NBA power rankings 2025-26: Everyone starts the season chasing Oklahoma City

The defending champs always start the season on top of these NBA Power Rankings (unless someone goes full Mark Cuban and blows up a champ for no good reason), but it almost feels like the Thunder should be on their own tier to start this campaign. It’s OKC and everyone else is chasing. Let’s break it all down by tiers.

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1. Oklahoma City Thunder

(Last season 68-14)
No Jalen Williams to start the season as he still recovers from offseason wrist surgery, but on a deep Thunder team they just plug in another guy — Cason Wallace — and barely miss a beat. This feels like a team that is not going to suffer the championship hangover most teams do, expect a fast start out of the gate.

Watch that fast start as the Thunder begin defense their title in the season opener against the Rockets Tuesday night (Oct. 21) right here on NBC and Peacock.

2. Denver Nuggets

(Last season 50-32)
What has been the biggest weakness the past couple of seasons in Denver — depth in general and the non-Jokic minutes specifically — could be a strength this season. Maybe the most underrated pickup of the offseason was the Nuggets trading for Jonas Valanciunas, a veteran big man who can serve as the hub of an offense for a stretch, score some points, be a presence in the paint defensively — he is the best backup Jokic has had. When Valanciunas is in, the Nuggets don’t have to change offensive styles, they won’t just fall apart, and that could help keep Jokic’s minutes down this season.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

(Last season 64-18)
The big questions everyone has about Cleveland can’t be answered until we get into April and May, but first they have to get there healthy and that is off to a rough start. Darius Garland is out for the opening few weeks of the season, still recovering from offseason turf toe surgery. Max Strus is going to miss a couple of months with a Jones fracture in his left foot. It’s not like they can lean on new addition Lonzo Ball to play heavy minutes to replace him (Ball is a great pickup for them but has to play limited minutes and no back-to-backs due to his multiple knee surgeries). De’Andre hunter and Dean Wade need to step up (and both of them have had injury issues of their own).

4. New York Knicks

(Last season 51-31)
Don’t be shocked — and Knicks fans, don’t stress — if this team gets off to a slower than expected start. Mike Brown has come in with a new offense that asks for ball and player movement, he asked the team to play faster, and he wants to see them launch more 3-pointers. All of that just takes time to get comfortable with, especially since it’s a dramatic departure from what Tom Thibodeau drilled into them for years. Be patient. By Christmas we’ll have a much better picture of just how good this team is — and they should look like a genuine threat to come out of the East.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves

(Last season 49-33)
After consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals, the question for the Timberwolves is how do they take one more step? Anthony Edwards evolving into one of the top five players on the planet would help and he seems ready for that leap — check out the dunk below — but the real test is going to be with Minnesota’s depth. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is now in Atlanta and it’s fair to ask if 38-year-old Mike Conley can keep playing at the same level. The pressure falls to Jaden McDaniels, Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark to step up and help lift this team to the next level.

6. Houston Rockets

(Last season 52-30)
Kevin Durant — who took a discount with his extension to be in Houston and give the franchise flexibility — is going to get the headlines, but just how good the Rockets will be falls more on Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard. They are taking over primary ball handling responsibilities with rock-solid veteran Fred VanVleet out for the season (torn ACL). The two looked good in the preseason, but that’s the preseason. Now things get serious, starting with the stiffest possible test on opening night in the Oklahoma City defense (Tuesday night on NBC and Peacock).

PLAYOFFS OR BUST

7. Orlando Magic

(Last season 41-41)
Everyone has praised the addition of Desmond Bane as one of the best moves of the offseason — NBA GMs voted it second to Durant in Houston as the best pickup this summer — but it’s still going to take a little time for Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to develop chemistry. Be patient Magic fans. Health was the biggest issue for the Magic a season ago and they enter this season with starting guard Jalen Suggs (offseason knee surgery) and Mo Wagner (ACL tear) out and still recovering.

8. Los Angeles Lakers

(Last season 50-32)
No LeBron James to start the season is not ideal — coach J.J. Redick is starting veteran guard Gabe Vincent in his slot, with Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura and Ayton — but don’t expect it to hurt this team too much in the short term. While the Lakers ultimately need LeBron on the court to reach their ceiling (don’t expect to see him until mid-November as he recovers from sciatica), Luka Doncic is such a floor raiser that Los Angeles will be fine. No LeBron to start the season also lets the Lakers focus on another key, long-term question: Is Austin Reaves a good fit as a No. 2 next to Doncic? Reaves is a very skilled player in line for a massive and deserved raise next summer, but does his skill set overlap too much with Doncic, and is having both of them on the court just too big a defensive liability?

9. Los Angeles Clippers

(Last season 50-32)
Whatever you think of how the Clippers have tried to spin the Aspiration scandal, there is one thing they have consistently said since media day that I believe: This is a veteran roster that will not be distracted or phased on the court by the outside noise. “It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team,” Kawhi Leonard said at media day. This is a deep, talented roster built for the regular season, one better than the 50-win team from a season ago. A league investigation isn’t going to throw this team off track.

10. Golden State Warriors

(Last season 48-34)
Al Horford, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green Seth Curry, Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield — seven core rotation players — are 32 or older. “That’s the job this year is to manage, especially those four [Horford, Curry, Butler, Green], manage their minutes, games played,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Figuring out combinations — if a couple of them can’t play, if we’re going back-to-back, if we need to a rest a couple — we got to figure all that stuff out. That’s the job. We collaborate with them, with performance staff, and we go from there.”

11. Milwaukee Bucks

(Last season 48-34)
As much as the organization has tried to play it down, the cloud of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee will follow this franchise all season. It puts a lot of pressure on Myles Turner, Gary Trent Jr. Bobby Portis and the rest of the organization — can they win enough games to have Antetokounmpo feel he can compete for a title with the Bucks as constructed? How do the players deal with that pressure? Depending upon how the season starts, it could lead to the team trying to make a bold move at the trade deadline (no, not trading Antetokounmpo, that’s not happening during the season).

12. Atlanta Hawks

(Last season 40-42)
Here is the best news for Hawks fans: This team is healthy to start the season. It will be something to monitor all season, but right now Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard are all healthy (all have injury histories). For all the focus on Trae Young and his contract (he can opt-out after this season and become a free agent), it is Porzingis who is the key to this team reaching its potential (and he is playing for his next contract as well). Atlanta needs him on both ends of the court, but particularly his shot blocking in the paint.

13. Detroit Pistons

(Last season 44-38)
If you’re looking for a guy to make a leap (or maybe win Most Improved Player), keep an eye on Ausar Thompson. He is going to be asked to be much more of a secondary playmaker next to Cade Cunningham, especially with Jaden Ivey out to start the season. Whether it’s Thompson, Ivey or someone else (maybe someone not on the roster yet), one of the goals for Detroit this season is to find out who is the No. 2 next to Cunningham.

14. Dallas Mavericks

(Last season 39-43)
Two things were clear during the preseason. First, with Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II along the front line, this is a big and long team with quality rim protectors. Second, they are going to have to need that rim protection because the starting backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson is a defensive mess. The one thing everyone can agree on is that the Mavericks extending and locking up coach Jason Kidd was a smart move.

15. San Antonio Spurs

(Last season 34-48)
No De’Aaron Fox the first few games of the season (hamstring), delaying our chance to finally get a good look at how he plays next to Victor Wembanyama. On the bright side, rookie Dylan Harper has looked like the real deal during the preseason. A lot of things are being scrutinized in San Antonio this year because they realize their window is about to open thanks to Wemby, but that analyzation has to start with coach Mitch Johnson. The Spurs are a loyal organization, Johnson’s seat is plenty cool, and he has instituted his offense and his style on the team this season (last season it was still Gregg Popovich who was coaching at this time). If the window starting to crack open in San Antonio, the question of whether Johnson is the right coach for this squad has to be on the table. We’ll see how he answers that question this season.

16. Boston Celtics

(Last season 61-21)
Boston’s big decisions to make come later this season — should Jayson Tatum return, and if so when? Will they make another trade to dump salary and get below the luxury tax line? — but those answers may hinge on what happens in the first half of the season. Jaylen Brown is an All-NBA level, Finals MVP player, but can he be the No. 1 option during the grind of a regular season? The bigger question is the front court with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis gone and now Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Chris Boucher asked to take on larger roles. There is no better way to tank games in the NBA than not to have a quality NBA big man, and if that describes Boston it impacts a lot of other things.

17. Indiana Pacers

(Last season 50-32)
This is going to be a good season to have Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard on your fantasy teams — they are going to be asked to fill Tyrese Haliburton’s shoes and both are capable of putting up numbers. However, that is not what will hold the Pacers back. The bigger challenge is replacing Myles Turner, and the pressure falls to Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff. It’s a big ask, especially for Jackson, coming off a torn Achilles.

18. Philadelphia 76ers

(Last season 24-58)
For a team leading the league in “ifs” entering the season, one thing has gone right: Joel Embiid will play. And he looked pretty good in limited minutes in one preseason game. He will be on a minutes restriction to start the season and will not play back-to-backs, but just having him on the court makes this team far more dangerous. Now the Sixers just needs Paul George to get healthy and play more like the Clippers PG13 of a couple of years ago, Jared McCain gets back healthy, VJ Edgecombe to keep playing as good as he looked in the preseason, and for Kelly Oubre and Quentin Grimes and Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond and Kyle Lowry can provide depth. That’s a lot of things that need to go right, but if it comes together this team is a threat in the East.

Play-In Hopefuls

19. Toronto Raptors

(Last season 30-52)
There is talent on the roster north of the border: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl. The question is how does coach Darko Rajakovic fit all the pieces together because that’s a lot of overlapping skill sets? If this doesn’t come together during the first half of the season, don’t be surprised if the new front office looks to break things up at the trade deadline.

20. Miami Heat

(Last season 37-45)
Miami is going to win some games because it has some talented players on the roster — Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro (out to start the season recovering from ankle surgery), Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Nikola Jović, Davion Mitchell, Kel’el Ware — but this is a nice team in need of a No. 1 option, a superstar. They lack what Jimmy Butler gave them (at times). The front office is looking to make its next big swing, but that is going to take time. Until then, it feels like the Heat are treading water.

21. Memphis Grizzlies

(Last season 48-34)
Even for the Grizzlies, this is a lot of injuries to start the season: Ja Morant is officially week-to-week with a sprained ankle and as of this writing his status for the opener is up in the air. Centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are out for opening night and at least the first week or weeks of the season. Scotty Pippen Jr. is out for three months at least following left big toe surgery. The good news is that Jaren Jackson Jr. got healthy and played in a couple of preseason games — he is Memphis’ most important player on both ends of the court. I’m expecting Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama and newcomer Ty Jerome to take steps forward for the Grizzlies this season.

22. Chicago Bulls

(Last season 39-43)
Chicago locked up Josh Giddey with a four-year, $100 million extension this summer, a guy who averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists a game last season after Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were traded. The question for the Bulls becomes, can you build a contender around him? Chicago has finally started to pivot to youth — Giddey (22), Coby White (24), Matas Buzelis (20), Noa Essengue (18) — but it still has one more move to make, look for them to try to trade Nikola Vucevic before the February deadline.

23. New Orleans Pelicans

(Last season 21-61)
While the obvious and still most critical question in the Big Easy is can Zion Williamson stay healthy, I’m interested to see how the guards Jordan Poole and just-drafted Jeremiah Fears play? How do they mesh with Dejounte Murray? There was good news that Derik Queen has been cleared to play, he had been out since July when he injured his left wrist in a Summer League game — the Pelicans gave up a lot of draft capital to get him, Joe Dumars needs Queen to pan out.

24. Portland Trail Blazers

(Last season 36-46)
No Scoot Henderson to start the season as he recovers from a hamstring strain, a setback for a team built to defend and run this season. It also plays right into one of the biggest questions facing the Trail Blazers this season: 1) Do they have a franchise player? And if not, how many of the young players on this roster — Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara — can be part of that rotation next to that guy when they get him? (Yang Hansen is another question, but one that will take a couple of seasons to answer, he needs time.) The fact that Camara and Shaedon Sharpe got contract extensions this week suggests the Trail Blazers think both can be part of the future.

25. Sacramento Kings

(Last season 40-42)
Sacramento didn’t have any margin for error and injuries are already hitting them hard. Keegan Murray being out the first 3-4 weeks of the season is a huge blow to the defense of a team not expected to be great on that end of the court to begin with. Now Domantas Sabonis is out for the opening week of the season with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. It’s going to put a lot on the shoulders of Dario Saric until Sabonis returns.

26. Phoenix Suns

(Last season 36-46)
Devin Booker is an All-NBA level player in his prime and already a Phoenix legend — he has scored more points as a Sun than any player in franchise history. However, now he finds himself in the middle of a rebuild (the team can call it a retooling if that’s how they want to spin it), and it’s fair to wonder both how much of a load he can carry as the No. 1 option (do we see another 70-point game). It’s also fair to question how this rebuild ultimately impacts his future in Phoenix. Booker wants to be like Kobe — a legend who spends his entire career with one franchise — but a frustrated Kobe once asked for a trade. Booker may never make that request, but you can be sure other teams are monitoring this long-term.

27. Charlotte Hornets

(Last season 19-63)
People asking if this is the season LaMelo Ball breaks out of being a social media star and the foundation of the “6-7″ meme to becoming a respected, franchise cornerstone player have their eyes on the wrong guy — Brandon Miller is the breakout star candidate in Charlotte. Miller played in just 27 games last season due to wrist surgery, but averaged 21 and 5 in those games and in the preseason looked ready to take a step forward. More than Ball, Miller may be the guy to build around going forward in Charlotte. At least with Miller and Ball on the court we should get highlights.

Dreaming of Lottery Luck (already)

28. Washington Wizards

(Last season 18-64)
The Wizards are loaded with interesting young talent — Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Cam Whitmore — but which of them can prove they deserve to be considered part of the long-term future in Washington? My money is on Coulibaly having a break-out season. This is a rebuilding team that’s going to give those players all the shots they can handle to figure it out, with CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton serving as veteran advisors. Washington will be entertaining to watch, and more competitive than a year ago, but don’t expect a lot of wins.

29. Utah Jazz

(Last season 17-65)

When Utah fell to fifth in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the fan base was deflated. Ace Bailey is changing that. The rookie who went into the draft with the second-highest ceiling and the worst draft strategy fell to fifth and it could work out for the Jazz — he looked fantastic in the preseason. How does he fit with Isaiah Collier will be something to watch, as will the other young talent on this team such as Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh and Keyonte George.

30. Brooklyn Nets

(Last season 26-56)
“I have to say we’re in a rebuilding year … We have one [first-round] pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season.” When your owner says that, as Joe Tsai did about his Nets, you know where this season is headed. The thing I’m watching is if Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. getting an unlimited buffet of shots impedes the development of young guys who should have the ball in their hands such as Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ziaire Williams and Ben Saraf.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.