Trae traded to Wizards; Morant could be next

Jan. 12, 2026, 5:04 a.m. CT

The 2025-26 regular season continues to roll along. We’ve reached the point of the year where All-Star campaigns start to ramp up. It’s also the meaty part of the marathon schedule, which means expect some weird results on a night-to-night basis.

But first, a couple of teams caught everybody’s attention. The Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in an underwhelming deal. Both sides will get the fresh start that they equally desired. That’s ramped-up trade season, as the Memphis Grizzlies are officially taking calls for Ja Morant.

At this point in the season, it’s about adjusting your roster. You should have a large enough sample size to figure out what you need or don’t need. The Oklahoma City Thunder sit at the top, but perhaps the gap between them and everybody else isn’t as wide as once thought.

Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Jan. 4-11 edition:

Previous Rankings: 30

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Comfortably at the bottom of the standings, the Pacers can afford a couple of feel-good wins. Anticipating it for over a month, Rick Carlisle finally achieved his 1K win as a head coach. Pascal Siakam had 30 points in a close win over the Hornets to snap Indiana’s 13-game losing streak. A rare celebratory moment for the team that finished a win shy of an NBA championship just six months ago. Since then, it’s been all downhill in a gap year.

Previous Rankings: 29

Even if you were a pessimist, it’s difficult to imagine that the Kings’ season has played out the way it has. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games before they pulled an upset over the Rockets. To make matters worse, Keegan Murray will be out at least a month with a gnarly ankle sprain. Since his rookie season, it’s been a downward slope. The outside shooting numbers have regressed over the years. Add him to the growing list of players whose development is stunted by Sacramento’s indecisiveness. And oh yeah, Dennis Schroder got suspended.

Previous Rankings: 28

Near the bottom of the standings, the Pelicans could be a popular team at the trade deadline. They have several veteran pieces that contenders would love to grab. The biggest prize is Trey Murphy III. He dropped an unreal 42 points in a loss to the Lakers. He followed it up with 35 points in a win over the Wizards. While reports have said New Orleans won’t budge on him, it could be a tactical stance. Or at least you’d hope so if you’re a fan.

Previous Rankings: 25

Even though the Nets have been at the bottom of the standings, Michael Porter Jr. has received some All-Star buzz. Hard to blame folks, either. He’s had a career season. He’s easily enjoyed the uptick in role as Brooklyn’s best player. He’s been a 26-point scorer. Now the main scoring option instead of just a role player, you’re seeing his outside shooting highlighted. It’s been a little surreal to see him put up the numbers he has in a new situation.

Previous Rankings: 26

The Hornets are always bad, but never boring. They had quite the wacky week, even for their standards. They stunned the NBA world in the upset of the season when they blew out the Thunder at their home gym. Not even the biggest Charlotte homer dared to think that was a possibility. Considering I was in the building when that happened, still surreal to think about it. And then LaMelo Ball came off the bench in a loss to the Pacers. He dropped 33 points in response. What a weird group.

25. Washington Wizards (10-28)

Previous Rankings: 27

Seldom do you see the Wizards grab ESPN headlines. They’re a nice little squad that keeps to itself with homegrown talent. They’ve been better recently, but that’s not why they grabbed the attention of the NBA world. They shockingly acquired Trae Young in a buy-low deal. All they had to give up for the perennial All-Star player was CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Seriously. That’s it. We’ll see how he fits with the young squad, but this is a great low-risk move for Washington. Not often do guys of his talent become available for pennies on the dollar.

24. Dallas Mavericks (14-25)

Previous Rankings: 24

What a disastrous tenure for Anthony Davis. He never had a fair chance in Dallas. To no fault of his own, he’ll always be remembered as the other players in one of the most controversial trades in NBA history. Now, he could be out for a while. He sustained a serious hand injury in a loss to the Jazz. Surgery is on the table. That would, of course, sideline him for months. Any odds of him being moved by the trade deadline could be gone for good if that’s the route Davis takes. Just an awful season for him. He would likely embrace a fresh start elsewhere.

23. Utah Jazz (13-25)

Previous Rankings: 23

Trying to beat the tanking allegations, the Jazz had the best of both worlds. A competitive loss to the Thunder showed the NBA they’re not going all the way out to lose. Lauri Markkanen had an efficient 27 points. He’s played like an All-Star if he were out East. Utah has had some fun moments on offense, but the defense remains weak. Which is why they lost by 55 points to the Hornets. That’s the perfect formula to organically lose games and keep their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (17-22)

Previous Rankings: 18

Well, guess this past week was the week that every NBA franchise finally called it quits with disgruntled point guards. The Grizzlies could be the next franchise to move a household name. They’re reportedly open to trading Ja Morant. Injuries have limited his appearances. And when he plays, he’s lowered Memphis’ floor. He apparently has several suitors. If that happens, it’ll be the end of a bitter era. After such a hot start to his career, Morant has been plagued by injuries and off-court problems.

21. Chicago Bulls (18-20)

Previous Rankings: 17

The Bulls made headlines as on-court condescension postponed their game against the Heat. Yep. You read that right. Sharing an arena with a hockey team has its downsides. Just a funny way to stop a glorified play-in tournament game from happening. Aside from that, Chicago is in a little bit of a slump. Such comes with the nature of being an up-and-down team that eventually meets its destination of mediocrity despite several different detours.

20. Atlanta Hawks (20-21)

Previous Rankings: 22

It’s the end of an era in Atlanta. After being their biggest star name since Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks have traded away Trae Young to the Wizards in a whimper of a deal that looks closer to being a salary dump. They only received CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert from the trade. A shame to see such a dynamic marriage end like this. It’s also the latest reality check of how grueling the new cap space world is. It made zero sense to keep him around when his fit with Atlanta wasn’t obvious. You can’t hand out a healthy chunk of your cap space anymore to questionable pieces.

19. Miami Heat (20-19)

Previous Rankings: 16

The vibes are bad in Miami. They’ve lost three in a row. It’s more about the manner they’ve lost those games. A blowout loss to the Pacers is pretty unacceptable. Especially when your full squad suits up. The Heat continue to be in the middle spot of the NBA world. Not the best place you want to be in. They’re awesome at hitting on the margins but lack a clear-cut NBA superstar. When you mix those two things together, this is the end result. A mediocre team that has its ups and downs, with no real threat of a deep playoff run.

18. Milwaukee Bucks (17-22)

Previous Rankings: 20

The Giannis Antetokounmpo drama continues to add more chapters. After it felt like the final nail in the coffin happened with an ESPN report last month that both sides will explore their options, the two-time MVP winner went on the record with The Athletic to kinda deny that. He said he’d never demand a trade from Milwaukee. That said, he left a little wiggle room in his answers that is perfect lawyer speak. He said he can’t control what his agent puts out there and that it’s out of his control if he’s dealt. Uh, sure. We’ll see.

17. LA Clippers (15-23)

Previous Rankings: 19

The Clippers remain one of the NBA’s hottest teams. An impressive road win over the Pistons capped off their week. The play-in tournament no longer feels far-fetched. For the first time in a long time, LA has been mostly healthy. Kawhi Leonard has been an efficient 20-plus point machine. James Harden has played like an All-Star. Those two have dragged the Clippers out of the basement. You gotta be a little upset about their resurgence if you’re OKC. A month ago, it felt like they were going to gift you another lottery pick.

16. Portland Trail Blazers (19-21)

Previous Rankings: 21

The Trail Blazers have gotten their mojo back. They’ve won five of their last six games. Two straight wins over the Rockets have Portland feeling itself. Deni Avdija dropped a season-high 41 points in one of them. After the mini-sweep, he called out his critics about his free-throw numbers. He simply said, if you drive a lot, you get a lot of fouls. That’s helped turn him into a probable first-time All-Star. Even with the backcourt injuries they’ve dealt with, you gotta be happy with what the Trail Blazers showed in a potential playoff preview.

15. Golden State Warriors (21-19)

Previous Rankings: 15

If we’ve learned anything over the last few weeks, Steve Kerr just wants to go out on a good note. You’re getting some serious ‘Last Dance’ vibes with the Warriors this season. Even with Draymond Green’s antics, Golden State just wants to continue to be competitive on its final leg of its era. They’ve played better basketball recently. A couple of necessary wins over bad teams like the Kings and Bucks have them in a good spot. The goal should be to avoid the play-in tournament.

14. Toronto Raptors (24-16)

Previous Rankings: 13

The Raptors continue to be one of the NBA’s biggest success stories. Scottie Barnes has played like an All-Star. He had 18 points and 10 assists in a win over the Hawks. He’s stuffed the stat sheets all season. In a roster where nobody really stands out as the clear top player, you could make an argument that he should represent Toronto at the weekend extravaganza. It’s been a collective effort over there en route to this successful season.

13. Orlando Magic (22-18)

Previous Rankings: 14

Going for the game-winner, Paolo Banchero had the highlight of his season. He banked in a game-winner to avoid the upset against the Nets. Maybe that can get things going for him. No question, it’s been a lackluster season for the former All-Star player. Questions have arisen about whether he’s a long-term fit for the franchise, considering other guys’ recent ascensions. That’s a problem for another day. Right now, Orlando has played some solid basketball and looks like the team everybody thought could be a wildcard contender out East.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-18)

Previous Rankings: 11

You’re starting to see the Cavaliers return to shape. Just as they’re getting healthy, too. The high-scoring offense that took the league by storm last season has been seldom seen. This past week was a throwback to those high-octane performances. They dropped an unreal 146 points in regulation in a win over the Timberwolves. Donovan Mitchell has been awesome all season, but Darius Garland is starting to come around. He had 22 points in that game. A nagging toe injury has plagued him all season. But if he can get over it, there’s no reason why Cleveland shouldn’t be a contender.

11. Philadelphia 76ers (21-16)

Previous Rankings: 12

We all know who gets all of the shine in Philadelphia nowadays, but don’t forget about the veterans. Joel Embiid and Paul George had productive weeks that showed they still have it now and then. Embiid had 28 points and George had 23 points in a win over the Wizards. The Sixers thought their All-Star duo would revolve around those two players when they initially joined together. Things have obviously changed. But if they can stay healthy, Philadelphia could be a wildcard contender. And I know, that’s a big if.

10. Phoenix Suns (24-15)

Previous Rankings: 10

We’re reaching a point where the Suns are no longer just a cute underdog story. They’ve played like a team that could be a top-four seed in the West. You can credit Dillon Brooks for a large portion of that. Everywhere he goes, they become winners. He scored 21 points in a win over the Grizzlies. It seems that he’s won that beef. Phoenix has seen several role players have career seasons this year.

Previous Rankings: 9

You’re starting to see public opinion slowly turn on Luka Doncic. Poor shot selection and flat-out bad defensive effort, combined with the Lakers not passing the eye test as a true contender, have caused a storm. The latest example was in a bad loss to the Bucks. He finished with an inefficient 24 points and fouled out as part of a series of crucial mistakes in the final moments. He’s also fallen behind in the MVP race. Even though Los Angeles has a pretty surface-level record, there are a lot of underlying problems with that team.

8. New York Knicks (25-14)

Previous Rankings: 7

The Knicks finally ended a four-game losing streak. Things were getting pretty bleak there. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 21 points in an impressive win over the Clippers. At this point, we know who New York is. The veteran squad has plenty of capable scorers. It’s the other end of the floor that has question marks. Even though they’re in a slump, they remain a popular pick to go all the way to the NBA Finals. To the point that James Dolan expects that to happen.

Previous Rankings: 6

A couple of bad losses to the Trail Blazers have forced the Rockets to look in the mirror. Heck, Ime Udoka said it allowed. You can’t rely on Kevin Durant to always bail you out. He hit a game-winner against the Suns. While it was fun at the moment, it hid away some deeper problems in Houston. It seems to be a top-heavy squad. They need the rest of the rotation to step up. They should be able to cruise the rest of the regular season, but the playoffs will expose that weakness.

6. Denver Nuggets (26-13)

Previous Rankings: 5

Anytime your roster gets depleted as badly as Denver’s is right now, somebody takes advantage of the extra reps. In this case, it’s Peyton Watson. He’s turned into a 20-point scorer this month. He had an efficient 30 points in a stunning road win over the Celtics. Previously buried on the bench, he’s emerged as a serious rotation player. No real way to handle Nikola Jokic’s absence, but that’s a silver lining of a flat-out bad situation.

Previous Rankings: 8

The Timberwolves have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams recently. They’ve won five of their last six games. Anthony Edwards has skyrocketed into one of the league’s brightest stars. His latest statistical achievement is an example of that. He became the third-youngest player ever to reach 10K career points. Each year, his numbers have gotten better. Now, he’s one of the most dynamic scorers who could do it at all three levels. Say what you want to say about the rest of the roster, but Minnesota is a contender as long as he suits up for them.

4. Boston Celtics (24-14)

Previous Rankings: 4

After a lengthy win streak, the Celtics have hit a bump on the road. A loss to the Spurs boiled over to frustration from Jaylen Brown. He believes he doesn’t get enough calls. Well, he might join the long line of players who feel the same sentiment. Facetiousness aside, he’s had a career season. The 30-point scorer has completely absorbed all of the usage as Boston’s best player. He’s seen his MVP stock slowly increase over the last week. He won’t win the prestigious award, but a top-three finish is definitely in the cards.

Previous Rankings: 2

In a highly anticipated primetime matchup, the Pistons sent a message to the Knicks. They’re the team to beat in the East. They blew them out as Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 13 assists. While everybody else tries to figure out who could come out of that conference, Detroit has quietly remained a high-pedigree winner throughout the season. Youth might come to bite them, but they’ve shown to be a capable title contender in one of the biggest glow-ups of the season.

2. San Antonio Spurs (27-12)

Previous Rankings: 3

A couple of wins over historic franchises like the Lakers and Celtics have helped the Spurs feel better. They had a little bit of a post-Christmas slump. But Victor Wembanyama has helped them right the ship. In one of their more impressive wins of the season, he scored 21 points in Boston to get the game. He hit the go-ahead jumper in the final seconds to seal the result. San Antonio has remained a popular team as a wildcard contender.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-7)

Previous Rankings: 1

Not only have the Thunder shown they can bleed, but they’ve also shown they can get hospitalized. A stunning blowout loss to the Hornets had the entire NBA world wondering what’s going on in OKC. You never see them lay an egg like that. Being able to take care of business against bad teams is what turned them into a win machine. And close wins over the Jazz and Grizzlies don’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence. Perhaps this is just a mini-slump during the dog days of the regular season. Either way, the reigning NBA champions need Jalen Williams to return to form by the time the playoffs roll around or risk not going back-to-back.