Jan. 19, 2026, 5:07 a.m. CT
As the NBA is in the meat of its 2025-26 regular season, the league has hit the official halfway point. It’s the dog days of the campaign as teams are playing every other day and needing to bring their own incentives to get up for these mundane matchups.
The Denver Nuggets have been one of the top stories in recent weeks. Not only have they survived Nikola Jokic’s absence, but they’ve thrived. They’ve flexed their depth and look more and more like a real title contender because of it.
On the flip side, other contenders have struggled. Such as the Houston Rockets. The offense has dipped below the floor. They’ll surely get things back in order, but a lack of a point guard has been exposed in recent lulls.
Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Jan. 12-18 edition:
Previous Rankings: 25
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After falling behind in the tank race, the Wizards have made up some ground with six straight losses. There were whispers that Washington might force Trae Young to sit out the rest of the season to ensure they remain at the bottom of the standings. You saw that basically get confirmed when Washington said he’ll be re-evaluated at the All-Star break from his MCL and quad injuries. Such a shame, but it comes with the territory of bettering lottery odds.
Previous Rankings: 30
Amid a lost season, the Pacers have played their best basketball over the last couple of weeks. They’ve won four of their last six games. Because of their place in the standings, Jay Huff’s career season has flown under the radar. He scored a career-best 29 points in a win over the Pelicans. He’s been at the top of the league block leaders despite being a bench player. Indiana’s goal this year is to find nice role players for next season. He fits that.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (10-35)
Previous Rankings: 28
All this week proved was that the Pelicans should go all out for losses. A bad loss to the Pacers and a close win over the Nets show that’s the group of teams they’re associated with. Trey Murphy III scored 34 points in the latter result. It’ll be interesting to see if New Orleans becomes a seller. It has plenty of veteran pieces. Some reports say the asking price will be too high, but let’s see what happens when the clock is about to expire.
Previous Rankings: 27
Snapping a five-game losing streak, Michael Porter Jr. hit a game-winner over the Bulls. He finished with 26 points. It’s been talked ad nauseam, but he’s enjoyed a career season. Brooklyn likely won’t trade him at the deadline because of the asking price. He’s turned into a 25-point scorer who is one of the best high-volume outside shooters. Brooklyn has been the perfect spot over the years for role players to have career years because of an increase in role.
26. Utah Jazz (14-28)
Previous Rankings: 23
You’re starting to see the Jazz go all out for losses. Lauri Markkanen has sat out recent games with an illness. Utah has leaned on its young players to both get playing experience and make sure they don’t continue to get more wins. Keyonte George has broken out as a high-volume scorer and playmaker, but they still need some more blue-chip prospects to become a quality team. They’ve become the face of tanking as they’re also in a double whammy of potentially losing their first-round pick to OKC if it lands outside of the top eight.
25. Sacramento Kings (12-31)
Previous Rankings: 29
Maybe Dennis Schroder’s suspension has jump-started the Kings. They’ve won four of their last five. Everybody has played their best stretch of basketball. Malik Monk scored 26 points in a win over the Lakers. Domantas Sabonis finally returned from a lengthy knee injury. And Russell Westbrook has played some vintage hoops. Sacramento is still at the bottom of the standings, but the last couple of weeks have seen them punch above their weight.
24. Charlotte Hornets (16-27)
Previous Rankings: 26
Maybe OKC’s loss to the Hornets from a couple of weeks ago wasn’t that bad. We’ve seen Charlotte play some high-level offense over the past couple of weeks. LaMelo Ball scored 30 points in a win over the Lakers. They blew out the Nuggets in their home gym, too. They’re still at the bottom of the standings, but you’re seeing them play some better basketball. Specifically on the offense. It coincides with their roster being mostly healthy. There have been some fun times in an otherwise lost year.
23. Dallas Mavericks (17-26)
Previous Rankings: 24
Well, we saw the latest chapter written on the ongoing Anthony Davis saga. ESPN initially reported he’d undergo hand surgery that could knock him out for the rest of the season. That would’ve created a trickle effect since he could’ve been the biggest trade deadline move. But then a couple of hours later, ESPN retracted that report and said a decision hasn’t been made yet. Dallas feels like it’s ready to move on. And even if the trade return is underwhelming, you gotta do it. The marriage was set up for failure from the start.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (17-24)
Previous Rankings: 18
On a three-game losing streak, you’re starting to see a fever pitch with the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the Timberwolves blew out Milwaukee, the homecrowd rained down boos. The two-time MVP winner booed back. Afterward, he explained that he’s willing to protect his teammates from outside noise, even if it’s their own fanbase. Just an ugly situation brewing there. Halfway through the season, it’s clear that the Bucks simply aren’t talented enough to seriously contend. Which means a gigantic Antetokounmpo trade could be inevitable.
Previous Rankings: 22
Traveling overseas to play a couple of games in Europe, Ja Morant once again trended on social media for the wrong reasons. A back-and-forth with Vince Williams Jr. in a shootaround has brought him back to the forefront of the NBA world. We already know Memphis will likely trade him. And until that happens, that situation will only get more awkward. The Grizzlies are in a weird spot between a rebuild and fake contending. If they’re smart, they’ll just rip the Band-Aid off.
Previous Rankings: 21
Getting a much-needed win over the Jazz, Nikola Vucevic scored a game-winner. The Bulls might be used to being mediocre, but he’s been one of their loudest critics. Chicago continues to go through ups and downs. Not much else to really say. They’re likely on their way to another play-in tournament spot. For the last few years, you’ve seen much of the same from that franchise. Makes you wonder if the ownership group is cool with just being competitive.
19. Atlanta Hawks (20-24)
Previous Rankings: 20
The Hawks have dropped three in a row. I’m sure they made the right long-term decision to pivot to Jalen Johnson as the face of their franchise, but he’s played like a pumpkin recently. He’s held to below 14 points in all three losses. The defense has fallen apart, too. Which makes it funnier that they decided to part ways with Trae Young. Atlanta is in an interesting spot. It made its big trade already, which means they’re likely open for business on other veteran pieces.
18. Miami Heat (22-20)
Previous Rankings: 19
Checking out the vibes in Miami, things have been pretty bad for the Heat. They’re stuck in mediocrity. That’s what happens when you have a roster filled with nice veteran pieces but not a sure-fire NBA superstar. That said, they enjoyed their best win of the season when they beat the Thunder. Bam Adebayo stepped up for 30 points. There’s been a lot of criticism thrown his way, but he stepped up as a scorer. Something you rarely see from him.
17. LA Clippers (18-23)
Previous Rankings: 17
The Clippers have won five in a row. They’ve been red-hot since they hit rock bottom. James Harden dropped 31 points in one of their most impressive wins of the season in a comeback over the Raptors. Even with Kawhi Leonard being sidelined for the next week with knee irritation, LA continues to steamroll opponents. What a bounce-back they’ve had over the last month. They’re right back in the postseason picture. The talent eventually showed up.
Previous Rankings: 16
It’s been a week since Deni Avdija sustained a back injury. The Trail Blazers have surprisingly held their own. They picked up wins over the Lakers and Hawks. Shaedon Sharpe has stepped up as Portland’s best scorer. He had 25 points in a win over Los Angeles. After a cold couple of weeks, the Trail Blazers are back on the winning side of things. They’re another team that will be in the postseason picture for the rest of the way.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (22-18)
Previous Rankings: 11
The Sixers have been a fun squad. They’re right in the middle of the playoff picture. With a chance to see how they stack up against a potential opponent, Philadelphia learned that they’re still a few lessons away. They lost two straight home games to the Cavaliers. One a blowout and one a heartbreaker. Joel Embiid had 33 points in the latter. That’s probably the most encouraging part, as he’s had some vintage performances in the past few weeks.
14. Orlando Magic (23-19)
Previous Rankings: 13
The Magic spent the last week in Europe. They faced the Grizzlies twice in Germany and London. Adding hype to their potential European league, the NBA had the two teams square off amid the extravaganza. They split the two games. Anthony Black went viral as he had a poster of four Memphis players. He’s had a breakout season this year. He’s turned into a 20-point scorer over the last month. It’s good to see him at the forefront of the NBA world for that moment.
Previous Rankings: 14
The Raptors have alternated between wins and losses over their last handful of games. Scottie Barnes had 26 points and 13 assists in a win over the Pacers. They’ve been one of the bigger surprise teams of the season. A solid starting lineup has seen any of the five players go off on any night. Remains to be seen how much of a threat Toronto can be in the playoffs, but the fact that it’s even a conversation shows how much they’ve progressed.
12. Golden State Warriors (24-19)
Previous Rankings: 15
Even though the Warriors have won five of their last six games, the vibes feel off. Of course, you can pinpoint that to the ongoing saga with Jonathan Kuminga. The latest episode saw him formally request a trade. I think Golden State feels the same way. It’s now about finding the perfect trade partner. Things have gotten worse between the two sides. They’re just not a good match for each other.
11. New York Knicks (25-17)
Previous Rankings: 8
Well, feels like the theory that the NBA Cup winner suffers through a hangover has picked up some legs. The Knicks are the latest victims. They’re an ugly 2-8 in their last 10 games. It’s reaching a point where it’s a little concerning. Maybe you can assign some of the blame to the lulls of the regular season. New York has been hyped up as a contender all year. But its newfound offensive success has hit a curb in recent weeks. Doesn’t help that Jalen Brunson has missed time with an ankle injury.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19)
Previous Rankings: 12
Getting healthier, the Cavaliers have built up some momentum in recent weeks. The offense is back to being a high-octane machine. Two straight wins over the Sixers added to their resume. The latter win saw Jaylon Tyson score a career-high 39 points. Cleveland has figured out some of its rotation problems. And even with Darius Garland dealing with another injury, they’ve learned to play basketball without him this season.
9. Phoenix Suns (25-17)
Previous Rankings: 10
Returning just in time to play at MSG, Devin Booker scored 29 points in an impressive win over the Knicks. We’re at the halfway point and the Suns continue to play like one of the better teams in the West. Think it’s safe to say they’re pretty legit, folks. We’ll see if Booker is named an All-Star, but Phoenix has enjoyed all-out buy-in from its roster with several role players having career years.
Previous Rankings: 9
There seems to be some disarray in Los Angeles. The Lakers have lost five of their last seven games. Probably doesn’t help when you deal with unnecessary off-court distractions. The biggest, obviously being Rich Paul’s podcast comments going viral. He suggested that Austin Reaves should be traded for roster upgrades. Not the type of thing you want circulating on your already inconsistent squad. While LeBron James has disassociated himself from his agent’s comments, it’s naive to think that it won’t brew some problems.
7. Houston Rockets (25-15)
Previous Rankings: 7
Commend the Rockets. They’ve played well this season without a real point guard. Recently, though, you’re starting to see the limitations of that. They were blown out at home by the Thunder. Houston’s offense struggled to create any good looks. As Alperen Sengun works his way back from an ankle injury, how few go-to scorers they have has been exposed. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still one of the better teams in the league. But their chances against the upper echelon might be capped because of Fred VanVleet’s absence.
Previous Rankings: 5
Even with a loss to the Spurs, Anthony Edwards deserves a shoutout for his 55-point explosion. He’s had an awesome season. Year by year, he gets significantly better. The Timberwolves have remained a contender mostly by his superstar development. He’s flirting with a 30-point average this deep in the season. Minnesota has been one of the best teams in the league since the New Year. A lot of that is rooted in his continuing ascension as a borderline top-five player in the league.
5. Boston Celtics (26-15)
Previous Rankings: 4
After being on the wrong side of an upset to the Pacers, Joe Mazzulla’s postgame rant was vindicated. Indiana got away with an illegal screen. Perhaps there isn’t a more annoying way to lose than a L2M Report saying you were wronged. The Celtics quickly rebounded as Anfernee Simons scored 39 points in a win over the Heat. He’s been mostly talked about as a salary filler, but that type of dynamic scorer off your bench could provide a boost for you. Will be interesting to see what Boston prioritizes at the trade deadline.
4. San Antonio Spurs (29-13)
Previous Rankings: 2
After getting blown out by the Thunder, Victor Wembanyama wanted a fresh start. He materialized that with a headshave. Since he’s rocked the bald look, the Spurs have won two in a row. He had 39 points in a thrilling win over the Timberwolves. San Antonio has been slumping recently, but looks to break out of it. Zooming out, you have to be excited with what they’ve done this season. They’ve come out of nowhere as a contender.
3. Denver Nuggets (29-14)
Previous Rankings: 6
Maybe Denver’s demise was a bit premature. Despite Nikola Jokic’s absence, they’ve rattled off four wins in their last five games. Jamal Murray has played like a guy who is knocking on the door of his first All-Star berth. Peyton Watson brought home Player of the Week honors after being out of the rotation last season. It’s been a group effort by the end of the depth chart. They’ve flexed their rich depth they added this past offseason. Even with a so-so record, this current run has to boost your opinion on their long-term outlook this year.
2. Detroit Pistons (30-10)
Previous Rankings: 3
The Pistons may not be the top segment for national shows or podcasts, but they’ve continued to get wins. They’ve won five of their last six games. They’re the second team in the NBA to reach 30 wins. Which is wild considering how bad they were just two years ago. Cade Cunningham has played his way into garnering some MVP votes. Detroit continues to comfortably sit at the top of the East standings.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-8)
Previous Rankings: 1
After folks panicked, the Thunder won five in a row to settle things down. A couple of those included signature wins over the Spurs and Rockets. Alas, we have some trouble in paradise. Not only were they on the wrong side of another close loss, but Jalen Williams looks to be out for a bit. He sustained a hamstring strain in OKC’s loss to the Heat. Such a bummer as he strung together his best games of the season. We’ll see how much time he misses, but that could certainly have long-term ramifications if not treated properly.