2026 NBA Power Rankings Ahead of the Playoffs

The 2026 NBA regular season is wrapping up with playoff and play-in teams confirmed, but nearly every team in the playoff standings is still jostling for better seeding. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are after a second straight title with the surging San Antonio Spurs nipping at their heels. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have Jayson Tatum back for a playoff run in an Eastern Conference race that’s still wide open.

With two weeks left in the season, let’s take a look at where every team stands.

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2026 NBA Power Rankings

Oklahoma City Thunder (59-16)

The Thunder stand at an NBA-best 59-16. They’re the best defensive team in basketball and have the best net rating.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should once again finish in the top three in MVP voting, if not win it outright. He’s leading the league in field goals per game while averaging 31.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have provided high quality production, too.

Oklahoma City is 9-1 over their last 10 as they try to hold on to the number one seed in the Western Conference and all of the NBA.

Oklahoma City has six players averaging in double digit points and will need that entire supporting cast as good as Gilgeous-Alexander has been to make it out of the West and into the NBA Finals.

With this level of dominance, OKC has a feeling of inevitability as they chase as repeat title.

San Antonio Spurs (56-18)

The Spurs have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the 2018-19 season. It’s also their first winning record since then, too.

San Antonio had been expected to be on the cusp this year, but they have blown past those expectations at this point. Victor Wembanyama is playing at an MVP caliber level and will probably just fall short and just be able to register for award season. He’s averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in just 29 minutes per game.

San Antonio is getting contributions up and down the lineup. Eight players are in double figures. Dearon Fox put up another all-star season, averaging 19 points a game. Stephon Castle, a year removed from a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2025, is averaging 16.5 points per game, seven assists and five rebounds. Dylan Harper has put up a great rookie season. Devin Vassell has become the reliable shooter they need on the perimeter and Julian Champagnie is capable of erupting from three on any given night.

The Spurs are inexperienced, but that seems to bother everyone except for the Spurs. They have owned Oklahoma City all season and a matchup between the top two seeds in the Western Conference would shake out to be near equivalent to an NBA Final.

Boston Celtics (50-24)

The East was supposed to be wide open this year with Jayson Tatum’s injury. But Boston responded with MVP caliber play from Jaylen Brown. In Tatum’s absence, he’s averaging a career high 28.6 points per game, seven rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

He made his fourth straight all-star appearance and has the Celtics sitting at the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference, just in time for Jayson Tatum to make a miraculous return from an Achilles tear he suffered in last year’s postseason.

The East remains wide open, but once again the Celtics find themselves in top position, this time faster than anyone could have predicted. They are fourth in net rating with the number two offense and the number four defense in the league. They’re also one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league with the second lowest turnover percentage.

Denver Nuggets (48-26)

Though they sit in the 4-seed in the Western Conference, Denver is the arguably the best offensive team in the league this season. They have the best offensive rating in the league and one of the best players alive in Nikola Jokic.

Jokic has won three MVPs and still, this season might be his best. He’s averaging 27.8 points per game while leading the league in total rebounds with 12.8 rebounds per game and assists per game at 10.8.

Jamal Murray is back to an all-star caliber level, averaging 25 points and seven assists per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. has put together one of the best seasons of his career and they get balanced scoring and versatile defense from Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon.

But with Jokic alone, Denver is not a team you want to have to face in a seven-game series.

New York Knicks (48-27)

The Knicks are fifth in net rating with a top three offense and top five defense in the league. They’re on a seven-game winning streak as of March 27.

Jalen Brunson leads the team with 26 points per game. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging a double-double with 20 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. OG Anunoby is providing elite two-way play at the wing and Miles McBride is enjoying a breakout season, having the best season of his career, averaging 13 points per game.

The Knicks with their size will make it tough for any team in the postseason.

Detroit Pistons (54-20)

They’re the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference, but a freak injury to all-star point guard Cade Cunningham throws the Pistons’ future into some murky territory.

Detroit has continually gotten better over the last three years, but it was this season that Cunningham and Jalen Duren both took the leaps needed to vault the Pistons into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference and the league at large.

Cunningham has been incredible with 24.5 points per game, 9.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Duren is averaging 19.5 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game. The team goes as they do.

With deeper, more experienced teams standing in their way of an NBA Finals appearance, Detroit needs their two young stars healthy and ready to go.

Minnesota Timberwolves (45-29)

Minnesota is trying to make it to their third straight Western Conference Finals. They’re seventh overall team by defensive ranking but just 12th in scoring.

But with Anthony Edwards in a do or die situation, those kinds of ratings don’t hold much water come playoff time. Edwards is averaging a career best 29.5 points per game to go with 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He’s been sidelined of late, but he’s looking on track to return in time for the postseason.

Julius Randle is chipping in 21 per game and Jaden McDaniels, who has long been known for his defensive prowess, has had his best season on offense, hitting a career best 42% of his threes to go along with career highs in points per game and assists per game.

Minnesota has a nucleus of players that is no stranger to big games and while they may not have the high seed they did last year, this is a scary team in seven games. The addition of Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline is the kind of difference making trade that can make a lower seed more dangerous than at first glance.

Los Angeles Lakers (48-26)

The Lakers are on a heater right now, 9-1 over their last 10 games, sitting in the third spot in the Western Conference. But they’re middle of the pack offensively and especially defensively.

Still, with Luka Doncic and LeBron James, there is enough savviness and scoring that can win you a seven-game series. Austin Reaves is having a career best season, averaging 23 points per game.

But this team runs entirely through Luka and will go as far as he can take them.

Houston Rockets (45-29)

Houston entered the season with NBA Finals expectations. Defensively, they’ve been the second best team in the Western Conference. Offensively, even with the addition of Kevin Durant, it just hasn’t been the same story.

They rank in the bottom half of the league in effective field goal percentage, 21st in true shooting percentage. It’s been especially rough of late. They’re 4-6 over their last 10, 6-8 over their last 14.

Houston is likely secure in a top six seed to help them avoid the play-in but that’s no guarantee with the way they’re playing. For Houston to make a deep playoff run as is expected, they are going to need more consistent offensive play, especially late in games. Whether or not they can find a way to organize the offense without a true point guard will ultimately be what their season hinges on.

Cleveland Cavaliers (46-28)

The Cavaliers endured a rocky December to put them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but they’ve since climbed back thanks to a seven-game win streak at the start of December and a four-game win streak through mid-March.

The addition of James Harden has elevated their scoring and gives them another option outside of Donovan Mitchell come playoff time.

Cleveland is top 10 in offensive rating, assists to turnovers, effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. This is another team with an experienced nucleus of players that have made playoff runs before and could be a referendum on this roster construction.

Atlanta Hawks (42-33)

The Hawks have secured their first winning season. The Hawks are one of the hottest teams in basketball. They’re 9-1 over their last 10, 14-1 over their last 15, including an 11-game win streak after the trade deadline.

Jalen Johnson has had his true breakout season, averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game, emerging into one of the best two-way players in the league.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a starring role for him is averaging 20 points per game for the first time in his career. Onyeka Okongwu and Dyson Daniels have had solid seasons and even Jonathan Kuminga has looked better in Atlanta than it did in Golden State.

Atlanta is not going to jump into the playoffs with NBA Finals expectations but with nothing to lose, this is a team that is playing hotter than just about anyone in basketball and is ready to catch another team slipping.

Phoenix Suns (41-33)

The Phoenix Suns have surprisingly found themselves firmly at bare minimum in the play-in tournament. But after shipping out Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, it felt as if the Suns were complacent to enter a rebuild stage as they sorted out their books.

But the team has been surprisingly solid. They’ve slipped up of late, losing six of their last seven.

Devin Booker is averaging 25 points per game. Dillon Brooks is having a career best season with 20 points per game. Jalen Green has filled in nicely in a secondary role to Booker. Overall, Phoenix has seven players averaging in double figures.

Los Angeles Clippers (39-36)

No one has had a weirder season than the Clippers. They started the year off 6-21 before winning, then ripped off a 17-4 stretch to climb back into the playoff picture. Then they traded away their starting point guard in James Harden and their starting center in Ivica Zubac and it felt as if they were giving up on the season.

But then a four-game winning streak in early March and a three-game winning streak that they’re on now has them right back in it.

Kawhi Leonard has turned in one of his best seasons, being named an all-star and averaging 28 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals. He will certainly be in the MVP discussion at the end of the year and certainly all-NBA as well.

The Clippers don’t scare anybody but they’re a threat to win in the play-in tournament and could easily steal a few games for an opponent getting ahead of themselves.

Toronto Raptors (42-32)

The Raptors are seeking their first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season.

Scottie Barnes has had a bounce back season, averaging 18.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Brandon Ingram has put up another all-star season, averaging 21.5 points per game.

RJ Barrett leads the team with 21 points per game. Jacob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji and Sandro Mamukelashvili have all averaged double figures.

Philadelphia 76ers (41-33)

After a disappointing season a year ago that saw them finish dead last in the Atlantic Division, the 76ers started off on a four-game winning streak. VJ Edgecombe, the number three overall pick, looked like a budding superstar. Then Paul George came back and was looking fresh but since his suspension, the wheels have fallen off a bit.

Tyrese Maxey was playing at an MVP level, averaging 29 points per game, a league high two steals per game and made the all-star team. But now with Maxey’s injury, that feels in jeopardy.

Joel Embiid is averaging 26.9 per game in just 34 games total. It’s just unclear if Philly is going to be at full power entering the postseason. Without Maxey, it feels like this team doesn’t have a shot and George is suspended for the rest of the season and Joel Embiid’s availability is a question mark.

But if Maxey is back and Embiid is available all postseason, we don’t think this is a team anyone would want to play, honestly, for Maxey alone.

Portland Trail Blazers (38-38)

Portland is still a few years away from serious contention but there are reasons for optimism.

Deni Avdija put together an all-star season, averaging 23.9 points per game. Shaedon Sharpe chipped in 21 per game. Jerami Grant, 18. Jrue Holiday, 15. Donovan Clingan leads the league in offensive rebounds per game and is averaging a double-double on the year.

Scoot Henderson continues to show flashes now and again, though he’s been limited. Toumani Camara does a little bit of everything.

They’ll need to duke it out in the play-in to make the actual postseason dance but this season was all about weathering the storm of head coach Chauncey Billups dealing with legal trouble and trying to get more out of their young players. On both of those fronts, this team succeeded.

Miami Heat (39-36)

Miami is a far cry from serious contention. They’re going to need a lot more 80+ point Bam Adebayo games to make a dent in the postseason.

Adebayo is averaging 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. Tyler Herro and their only all-star Norman Powell are also averaging more than 20 points a game. Overall, Miami has seven players in double digits.

They get contributions from a lot of players but it’s still a team that’s going to enter into just about any series in the postseason overmatched. The key for them will be shutting down offenses. They’re the sixth ranked team in defensive rating, but they’re just middle of the pack on offense.

Charlotte Hornets (39-36)

The Hornets have been a fun young team all season. They’re trying to make their first playoff appearance since the 2015-16 season and if that’s going to happen, it’ll be on the backs of two of their newest players.

Brandon Miller leads the team with 20 points per game and rookie Kon Knueppel is making his case for Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.5 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Knueppel has flirted with a double-double at multiple points in the season and is shooting 38% from three.

Charlotte is fourth in offensive rating and toward the league average in defensive rating. But their undoing will be their inexperience. They’re fourth in the league in turnover percentage, but they’re one of the best teams on the offensive glass.

Orlando Magic (39-35)

In many ways, this season was supposed to be the year for the Magic to take a giant leap with the Eastern Conference being so up in the air. They’ll likely finish better than they did a year ago but in some ways, it doesn’t really feel like it.

Franz Wagner has missed much of this season and while Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane have each averaged 20 plus points per game, this team is average on both sides of the court. They have one of the lowest field goal percentages in basketball and they’re 4-6 over their last 10, highlighted by a seven-game losing streak that took a matchup with one of the league’s worst, the Sacramento Kings, to break.

Golden State Warriors (36-39)

Golden State is going to make the play-in tournament, but they are going to limp into it. With the timetable on Steph Curry still up in the air, Jimmy Butler lost for the season and Moses Moody lost for multiple seasons, it just doesn’t feel like Golden State is going to have the talent available to seriously compete.

It raises a lot of questions about where this team goes from here in the waning years of Curry’s career.

Milwaukee Bucks (29-45)

The story for Milwaukee all season was whether or not they were going to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. They didn’t, so the story is largely over in Milwaukee, as is the season.

They’re 9.5 games out of a playoff spot with 10 games left, so they need everything to break their way but there’s no reason to believe it will. They are second to last in points per game in the Eastern Conference and in the bottom third in defense.

This is another difficult season for Giannis and the Bucks. Just because he was not traded during the season does not mean that the rumors about whether or not his time in Milwaukee is done will end.

The one bright spot on the Milwaukee roster has been a resurgent season for Kevin Porter Jr.

Chicago Bulls (29-45)

The Bulls were turning heads early in the season after jumping out to a 6-1 start with wins over the Sixers, Knicks, Hawks, Magic and Pistons. But things have fallen off a cliff since then.

They’ve endured losing streaks of five and six, and their most recent rough stretch was an 11-game losing streak in February that completely sunk their season.

Josh Giddey flirted with averaging a triple double on the season. Matas Buzelis took another step forward in his second season and they picked up Jaden Ivey at the trade deadline who could potentially be a piece for them down the line.

But ultimately, Chicago is still very much in a rebuilding phase and will be looking at a high draft pick coming up to continue to add to their core.

New Orleans Pelicans (25-51)

It was another disappointing, a second straight disappointing season in New Orleans. After a handful of years with expectations high, head coach Willie Green, who entered the season on a hot streak, started the year 2-10 and was promptly fired. New Orleans is eliminated from the playoffs.

But there was, once again, as is the case every season, reasons for optimism. Trey Murphy put together a career year, averaging 21 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Zion Williamson was at the very least healthy for more than half of it and averaged 21 points.

Dejounte Murray has come back from his Achilles injury and looks just as effective as he once did. Rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derek Queen both showed flashes as high quality role players.

Maybe it’s just New Orleans but we can’t help but always find hope with the Pelicans.

Memphis Grizzlies (25-49)

Once on the brink of title contention, Memphis seems like they are ready to start over. The Ja Morant era appears at a close. He played in just 20 games this season. Desmond Bane was traded in the offseason. Jaren Jackson Jr. was traded at the deadline.

Their best player by win shares is Cam Spencer, who’s only started 17 games this season. This is a team that is ready for a new chapter and what happens with Morant will be one of the key things to watch.

Dallas Mavericks (24-50)

With Anthony Davis and first-overall pick Cooper Flagg coming into the season and the looming possibility of Kyrie Irving’s return, there was the faintest of inklings that the Mavericks could make a postseason run.

But instead, Davis got hurt early in the season, played well when he was healthy but played in just 20 games, then was traded to Washington.

Dereck Lively Jr. appeared in just seven games before suffering a season ending injury. Daniel Gafford struggled to stay healthy. Klay Thompson started. PJ Washington appeared in just 51 games.

The consolation for the Mavericks season is that Cooper Flagg has been as good as advertised. He leads all rookies with 20 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He absolutely fits the mold of a franchise superstar and the player that Dallas will build around moving forward. But their eyes are on 2026-27.

Utah Jazz (21-54)

No one wants to lose more than the Utah Jazz. They are second to last in defensive rating and have been fined already by the NBA for clearly trying to lose. Despite the fact that they traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline, they promptly shut him down with injury.

It’s unclear when Utah wants to stop losing but they at least want a high draft pick for another year with eyes on in-state BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa.

But that’s not to say that the Utah Jazz season didn’t have some silver linings. Lauri Markkanen again put up a stellar season, averaging 26 points per game. Keyonte George had a breakout season, averaging 23.6 points per game and six assists per game. Isaiah Collier averaged near a double-double with 11 and seven per game.

The addition of Jaren Jackson Jr., at least in the future, gives Utah another valuable piece to build around. But they are a long way from title contention.

Sacramento Kings (19-57)

The Kings are on pace to post their worst season since 2008, winners of just 19 games. Sacramento is bottom five in offensive and defensive rating. They’re second to last in effective field goal percentage and dead last in true shooting percentage.

At this point, it’s unclear what the plan is in Sacramento. DeMar DeRozan is in the latter half of his career, as is Zach LaVine. Domantas Sabonis was limited to just 15 games on the year but even with his return, Sacramento lacks the secondary stars needed to compete in their own conference.

Their hope is that they’re going to at least find one of them in this year’s draft.

Washington Wizards (17-57)

It’s been bad for the Wizards for a while. The worst offensive team in the league, they just gave up a historic 83 points to Bam Adebayo and lost 16 straight.

But they’re also going to enter the offseason with a top pick. They’ve got a handful of young wings and guards. They traded for Anthony Davis. Alex Sarr looks like a solid threat at both ends of the floor and Trae Young may be just the kind of facilitator they need.

Not that we’re projecting a 2027 playoff run from the Wizards but perhaps there is some madness down in DC that has some long-term vision in mind.

Brooklyn Nets (18-57)

The Nets are on pace to put up one of their worst seasons in franchise history. They’ve won just 17 games on the season. They’re dead last in offensive rating and third to last in net rating. They’re one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, average the second most turnovers, with the lowest effective field goal percentage in the league and the second lowest true shooting percentage.

Brooklyn is another team that appears without a direction. Michael Porter Jr. put up one of his better seasons, scoring at least, but outside of him and Nic Claxton, there really isn’t a viable threat on this team.

Chances are they’re going to be in a rebuild for years to come.

Indiana Pacers (17-58)

Like the Celtics, Indiana entered the season with deflated expectations due to their star’s Achilles injury. Tyrese Haliburton was expected to miss all of this season and has, which has resulted in Indiana at a league worst 16-57.

Pascal Siakam, for his part, put up an all-star caliber season. But their other complementary players struggled to stay healthy. Andrew Nembhard has played in just 55 games, Aaron Nesmith in 44.

But of all the teams on this list that are slated to make the biggest jump, it’s the Pacers. Not only will the likely return of Haliburton next season provide a huge boon but so will the mid-season acquisition of Ivica Zubac, who was shut down for the year due to injury, as well as Nesmith and Nembhard, who will have less attention on them.

2026 NBA Playoffs TV Schedule

Date	Event	Time (ET)	TV
April 12	Regular Season Ends
April 14-17	SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament	TBD	Amazon Prime
April 18	NBA Playoffs Begin	TBD	ABC, ESPN, NBC, Regional broadcasters
June 3	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 1	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 5	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 2	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 8	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 3	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 10	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 4	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 13	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 5 (if necessary)	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 16	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 6 (if necessary)	8:30 p.m.	ABC
June 19	NBA Finals 2026 – Game 7 (if necessary)	8:30 p.m.	ABC

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