NBA Power Rankings: Where league stands after trade deadline with Spurs at No. 1 and Hornets buzzing
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are going in the wrong direction
By
Brad Botkin
•
1 min read
The 2026 NBA trade deadline has passed. Teams can still add on the edges in the buyout market, but for the most part rosters are now set for what should be a wild stretch run. Not much changed at the top, really, with the exception of the Cleveland Cavaliers who flipped Darius Garland for James Harden in a total short-term move.
On the other side of that deal, the Clippers' outlook for the remainder of the season took a nosedive. Garland is a play for next season and beyond; he can't get his toe healthy this season. And Ivica Zubac now plays for the Indiana Pacers.
Meanwhile, the Spurs continue to own the Oklahoma City Thunder and deserve this week's top spot. The Hornets, meanwhile, have won eight games in a row.
- Note: As a general Power Rankings rule, we're going to try to strike a balance between what we've seen in the last week, the season as a whole so far, and what can reasonably be expected to play out over the rest of the season. This week there is a greater emphasis on that last factor after the trade deadline has passed and given us a clear picture of where every roster officially stands.
- We will not go so far as to rank these teams based on championship expectations, because in that case it would take a lot more to alter, at least in tiers, the generally accepted hierarchy. Winning matters, and it will get you on the move up this board form week to week. But if you're beating bad teams, just as an example, and probably playing a little above your head, it's not necessarily going to be reflected in a completely commensurate climb up the rankings. Or vice versa.
Biggest Movers
4
Magic
13
Clippers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | I need to know the preseason odds on a single team beating the Thunder four times this season. Those had to be lightning-strike numbers. But it's happened. The Spurs are the best team in the league right now. | 1 | 35-16 |
| 2 |  | One of the quiet winners of the trade deadline, the Thunder bring in Jared McCain who was on a Rookie of the Year track before he got hurt last season in Philly. Also, the Thunder own the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick, and the Clippers more or less just punted on their season. Having said that, if they see the Spurs in the playoffs, buckle up. OKC has now lost four times to San Antonio this season. There's no way I can rank OKC above a team that has beaten them four times. | 1 | 40-12 |
| 3 |  | The Nuggets get below the tax line by dumping Hunter Tyson but that's it. The roster remains the same. Nikola Jokić is back. Top-tier contender. | 1 | 33-19 |
| 4 |  | Detroit needed shooting and they buy pretty low on Kevin Huerter -- a good shooter who's not shooting very good this year (31% from 3). If that improves, it helps Detroit. | 1 | 37-13 |
| 5 |  | Great job by the Celtics to get under the tax. If they stay under next year they'll reset their repeater clock. So that's cool. A multi-billionaire saved some money (it does have serious roster building implications, to be fair). On the court, Boston addresses a need at center with Nikola Vučević. The Celtics are a legit threat to win the East even if Jayson Tatum doesn't come back. | 2 | 33-18 |
| 6 |  | Cleveland is the team that potentially changed its fortune the most for this season by trading Darius Garland for James Harden. Long term its a great trade for the Clippers, but the Cavs are operating in the short term and Harden is averaging 25 and 8 while Garland can't get healthy. Then they also added Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder, two solid defenders. By the way, they've won nine of their last 11 before these new guys have even suited up. Cleveland is right back in the conference-crown picture. | 2 | 31-21 |
| 7 |  | Make it eight straight wins for the Knicks to completely reverse their downer vibes. The trade deadline was bittersweet because they get Jose Alvarado but also learned the news that Deuce McBride could be out until the playoffs with a sports hernia. | 2 | 33-18 |
| 8 |  | Ayo Dosumnu is a sweet pickup for the Wolves. He's not the pure point guard everyone wants the Wolves to get, but you can't have enough of his player archetype in today's game -- wings who can defend and shoot and make some secondary plays off the dribble. The Wolves are a legit contender in the West with the way Anthony Edwards has taken over in the clutch this season. | 3 | 32-20 |
| 9 |  | Houston has been throttled by the Celtics and Hornets over its last two games, and it didn't so anything at the trade deadline. The offense is pretty predictable. Steven Adams being out for the season hurts the offensive rebounding. Confidence meter on this team is dropping fast. | 4 | 31-19 |
| 10 |  | Phoenix has won seven of 11 even after the loss to Golden State (without Curry) on Thursday, and they add bench help in the form of Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. Should be in the fight for a playoff spot the rest of the way. | 3 | 31-21 |
| 11 |  | Adding Luke Kennard, who's having a ridiculous shooting season albeit in low volume, is a nice little get for the Lakers but ultimately they're waiting for this summer and didn't meaningfully improve their standing because the defense still stinks. They're still a scary playoff opponent, but not a contender. | 1 | 31-19 |
| 12 |  | Paul George getting suspended for 25 games for violating the league's drug policy hurts bad. A lot more than trading Jared McCain and cap dumping Eric Gordon at the deadline. There were reports that Joel Embiid wanted the Sixers to get aggressive at this deadline because he really believes this team has a shot in the East, but they didn't do anything to that end. We'll see if they can hold the fort down without George. Their five-game winning streak came to an end Thursday night with a loss to the Lakers. | 2 | 29-22 |
| 13 |  | Toronto swaps Ochai Agbaji for Trayce Jackson-Davis and gets under the tax line. A minor move after three straight years of big ones (Jakob Poetl, Immanuel Quickley/RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram). This is fine. Toronto is having a good season and needs to chill on the expenses. Should be in the mix for a 4-6 seed the rest of the way. | 1 | 31-22 |
| 14 |  | The best story in the NBA right now, the Hornets have won eight straight after taking out the Rockets on Thursday. The starting lineup rocks. Getting Coby White from the Bulls is sweet. They're in the play-in at the moment and climbing fast. | 3 | 24-28 |
| 15 |  | Not much to see in Orlando at the deadline. They dumped Tyus Jones to get under the tax line but that's it. The rest of this season is about finding out if the Banchero/Wagner pairing actually has the long-term legs we all thought it did. If not, would the Magic get into the Giannis sweepstakes this summer with Banchero off his poison-pill contract? Put him with, say, Anthony Black and that's a pretty intriguing young duo for Milwaukee. | 4 | 26-24 |
| 16 |  | Vit Kreci comes to Portland shooting 42% from 3 this season. That's big for the team with the worst 3-point percentage in the league. Portland is in a good spot big picture and to make the play-in this season with the Clippers and Grizzlies both basically punting on their season. | 1 | 23-28 |
| 17 |  | The Warriors teased a Giannis deal only to end up with Kristaps Porziņģis, who has only managed to play in 17 games this season. Steve Kerr said it: The ceiling is low for this team. | 1 | 28-24 |
| 18 |  | Getting Jonathan Kuminga is all upside. Porziņģis was hardly playing anyway, and the Hawks have a team option on Kuminga's contract next season. If they don't like what they see over these next few months, they can cut ties. But I think they're going to like it. Kuminga can play, and the Hawks have quietly won six of their last eight. | -- | 26-27 |
| 19 |  | The Clippers have shot into a play-in spot but that didn't keep them from effectively punting on the rest of the season by trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac. Those were both very good deals for the Clippers in the long run, but for this year Darius Garland isn't healthy and you lose a bunch of production from what were two of your three best players. | 13 | 23-27 |
| 20 |  | Anfernee Simons. Jaden Ivey. Rob Dillingham. Collin Sexton. The Bulls became the land of the second-chance point guards at the deadline, and I suppose like it from the standpoint of those particular players but this is still Josh Giddey's team. What I don't like is losing Coby White without getting a first-round pick in return. Same story as Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. They waited too long. | 1 | 24-28 |
| 21 |  | As an extension of the Luka Dončić trade, the Anthony Davis return looks pathetic. But that's over and done with. So the Mavs get out from beneath Davis' money and officially turn the team over to Cooper Flagg, who just keeps getting better and better. Had 32 against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs this week. | 1 | 19-32 |
| 22 |  | Struck out on Giannis, weren't willing to give up what Memphis wanted for Ja Morant, and now Miami is destined for a play-in berth before it takes another swing at Giannis this summer with four draft picks eligible to be traded instead of the two it had at the deadline. They still probably won't get Giannis, so this feels a lot like Golden State where the Heat could have made more aggressive gray-area moves instead of always holding out for the big fish. | 2 | 27-25 |
| 23 |  | I love the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade for next year, when Walker Kessler will also be back and the Jazz will suddenly have a huge, imposing defense to go along with a top-flight offense. But this year, the race to keep their top-eight protected pick remains fully on. | 2 | 16-36 |
| 24 |  | Giannis stays for now, and that was the right move. The Bucks will have more and probably better offers to consider this summer. The rest of this season will be devoted to securing the best lottery odds possible, which could be a conflict when Giannis wants to come back and play. | -- | 20-29 |
| 25 |  | Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are gone. That leaves Ja Morant as the last of the Grizzlies' one-time Big Three. Nobody wanted Ja at the deadline, but he'll be gone soon enough. The Grizzlies have 13 first-round picks over the next seven years. | 2 | 20-29 |
| 26 |  | Just like the Jazz, the Pacers make a major move for next season by trading for Ivica Zubac. This team is ready to jump right back into contention for the Eastern Conference crown when Tyrese Haliburton returns, and in the meantime they'll set their sights on a lottery pick this summer (the only way they lose it to the Clippers is if it falls between No. 5 and No. 9). | -- | 13-38 |
| 27 |  | Straight-up waived Cam Thomas, but MPJ stays and Brooklyn likes where it sits with all its future draft capital and cap space. Meanwhile, the race for a top-three pick is on the rest of the way. | 2 | 13-37 |
| 28 |  | The Pelicans sent Jose Alvarado to the Knicks for two second-round picks and Dalen Terry. Personally, I would be selling super high on Trey Murphy and Herb Jones and seeing what is out there for Zion (probably not much) to try to recoup some assets to use in building around Derik Queen. But Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver basically stood pat even though they owe their 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta. So now they are tied with Sacramento for the most losses in the league (40) for nothing. | 1 | 13-40 |
| 29 |  | The Wizards get Anthony Davis at the deadline to add to Trae Young. It didn't cost them much of anything. The 2026 pick going to Dallas is via OKC, so it's going to be in the late 20s, and the 2030 Warriors pick is top-20 protected. I like the upside play for a team in the cellar who can still get its high lottery pick this summer and play for the future while actually maybe winning a few games at the same time. At some point, you have to expose your young players to actual success, though that's not going to come this year. You're going to be seeing a lot of Young and Davis in street clothes the rest of the way. | 1 | 14-36 |
| 30 |  | Sacramento wasn't able to find a taker for Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk. Add in Russell Westbrook and they are paying north of $135 million this season alone ... for a league-low 12 wins so far. | 2 | 12-40 |
