NBA Power Rankings: Are the Sacramento Kings a real threat in the West?

MLK Day is an important date on the NBA calendar, as most teams have already played half of their regular season games. We have a good sense of which teams are racing towards the bottom for an attractive draft pick, and which are hoping to gear up for a second half push. We’ve ranked all 30 teams in the NBA from worst to best, starting with the abominable…

NBA fans can expect the Wizards to ship off veteran players before the trade deadline, but Washington may be selective with the deals it agrees to. The Athletic’s Josh Robbins wrote, “Washington’s front office would want a draft pick or picks that would appreciably move the team’s rebuild forward, not, for instance, late second-round picks.” Expect center Jonas Valanciunas to be in the middle of those discussions.

The Hornets are in a difficult spot with LaMelo Ball. All-Star fan voting continues to prove how popular the Charlotte guard is, as he stands a good chance to make the team. In reality, though, Ball’s skills have not translated to winning, and it’s fair to wonder whether they ever will. The team signed him to a five-year extension worth over $200 million in the summer of 2023, so trading him will be difficult.

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Toronto knew they might be in for a lean season in 2024-2025, but they have to be discouraged by the amount of time Immanuel Quickley has missed this season. The guard hasn’t been able to stay on the floor, suiting up in just nine games through mid-January. The Raptors signed him to a $175 million deal in July 2024, and right now, that contract looks horrendous.

The Jazz feel like a team headed nowhere. It’s clear that they want to be in the mix to draft Cooper Flagg this spring, but they also can’t afford to overlook the development of young players like Keyonte George. At the same time, Utah has been resistant to trading veterans like Jordan Clarkson, for reasons that are hard to fathom.

Give head coach Willie Green credit for the fact that the Pelicans are playing better basketball since the new year, and haven’t totally given up on the season. With that said, they’ve dug themselves too deep a hole, and will need to look towards the future. Athlon Sports’ Nathaniel Holloway believes that Brandon Ingram could be on the move, if he can get back on the floor after an ankle injury.

Considering how bad they’ve been in previous seasons, 2024-2025 has been an improvement for Portland. They have an intriguing roster, although the pieces don’t fit together in an ideal fashion. Expect the Trail Blazers to work the phones before the trade deadline, especially when it comes to the availability of Robert Williams.

After a surprisingly strong start to the NBA season, the Nets are where we thought they’d be. Brooklyn suffered a historically bad loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last week, going down by 59 points. Center Nic Claxton told the New York Post after the game, “damn, I don’t know if I ever lost by this much. It’s frustrating. It’s definitely frustrating.”

The Bulls continue to walk the line of mediocrity, as they’re not putrid enough to secure a prime draft pick, and not good enough to scare anyone in the East. On any given night, Coby White and Zach LaVine can put on a show, making Chicago one of the more entertaining teams. With that said, it hasn’t really mattered in the ways that are most important.

The 76ers made a furious push to get their record close to .500 after a terrible start, but are now slipping again in the standings. Star forward Paul George told The Inquirer that the team just has to keep fighting. “To me, it means something. Obviously coming to Philadelphia, it means something.” George and Tyrese Maxey will have to lead the way as Joel Embiid continues to battle injury.

It feels like every time a fan looks up, Victor Wembanyama is doing something that either has never been done or hasn’t been accomplished in a long time. Last week, he recorded eight blocks in a half, which hadn’t been done by a Spurs player since Tim Duncan in 2003. Matt Guzman of Sports Illustrated wrote about his impressive performance, but also that the team still lost to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stephen Curry made recent comments that everyone is talking about. As covered by ESPN, he said, “Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and a good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done.” The Warriors have slid in recent months, and fans can’t expect Golden State to make a trade just to make a trade.

Coming off of their historically inept season a year ago, the Pistons are already playing with house money. They’ve already shown drastic signs of improvement, and are headed in the right direction. The question now becomes how willing they are to stay the course; will they look to add a piece at the trade deadline?

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The Jimmy Butler saga has continued to persist with the Heat, as ESPN reported that Butler told Miami president Pat Riley once again face to face that he wants to be traded. This puts the organization in an awkward position, as they’ll either have to acquiesce to his demands, or likely continue to keep him away from the team.

In-season coaching changes don’t often change the course of the season, but Sacramento has been one of the best teams in the league since firing Mike Brown. Interim coach Doug Christie led the team to a seven-game winning streak, and NBC Sports Bay Area’s Michael Wagaman believes Christie should get the full-time job for his early accomplishments.

The Suns appear to be through with Jusuf Nurkic, and made a trade to acquire Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix is not going to gradually work him into the lineup, as reported by Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro. Gambadoro reports that Richards will start for Phoenix sooner rather than later.

Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, “when healthy, the Hawks are good enough to make the playoffs and give a higher-seed opponent some trouble. That would be a good outcome for a team with three starters who are 23 and younger.” Atlanta deserves a lot of credit for unlocking Dyson Daniels, who has become one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.

Despite having one of the more talented rosters in the NBA, the Timberwolves have not been as effective this year as they were a season ago. New forward Julius Randle told ESPN, “It’s an adjustment, but we want to be winning games while we’re figuring it out. We show phases of being able to do that.” In a difficult Western Conference, Minnesota will have to find answers soon.

The Pacers have looked much better since the calendar flipped over to 2025, and they’re getting a key piece of their rotation back. Aaron Nesmith was out since November 1^st, but has re-entered the fold. Indiana center Myles Turner told Indy Star, “No matter what the case is, he’s going to go out there and defend his rear end off. He’s going to go out there and try to rebound everything and be a menace out there.”

The Mavericks have predictably sunk a little bit in the standings as they’ve been ravaged by injuries in the past month. Luka Doncic remains out with a calf injury, and Derrick Lively will miss time with a notable ankle injury. The key for Dallas will be to get healthy at the right time, and hang around the sixth seed in the West until that happens.

The Lakers are hanging around in the West, perhaps more than people would have thought at this point in the season. The Orange County Register is reporting that head coach J.J. Redick wants to play bigger lineups moving forward. “Maybe we can mix it up a little bit and have some more size out there for stretches of the game.”

Tyronn Lue has done an excellent job with the Clippers this season, in a year that many predicted would go off the rails. He probably won’t win Coach of the Year, but his ability to navigate the season with and without Kawhi Leonard has been nothing short of sensational. The Clippers will be a fun team to monitor down the stretch of the season.

The Magic held their own without star forward Paolo Banchero, but they’re thrilled to have him back. It doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat, as he’s provided the type of well-rounded production fans have come to expect. Steven Louis Goldstein of The Athletic wrote that Orlando has scrapped for, and earned, a ton of respect this season.

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After a year ruined by injuries, Memphis has returned to the middle of the playoff pack in the West. If they want to stay there, Ja Morant will need to be available for the majority of the remaining games. He’s been relatively healthy, but has been on the injury report more than Grizzlies fans might like.

Forbes’ Brian Sampson wrote about “the Bucks’ Khris Middleton conundrum” recently, and it’s an important theme to dive into. Middleton was a crucial piece of the 2021 Milwaukee team that won the NBA title, but has been a shell of himself returning from ankle surgery this season. As his body breaks down, Milwaukee has juggled the way they use him throughout the year.

The Nuggets are ultimately playing for another title, but their options to improve the roster to reach that goal are limited. Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette writes that the only first-round pick Denver can currently trade comes in 2031. That means that general manager Calvin Booth will have to get creative during the trade deadline.

The Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but fans question whether they’ll be able to sustain their high level of play as the year wears on. It’s been much discussed that New York features four of the top five leaders in minutes played this season. One key injury at the wrong spot could derail the Knicks from their ultimate goal.

It seems fair to say that the Rockets’ strong start to the season is no fluke, and the sky would appear to be the limit given Houston’s young talent. It’ll be fascinating to see whether the Rockets enter the trade market for a veteran to increase their ceiling this year, or ride with what they have and let the natural timeline take its course.

The Cavaliers have had a sensational season, but they had to be a little disappointed by their blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. Cleveland was never competitive in that game, despite the Thunder missing Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will need to take advantage of inferior front lines in the postseason if Cleveland is to make a deep run.

By their lofty standards, the Celtics are in a little bit of a slump. They haven’t quite played up to their capabilities since the new year started, and a bad loss against the Toronto Raptors last week highlights that. Despite the struggles, Boston is looking to get back on track from the outside, as they’ve made three point shooting a priority more than any other team.

NBA fans know that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a special player, but it feels like he’s still somehow underrated. The MVP candidate scored 40 points in a statement blowout victory over the Cavaliers last week, and has proven time and time again that he can get to whatever spot on the floor he wants.

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