their return package. They could see success this year with Davis joining Kyrie Irving, but they are both aging and aren’t the same players they used to be.
21. Atlanta Hawks (22-27)
After having a solid start to the season, the Hawks have fallen apart, currently on an eight-game losing streak. Losing Jalen Johnson for the remainder of the season doesn’t help either as he was having an incredible start to his season. Before going down with a shoulder injury, he was averaging 18.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 5.0 APG.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (19-28)
For virtually the entire season, the Sixers have appeared to be a team that’s much better than their record shows. Unfortunately, Joel Embiid has been anything but consistent, only playing in 13 games this season — he hasn’t played in nearly a month.
That said, Tyrese Maxey has taken over the team in his absence and is averaging 27.5 PPG, which is good for fourth in the league. If they can get healthy and tighten up their game as a team, they still have a decent chance at making the play-in tournament.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (20-29)
For much of the season, the Blazers looked to be a lock for a bottom seed in the West, but they’ve hit a streak that could be a turning point in their season. They’ve managed to win seven of their last 10 games and picked up some big wins over the Magic (twice), the Suns, and the Bucks. Though this won’t help them get a higher draft pick, it’s very good to know that they can succeed with the tools on their current roster.
24. Toronto Raptors (16-33)
At this point in the season, it’ll be very difficult for the Raptors to climb back into the playoff picture. It’s likely that they’ll look at this season as a rebuild year and look to get younger. They already have two young stars in Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, who could be the pieces they build around for their future.
25. Chicago Bulls
While the Bulls have appeared to be in rebuild mode, there is no turning back now that they parted ways with their best player in LaVine. This trade isn’t very beneficial to them in the short-term. The move is mostly about getting LaVine’s contract off their books, receiving a few younger players in Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter, and, most importantly, getting their 2025 first-round pick back from San Antonio.
26. Brooklyn Nets (16-33)
The Nets have managed to win their last two games, but that’s about as much success as they’ve had this season. This roster isn’t built to contend for the playoffs, and it could continue to get worse if they move on from Nic Claxton by the deadline — he’s been one of their best players over the last few seasons.
The Lakers are aggressively pursuing athletic rim protecting centers on the trade market.
Nic Claxton and Robert Williams are two players to keep a very close eye on over the next few days. pic.twitter.com/egjTczdcBF
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 2, 2025
27. New Orleans Pelicans (12-37)
Disappointment is an understatement for this Pelicans team — it feels like there’s a lot of potential that’s gone to waste. Zion Williamson has only played in 13 games this season, and despite playing well, New Orleans has won just four of these games. It’s hard to completely count them out with the talent they have on the roster, but they have been underwhelming thus far to say the least.
28. Charlotte Hornets (12-34)
Without a doubt, LaMelo Ball has been the lone bright spot on this team. That said, despite Ball averaging over 28 PPG, 5.3, and 7.3 APG this season, the Hornets are sitting at just 12-34 and are in prime position for the NBA Draft lottery. If they were to land Cooper Flagg, that could create one of the scariest young duos in the league.
29. Utah Jazz (11-36)
The Jazz are sitting dead last in the West, and they haven’t shown any signs of much improvement. Much like the rest of the bottom-dwelling teams, they’ll be in the running for Flagg, who has completely lived up to the hype at Duke. Even if it’s not Flagg, they’ll be able to land one of the top prospects and progress in their rebuild.
30. Washington Wizards (7-41)
To put it simply, the Wizards are not a good basketball team. They are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the NBA and are going to give the 2015 Sixers a run for their money as the worst team in NBA history.
That said, if their tank pays off and they can land Flagg, it could all be worth it in the long run.
