The first month of the 2025-26 NBA season is in the books.
The betting favorite to win the championship is still the OKC Thunder, which boasts the best record in the league (15-1). But which team is its biggest threat to the throne?
Here are updated NBA power rankings:
2025-26 NBA power rankings30. Washington WizardsRecord: 1-13 (15th in the East)Previous ranking: No. 28 (Down two)
Washington hasn’t had a winning season since 2017-18, and it looks like that drought will continue. The good news is that the Wizards have some promising young prospects in Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, and they can add to that core with a top pick in a great 2026 draft class.
29. Brooklyn NetsRecord: 2-12 (13th in the East)Previous ranking: No. 30 (Up one)
Michael Porter Jr. is averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game this season, but the 27-year-old forward likely isn’t someone Brooklyn plans to build around. It could find the face of its franchise in the upcoming draft, where it re-acquired its own first-round pick in a trade with Houston last year.
28. New Orleans PelicansRecord: 2-13 (15th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 25 (Down three)
Zion Williamson continues to be injury prone, head coach Willie Green is gone and it looks like it’s time for New Orleans to hit the reset button. At least rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are playing well, although that’s about the only positive to take away from the Pelicans’ season so far.
27. Indiana PacersRecord: 2-13 (14th in the East)Previous ranking: No. 18 (Down nine)
Indiana was expected to take a step backwards after reaching the NBA Finals last season, but it’s still surprising to see it rank 29th in the NBA in offensive rating. The Pacers’ plan should be to get the best draft odds possible and run it back next season with a top rookie in the mix.
26. Sacramento KingsRecord: 3-13 (14th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 21 (Down five)
Sacramento has talent on its roster with Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and some solid role players. But the pieces just don’t fit for the Kings, who rank near the bottom in both offensive (26th) and defensive rating (27th). And it’s truly puzzling why their front office hasn’t hit the reset button yet.
25. Charlotte HornetsRecord: 4-11 (12th in the East)Previous ranking: No. 27 (Up two)
Charlotte seems to have nailed the 2025 draft by selecting Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James. They’ve all capitalized on large roles to start the season, although it’s tough to win games when the main guys can’t stay healthy. That starts with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
24. Dallas MavericksRecord: 4-12 (13th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 13 (Down 11)
I thought the Mavericks would be fairly competitive despite trading away Luka Dončić due to their size and depth. But they rank dead last in offensive rating, and that probably won’t change much with Anthony Davis struggling to stay on the floor and the absence of a traditional point guard to facilitate things.
23. Utah JazzRecord: 5-9 (10th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 29 (Up six)
Lauri Markkanen is averaging a career-high 30.6 points after an underwhelming performance last season, and Keyonte George has rounded out his game as a scorer and playmaker. There’s a chance Utah will shut it all down later in the season to get a good draft pick, but there’s a path to the postseason if it wants to take that route.
22. Los Angeles ClippersRecord: 4-11 (12th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 6 (Down 16)
I believed in the Clippers, who have talented scorers in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, an All-Defensive center in Ivica Zubac and a deep bench on paper. But I should’ve known the oldest team in NBA history (33.2 years old on average) would face regression and health issues, and that has already been the case. Shame on me.
21. Memphis GrizzliesRecord: 5-11 (11th in the West)Previous ranking: No. 14 (Down seven)
Memphis signaled it wasn’t in a position to compete when it traded Desmond Bane away this past offseason, and that’s even more clear now. The duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. is underperforming, and it might even get broken up if the Grizzlies choose to lean further into a rebuild.
20. Portland Trail BlazersRecord: 6-9 (Ninth in the West)Previous ranking: No. 22 (Up two)
Deni Avdija is playing at an All-Star level. Shaedon Sharpe is getting buckets. Jerami Grant is looking like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. And Jrue Holiday is a veteran addition who has brought toughness. Portland hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020-21, but it should be in the running this time around.
19. Milwaukee BucksRecord: 8-8 (11th in the East)Previous ranking: No. 17 (Down two)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up ridiculous numbers once again with averages of 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. And while Ryan Rollins is having a breakout season, the rest of Milwaukee’s supporting cast isn’t strong enough for this to be more than an average team.
18. Phoenix SunsRecord: 9-6 (Seventh in the West)Previous ranking: No. 24 (Up six)
Despite trading away Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this past summer, Phoenix is 8-2 in its last 10 games. Now, it is worth noting that only one of those wins came against a team with a winning record. But credit to Devin Booker and the Suns nonetheless for showing some fight this season.
17. Golden State WarriorsRecord: 9-8 (Eighth in the West)Previous ranking: No. 8 (Down nine)
Golden State still hasn’t figured out a way to maximize Jonathan Kuminga, and 39-year-old big man Al Horford hasn’t been able to provide much production. The trio of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green still deserves respect, but the Warriors are no longer in that tier of competing teams.
16. Boston CelticsRecord: 8-7 (10th in the East)Previous ranking: 20th (Up four)
Despite being without Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and trading away plenty of key contributors to save money this summer, Boston is still playing some pretty good basketball. The Celtics rank eighth in net rating, and Jaylen Brown is thriving in a lead role. This group can still compete for a playoff spot, or it could try to secure a lottery pick.
15. Philadelphia 76ersRecord: 9-6 (Sixth in the East)Previous ranking: No. 16 (Up one)
I had no idea where to rank Philadelphia at the start of the season, and that’s still the case one month later. The inconsistent availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George continues to limit the 76ers‘ ceiling this season. At least they have a promising future core of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
14. Chicago BullsRecord: 8-6 (Seventh in the East)Previous ranking: No. 26 (Up 12)
Chicago went 6-1 to start the season thanks in large part to Josh Giddey, who’s averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists. And even though the Bulls have since cooled off, this is still a solid group that recently saw the return of a key contributor in Coby White.
13. Orlando MagicRecord: 9-7 (Ninth in the East)Previous ranking: No. 10 (Down three)
Shooting continues to be a struggle for Orlando, which hasn’t gotten much of a boost so far from new additions such as Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. The emergence of Wendell Carter Jr. and Tristan da Silva is good to see, but the Magic needs more players to knock down shots if it wants to make a deep playoff run.
12. Miami HeatRecord: 9-6 (Fifth in the East)Previous ranking: No. 19 (Up seven)
Norman Powell is averaging a career-high 25.4 points on a blistering 47% shooting from deep, and he has kept Miami afloat while it waits for Tyler Herro (ankle) to make his debut. That should happen soon, making this team even more capable of climbing the conference standings.
11. Atlanta HawksRecord: 9-7 (Eighth in the East)Previous ranking: No. 11 (Same)
Atlanta has won six of its last nine games, and Trae Young has been sidelined during that entire stretch. Maybe the Hawks will lean into their defense by trading their star guard, or maybe they’ll give him another weapon by making a trade deadline move. It’s hard to guess what Atlanta will do, but it has options and no shortage of talent.
10. Toronto RaptorsRecord: 10-5 (Second in the East)Previous ranking: No. 23 (Up 13)
One of the biggest surprises this season is Toronto, which has won nine of its last 10 games. The Raptors are playing team basketball, ranking fourth in the NBA in assists per game (30.1). And they have a balanced scoring attack with players such as Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Everything is working right now.
9. Minnesota TimberwolvesRecord: 10-5 (Sixth in the West)Previous ranking: No. 7 (Down two)
Minnesota is sixth in the West, which is no small feat, but it still needs to prove itself. The Timberwolves are 10-0 against teams with losing records and 0-5 against teams with winning records. They’ve lost those five games by an average of 13.2 points. Minnesota will climb these rankings even more if it can get a few statement victories.
8. San Antonio SpursRecord: 11-4 (Fifth in the West)Previous ranking: No. 15 (Up seven)
Victor Wembanyama is already a superstar, and San Antonio is already a playoff-caliber team. It has good guard play that’s led by De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, and it also has frontcourt depth with veteran forward Harrison Barnes atop that list. It’s no wonder the Spurs are top 10 in offensive rating (seventh) and defensive rating (eighth).
7. Cleveland CavaliersRecord: 10-6 (Fourth in the East)Previous ranking: No. 4 (Down three)
Cleveland isn’t off to a great start. Some of that can be attributed to the absence of Darius Garland (toe), who has only played in three games, but it’s also a bit discouraging that Evan Mobley hasn’t taken that next leap offensively. The Cavaliers are still talented enough to come out of the East, although they clearly have work to do.
6. New York KnicksRecord: 9-5 (Third in the East)Previous ranking: No. 5 (Down one)
New York is another East powerhouse with room for improvement. Its offense should become even more dangerous once Karl-Anthony Towns finds his rhythm from deep. And while the Knicks rank just 16th in defensive rating, they have the tools to be better with versatile wings and Mitchell Robinson protecting the rim when healthy.
5. Los Angeles LakersRecord: 11-4 (Fourth in the West)Previous ranking: No. 9 (Up four)
Luka Dončić leads the NBA in points per game (34.6). Austin Reaves is playing at an All-Star level. New additions such as Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart have had an instant impact. And Los Angeles is 11-4 despite only getting one game so far from LeBron James (sciatica). It’s a very impressive start for the Lakers.
4. Detroit PistonsRecord: 13-2 (First in the East)Previous ranking: No. 12 (Up eight)
Detroit improved by 30 games last season and made its first playoff appearance since 2018-19, and it has gotten even better this time around. Cade Cunningham is a bonafide superstar, Jalen Duren is a monster down low and the Pistons rank second in defensive rating with Isaiah Stewart setting the tone physically. Watch out for the Pistons.
3. Houston RocketsRecord: 10-3 (Third in the West)Previous ranking: No. 3 (Same)
Despite losing Fred VanVleet (ACL) for the season before it began, Houston is a title contender. The Rockets have an elite shot creator in Kevin Durant, an offensive hub at center in Alperen Şengün and size at every position. And they should only improve when Tari Eason (oblique) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), two versatile wings, return.
2. Denver NuggetsRecord: 11-3 (Second in the West)Previous ranking: No. 2 (Same)
Nikola Jokić is still the best player in the world. Jamal Murray is still one of the NBA’s most underrated point guards. And one of the only things that has changed is the Nuggets’ improved supporting cast, led by Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cameron Johnson. After pushing OKC to seven games last playoffs, Denver now has the tools to win it all.
1. Oklahoma City ThunderRecord: 15-1 (First in the West)Previous ranking: No. 1 (Same)
OKC has been without numerous key players including All-NBA forward Jalen Williams (wrist), but it’s still top five in defensive rating (first) and offensive rating (fifth). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate again. Chet Holmgren is an All-Star candidate. And role players such as Ajay Mitchell are thriving. The Thunder is in its own tier.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.