Feb. 16, 2026, 5:06 a.m. CT
The 2026 NBA All-Star break has arrived. For the first time, teams across the league are given a chance to catch their breath in the marathon-esque 2025-26 regular season. With the final one-third still to go, expect teams to go full speed for seeding purposes.
Despite a lackluster Saturday, the NBA All-Star weekend was pretty successful. Sunday’s three-team tournament that replaced the usual format brought some competitive juice. Team USA Stars came away as the winner. Anthony Edwards won the MVP award.
Also, for the first time this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer at the No. 1 spot. Quite the development, as the last two months of meh basketball have been hard to ignore for this long. They badly need to get healthy, specifically with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Feb. 9-15 edition:
30. Sacramento Kings (12-44)
Previous Rankings:Â 30
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
The Kings have lost 14 in a row. That’s the longest active losing streak by a mile. All mostly blowout, too. Just bad vibes all around in Sacramento. To twist the knife even further, Zach LaVine will have season-ending hand surgery after the All-Star break. Brutal. He’s had a forgettable season with just a 19-point year. There’s been a lot of talks about tanking in recent days, but the Kings are just naturally bad and a mess.
Previous Rankings:Â 26
I guess we’ll see what happens with Anthony Davis. Reports say he won’t come back this season. But the Wizards have said they expect him to return this season. If I had to guess, I think they go with the former. It only makes sense to improve Washington’s lottery odds. To make things even worse, Alex Sarr has sustained a hamstring strain. We all know how tricky those can be. It’s probably the best move to tank and add a lottery talent.
Previous Rankings:Â 27
The Nets have remained boringly bad this season. That’s what happens when you add a bunch of rookies to your roster. Egor Demin has shown enough to at least be excited about his future. He’s been a 40% outside shooter. That’s a good starting point for someone who has the tools to be a franchise cornerstone. Brooklyn hopes to add another blue-chip prospect at this upcoming draft. It has a record to own decent lottery odds.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (15-41)
Previous Rankings:Â 28
It’s been a lost season for the Pelicans. Really don’t know how you can have a glass-half-full approach. Zion Williamson has been healthy this year. Trey Murphy III has had a career season. And none of it matters. New Orleans has been bad. It really puts them in an awful state. Perhaps the worst in the league. The talent on the roster should be enough to have a better record. But that just hasn’t been the case.
Previous Rankings:Â 24
The topic of the week has been tanking. And the Jazz have been at the forefront. They’ve taken the extra step of sitting guys out during close games. Not just listing them as out. The NBA finally addressed it as Utah was fined $500K for sitting players. Every national podcast has talked about it with very creative, albeit impractical, suggestions to fix it. The busy week continued for the Jazz as Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for the season with knee surgery to remove a growth. That’s scary to read. Hopefully, he’s alright in the long run.
25. Indiana Pacers (15-40)
Previous Rankings:Â 29
Speaking of tanking, the NBA also fined the Pacers $100K for sitting out players. A lot of folks have gone easy on them because of Tyrese Haliburton’s absence, but they’ve unapologetically punted this season as soon as it started. To make matters worse, Johnny Furphy suffered a torn ACL. Brutal. He was one of the guys who had taken advantage of Indiana’s long list of injuries. Indiana is ready to start next season with a hopeful top draft pick and avoid gifting it to the Clippers.
24. Dallas Mavericks (19-35)
Previous Rankings:Â 25
The Mavericks have lost nine in a row. Cooper Flagg has dealt with a foot sprain. To the point that he’s sporting a walking boot. Bummer, but even if he doesn’t suit up for a while, he’s had an epic rookie season. One of the greatest ever, if we’re being honest. Dallas made the right move going into a full-blown rebuild. And the 19-year-old has proven to be worth all of the hype he’s had for years before he even joined the NBA.
23. Memphis Grizzlies (20-33)
Previous Rankings:Â 23
The Grizzlies have lost four in a row. All close losses, too. Doesn’t really matter, though. The Grizzlies made their decision at a fork on the road when they dealt Jackson Jr. They’re in the beginning stage of a rebuild. Memphis is ready to flip the page. Interested to see if Ja Morant plays again this season. Or if they just tell him to sit out the rest of the way so they can trade him in the upcoming offseason.
22. Chicago Bulls (24-31)
Previous Rankings:Â 22
A six-game losing streak has plummeted the Bulls in the standings. Thankfully, they play in the East. When looking at their deadline moves, it’s obvious they don’t care if they return to the play-in tournament. It’s a bunch of new names with redundant skillsets. The biggest additions with some juice are Jaden Ivey and Rob Dillingham. Both are young players who could benefit from a change of scenery. Remains to be seen if being in Chicago could jumpstart their careers.
21. Atlanta Hawks (26-30)
Previous Rankings:Â 19
The Hawks have punted on this season. Their trades have shown that. They’ve lost three in a row. Still recovering from a knee injury, Jonathan Kuminga has yet to make his debut in Atlanta. He’s the biggest name they added at the deadline. Let’s see if the buy-low move can pay off. If not, no worries. They’re about to start a new era where Jalen Johnson is the center of their franchise.
20. Milwaukee Bucks (23-30)
Previous Rankings:Â 21
Hope is a dangerous thing. You’re seeing the Bucks gain that. They’ve won five of their last six games. They blew out the Thunder in arguably their most impressive win of the season. Ousmane Dieng enjoyed some revenge with 19 points. Milwaukee has been injected with some fresh faces. And now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still there, you might as well go out to see what this group can do in the second half of the season. The two-time MVP is expected to be back soon from a calf strain.
19. Miami Heat (29-27)
Previous Rankings:Â 20
You win one, you lose one. You win a couple, you lose a couple. That’s been the season-long trend for the Heat. Feels like they’re perfectly fine with being mediocre and getting in another play-in tournament. Bam Adebayo had 27 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the Pelicans. Don’t really know what else is left to say about Miami. Not making a move at the trade deadline showed what the front office truly feels about their squad.
Previous Rankings:Â 18
The vibes are back up in Portland. The Trail Blazers enter the All-Star break with some momentum. Jrue Holiday scored a season-best 31 points in a win over the Jazz. Toumani Camara had a career-high 30 points in a win over the Sixers. And over the weekend festivities, Damian Lillard reminded folks why he’s one of the best players of his era as he captured his third 3-point shooting contest title. He’s out this season recovering from a torn Achilles, but provided some excitement for next season.
Previous Rankings:Â 15
It’s getting difficult to ignore the main problem. Once viewed as their franchise player, Paolo Banchero has hindered the Magic’s offense. He had 11 points in a win over the Bucks and an ugly 17 points in a loss to the Bucks. You can pinpoint Orlando’s disappointing year with his struggles. Your best player can’t be an inefficient scorer who uglies up an offense that already struggles to begin with. Especially when the defense has been inconsistent this season.
16. Golden State Warriors (29-26)
Previous Rankings:Â 14
Well, this is who the Warriors will have the rest of the way. Stephen Curry has missed time with a knee injury. Any baseless hopes for the veteran squad rely on his health. This might be the Last Dance version of Golden State. And sadly, it feels like they’re going out with a whimper. They just don’t have the roster to compete with the rest of the West. Once Jimmy Butler went down with a torn ACL, that was their symbolic waving of the white flag.
15. LA Clippers (26-28)
Previous Rankings:Â 18
Even with a roster shake-up, the Clippers have remained competitive. They’ve won three of their last four games. Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and hit the game-winner against the Rockets to go into the All-Star break with good vibes. He’s been one of the NBA’s best players for the last two months. Amazing what superb health does for you. The supporting cast has changed, but LA has been able to learn on the fly. Elsewhere, Chris Paul called it a career as he announced his retirement. Such an ugly way to end a legendary journey.
14. Charlotte Hornets (26-29)
Previous Rankings:Â 16
The Hornets remain the NBA’s hottest team since the New Year. They had a nine-game win streak snapped by the Pistons. More significantly, though, a big-time fight saw both sides lose important players to suspensions. From Charlotte’s side, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were hit with long suspensions. Brutal. Both have been important starters to Charlotte’s unreal turnaround. They should be able to survive their absences. It’s a bump on the road for what’s been an unreal two months that shows a Round 1 matchup with Detroit could be must-watch TV.
13. Philadelphia 76ers (30-24)
Previous Rankings:Â 12
Going into the All-Star break, the Sixers will see how Joel Embiid feels. He’s dealing with knee soreness. Uh oh. Not something you want to hear. The former MVP winner has played like his vintage self for the last month as a 30-point scorer. While Philadelphia has learned to win without him, it needs him to suit up to reach its ceiling. It’s been a fun year with zero expectations. Despite a controversial trade deadline, you gotta like their young backcourt.
12. Toronto Raptors (32-23)
Previous Rankings:Â 13
The Raptors have a couple of NBA All-Star players. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram were part of Sunday’s games. Talk about a bounce-back season. They’ve been one of the biggest surprise teams. While they rely on defense to get most of their wins, they have a very meritocratic offense where any of their starters can lead them in scoring for the night. Toronto has been a winning squad for the first time in years.
Previous Rankings:Â 11
Well, the Suns badly needed the All-Star break. They’ve lost three of their last four games. They went into the break on the wrong side of a lopsided blowout. Dillon Brooks has been awesome, but that’s what happens when you rely on him to be your top scorer. Let’s see what Phoenix does in the final one-third of the season. So far, they’ve been a Cinderella story. You have to wonder if they could hit a wall soon, though.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (33-21)
Previous Rankings:Â 9
The Lakers badly need Luka Doncic to return. He’s missed some time with a hamstring strain. You don’t want to mess with those, as they could derail an entire season. Good news is, he suited up for the All-Star Game. Which means he should be good to go when Los Angeles returns to action. It’s been an up-and-down season. They’re likely just a decent squad whose defensive personnel will cap their potential. But you never know what can happen with an MVP candidate.
9. Houston Rockets (33-20)
Previous Rankings:Â 5
The Rockets couldn’t enter the All-Star break with good vibes. They lost on a game-winner to the Clippers. They continue to navigate life without Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. Both role players’ importance traces back to their offensive identity. Without them, Houston is trying to figure out how to get back on the winning side of things. It really exposes how top-heavy they are. You can’t depend on Kevin Durant this much to bail you out.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22)
Previous Rankings:Â 6
Being one of the healthiest teams in the league, the Timberwolves have leveraged their good luck with some momentum. They’ve won two in a row. Julius Randle had 41 points in a win over the Trail Blazers. He’s been awesome this season and has been a valid second option. With mostly the same group, we’ll see how Minnesota looks in the playoffs. Anthony Edwards has gotten better every season he’s been in the league. Look at him flirting with a 30-point campaign as a prime example. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP, for whatever that’s worth.
7. Denver Nuggets (35-20)
Previous Rankings:Â 3
Feels like injuries have finally caught up to the Nuggets. They’ve lost four of their last six games. Even with Nikola Jokic being back, he’s nowhere near his optimal level. Maybe he rushed back from his knee injury. Denver has been hit with injuries the hardest all year. Right now, a thin frontcourt has cost it games. We’ll see the ramifications of that in the standings later on.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (34-21)
Previous Rankings:Â 11
The Cavaliers may be back. They’ve won five in a row and nine of their last 10 games. Right now, they’re in the honeymoon stage with James Harden. He’s taken it slow at getting to know his new teammates. He had 22 points and 10 rebounds in a resume win over the Nuggets. Cleveland made the daring, but right, decision to acquire the future Hall-of-Famer. They’ve had enough regular-season success. It’s now about actually proving it in the playoffs.
5. New York Knicks (35-20)
Previous Rankings:Â 7
The Knicks entered the break with a near-40-point win over the Sixers. Things are back to being great. They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. You already know about their two All-Star players, but the role players have stepped up in this recent hot stretch. Mikal Bridges had 22 points and newly-welcomed Jose Alvarado had 26 points in their blowout win before they went on break. The East is pretty wide open, but New York has been a popular choice for who can come out of it.
4. Boston Celtics (35-19)
Previous Rankings:Â 8
Winners of six of their last seven games, the Celtics have remained in the contender conversation. It might be one of the best coaching jobs in the league, considering expectations were low. Now, Boston could get some serious reinforcements. Jayson Tatum practiced in the G League this past week. Which marks crossing off another milestone in his recovery from a torn Achilles. You can’t help but get excited over the growing possibility he could return for their playoff run. He’d single-handedly change the playoff picture.
3. San Antonio Spurs (38-16)
Previous Rankings:Â 4
Don’t turn around, but the Spurs are right there for the first seed. They’ve won six in a row. Victor Wembanyama gets all of the headlines. He had an unreal 40 points in a blowout win over the Lakers. But De’Aaron Fox was named as an All-Star and Stephon Castle was a standout in the Rising Stars competition. San Antonio has gone from a rebuild to a contender in rapid pace. Makes you wonder how they will fare in the playoffs, but the red-hot squad has taken the biggest leap this year.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14)
Previous Rankings:Â 1
Well, it finally happened. For the first time this season, the Thunder aren’t at the top spot. You wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. But injuries and two months of mediocre play are just too much to ignore. They limped into the All-Star break with a bad blowout loss to the Bucks. Jalen Williams hurt his hamstring again. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains out with an abdominal strain. Health is the only reason why OKC hasn’t run away with the league-best record yet. And remains to be seen if it can ruin a playoff run with back-to-back ambitions.
1. Detroit Pistons (40-13)
Previous Rankings:Â 2
The Pistons continue to be a win machine. They’ve won six of their last seven games. While they’re still technically behind the Thunder in the NBA standings, they have the better win percentage. Let’s see how they handle Jalen Duren’s and Isaiah Stewart’s absences. Both were given long suspensions for their fights against the Hornets. Didn’t matter as Detroit continued to pick up wins. It’s flexed its depth. Say what you want to say about their inexperience in the postseason, but they’ve proven to be one of the league’s best two teams all year.