How does your NBA team look heading into the 2025-26 season? What about in 2028?
The NBA Future Power Rankings are ESPN’s projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three seasons: 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Can the Oklahoma City Thunder become the first team to break an NBA-record streak of eight consecutive seasons with a different champion? How quickly can Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs force their way into the title conversation?
And what about the Los Angeles Lakers‘ chances moving forward into the Luka Doncic era of the franchise?
To determine the rankings, we asked ESPN analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps to rate teams in five categories and rank them relative to the rest of the league. (An explanation of each category and a full view of all 30 teams’ ratings is at the bottom of these rankings.)
Here is our latest update ahead of the 2025-26 season, featuring a repeat at No. 1 but lots of movement afterward, including nine franchises seeing their ranking rise (four) or fall (five) by double digits from last year’s edition of this exercise.
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS
Previous ranking: 1
The question wasn’t whether the Thunder would top the rankings but rather how they would rate historically. Based on a championship-winning young core (no starter under age 27) and a top-rated collection of incoming extra draft picks, Oklahoma City has the highest FPR for any team since the Kevin Durant-era Golden State Warriors. After agreeing to a supermax extension with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the Thunder will be hard-pressed to retain all their role players. Nobody is better positioned to replace them. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 7
Houston is proof of how quickly these rankings can shift. The Rockets were among our bottom-five teams in four of the five rankings from May 2021 through October 2023, and they never finished higher than 22nd. But last year, the Rockets leapt to seventh after hiring coach Ime Udoka and amassing one of the best young cores in the league. The addition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant also helps, as Houston lands behind its Western Conference rivals thanks to top-five rankings in players (second), management (fourth) and draft assets (fifth). — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 3
The Knicks hold steady after reaching their first conference finals in a quarter century but falling short against the Indiana Pacers in six games. New York, which has had its highest ranking in back-to-back years thanks to top-10 finishes in players (fifth), market (second) and management (ninth) after replacing coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 13
We didn’t predict Cleveland’s evolution from also-rans in the East to legitimate contenders. Only the Thunder surpassed the Cavaliers’ 64 wins last season, and although they stumbled in the conference semifinals, the East looks wide open for Cleveland this season. Already in the salary cap’s second apron, the Cavaliers are last in financial flexibility. With their four core players under contract long term, however, Cleveland should get value in trade while saving money to retool around All-Stars Evan Mobley (24) and Donovan Mitchell (29). — Pelton
Previous ranking: 20
A 15-spot jump from the last FPR is largely fueled by a top-five ranking in money, market and management. As for the roster, the Clippers are working on two timelines over the next three seasons. The current version is a win-now team that features 11 out of its 14 players, including Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, under contract through 2026-27. The second version boasts flexibility to reshape the roster, starting in the 2027 offseason. With only center Ivica Zubac on a guaranteed contract, LA could boast up to $140 million in cap space that summer. The Clippers are under investigation for salary cap circumvention; if the allegations are proven true, the penalties will have a significant impact on where they stand in these rankings. — Marks
Previous ranking: 9
A team featuring three players 35 or older and under contract for only the next two seasons should be a cause of concern. But if the 20-7 record after the All-Star break and first-round playoff series win against Houston were indications, then there is some staying power for Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III and the rest of the Warriors’ roster. Because of the great unknown post-Curry in 2027, this ranking is likely the high-water mark with this group. — Marks
Previous ranking: 7
The Magic traded for Desmond Bane and signed Paolo Banchero to a five-year extension over the summer. However, those transactions have Orlando holding steady in this spot from the last ranking. Orlando is maintaining its ranking because it ranks 27th in money and 24th in the draft. In the next three seasons, the Magic are committing $450 million in guaranteed contracts to Bane, Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. They also have only one future first (2032) that they are allowed to trade in the next seven years. — Marks
Previous ranking: 21
Even with LeBron James‘ future unclear, the Lakers still moved up 13 spots from the last ranking. The considerable jump is largely because of trading for Luka Doncic in February and then extending the All-NBA guard in August. The security of having Doncic under contract for at least the next three seasons, the attraction of the Los Angeles market and significant cap space in the next two seasons have the Lakers positioned well. — Marks
Previous ranking: 6
The Nuggets still rank fourth in the players category, reflecting their potential to be the biggest threat to the Thunder in the West after losing a seven-game series to Oklahoma City last spring. After changing its coach and GM late in the regular season, however, Denver ranks below average in the other categories. The Nuggets’ looming apron issues and missing draft picks mean this might be their last best chance before yielding to the West’s rising powers. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 10
San Antonio hangs on to the 10th spot thanks to a roster that features arguably the game’s most exciting young player in Victor Wembanyama, a pair of back-to-back top-five selections in the backcourt (Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle) and another star acquired via trade in De’Aaron Fox. The Spurs rank in the upper half of the league in nearly every category, finishing no higher than eighth (players) but also no lower than 16th (market). — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 8
Coming off back-to-back conference finals appearances, the Timberwolves rank seventh in player score despite concerns about how they’ll replace veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. Minnesota’s issues lie in the money, draft and market categories, where it is no better than 26th. The Timberwolves will be challenged to upgrade their roster through free agency or the draft, and Minnesota isn’t in a market that can count on minimum contributors. That makes the development of 2024 first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. paramount. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 23
The Hawks have failed to advance past the first round in four straight seasons, have not won more than 48 games since 2015-16 but moved up 11 spots. The jump is noticeable because San Antonio controls the Hawks’ first-round pick in the next two years and All-Star guard Trae Young could become a free agent next offseason. However, Atlanta ranks in the top 15 in every category, largely because of several shrewd transactions this summer. The Hawks added Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to a roster that already featured Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. More importantly, Atlanta controls the more-favorable 2026 first-round pick of Milwaukee or New Orleans. — Marks
Previous ranking: 2
A year ago, the Celtics were the defending champions en route to dominating the Eastern Conference for years. Then, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in May, Boston failed to get out of the second round and the team traded Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this summer. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NBA, even though a core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White — plus strong management in coach Joe Mazzulla and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens — portends a quick bounce-back, assuming Tatum is healthy, as expected, in 2026-27. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 17
Despite two straight noncompetitive first-round losses, the Heat moved up. Miami ranking in the top 10 in management, market and money helped its three-spot jump. With Jimmy Butler III no longer on the roster, the Heat are not a luxury tax team and project to have spending power in the 2026 and 2027 offseasons. — Marks
Previous ranking: 14
Had we done these rankings at almost any point during the Pacers’ run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, we would have been debating how high they belonged in the top 10. Starting with Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles rupture, Indiana’s future has taken a big hit. Although Haliburton will be back for the final two seasons covered by the future rankings, center Myles Turner is gone and his departure renews questions about ownership’s willingness to pay the luxury tax. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 5
What a long, strange trip in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. A year ago, Dallas was coming off an NBA Finals berth, featuring one of the best players in the sport about to enter his prime. Then, Nico Harrison stunningly swapped Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis in February, Kyrie Irving subsequently tore his ACL a few weeks later and Dallas shockingly jumped from 11th to No. 1 in the draft lottery and selected Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks’ lottery luck is why they didn’t fall further down these rankings. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 12
It was only three years ago when Memphis had back-to-back No. 1 rankings on this list. Then, the Grizzlies missed the playoffs in 2024 and got routed in the first round this year. It led to a roster reset by general manager Zach Kleiman, who sent Desmond Bane to the Magic for multiple draft picks. The move is a recognition that the previous iteration of the Grizzlies wasn’t going to win the West. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 29
This is Detroit’s best finish here since 2017, and the Pistons arguably belong higher after Cade Cunningham emerged as an All-NBA anchor during a breakthrough fourth campaign. Detroit has cap flexibility to add around a core of Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson and owns all its picks. Another season in the East’s top six should convince us to move the Pistons much higher next year. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 4
A year ago, Philadelphia had the best free agent signing in Paul George, and hoped that this would finally be the season for a breakthrough in the Eastern Conference. Instead, it turned into a disaster, with Joel Embiid barely playing and George missing half the season because of injuries, and Philadelphia plummeting to where it kept its top-6 protected first-round pick. All of this led to the biggest drop (15 spots) of any team in this year’s rankings. But everything in Philly hinges on whether Embiid and George can stay healthy this season. The Sixers owe them over $100 million over the next three years. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 22
It has been a tumultuous couple of seasons in Toronto, where the Raptors have remade their roster, trading the remaining players from their 2019 title team — Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam — and replacing them with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram. The team then moved on from longtime team president Masai Ujiri this summer, and longtime owner Larry Tanenbaum ceded control of the team to Ed Rogers next year. The Raptors regained some stability by keeping well-respected executive Bobby Webster atop basketball operations in Ujiri’s place, but it remains to be seen if Toronto’s retooling was successful. This season will tell a lot. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 15
Other teams have been preparing for Giannis Antetokounmpo to be available more or less since he emerged as an MVP. Still, the threat level seems higher than ever in Milwaukee after a third consecutive first-round loss, during which Damian Lillard ruptured his Achilles. The Bucks made a creative pivot, stretching Lillard’s contract and signing Myles Turner. But Milwaukee has limited ability to upgrade the roster, which could spell the end of Antetokounmpo’s incredible run with the Bucks. And with no draft picks under team control until 2031, a Milwaukee rebuild could slow. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 30
We underestimated the Blazers’ talent a year ago. The addition of Deni Avdija and development of Toumani Camara and Shaedon Sharpe helped Portland stay in the play-in hunt during the team’s best finish since 2020-21. The Blazers responded by acquiring veterans Jrue Holiday and Lillard, the latter of whom will spend the first season of his emotional return rehabbing. Portland is hoping the newcomers support the development of young talent, most notably recent lottery picks Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 26
Ranking in FPR’s bottom 10 does not mean the Hornets are stuck in neutral. Charlotte is focusing on its five players on rookie contracts (Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Tidjane Salaun, Nick Smith Jr., Liam McNeeley) while accumulating draft assets and having financial flexibility. The Hornets have 24 draft picks in the next seven years, including 11 firsts, and could have cap space in the next two offseasons. As a result, Charlotte ranks in the top 10 in both draft and money. — Marks
Previous ranking: 24
In his first offseason as president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge signaled that the Jazz are still taking a long-term approach after drafting Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick. Utah moved on from veteran guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton and starting forward John Collins, so the Jazz might not need to sit key players to rack up losses this season. The problem is Utah’s rebuild, which is entering Year 4, hasn’t produced an All-Star centerpiece to team up with or supplant Lauri Markkanen. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 18
In two years, Sacramento went from having the Coach of the Year (Mike Brown) and Executive of the Year (Monte McNair), winning 48 games and earning the third seed in the playoffs, to losing in consecutive play-in tournaments. Brown and McNair are gone, All-Star De’Aaron Fox was traded to San Antonio and the Kings are no longer considered a playoff team. The regression in seven spots from last year’s rankings is because of a bottom-10 roster and a management group that ranks last. The positive, however, is that Sacramento controls its first in the next seven years and the firsts from San Antonio (2027, if 1-16) and Minnesota (2031, unprotected). — Marks
Previous ranking: 28
If we were basing the FPR on draft assets and cap flexibility, Washington would rank near the top. The Wizards could have up to $80 million in cap space next summer, and over the next seven years, the franchise boasts 10 firsts and 13 seconds. The Wizards are in the bottom five, however, largely because of a roster that features a league-high 10 players on first-round rookie contracts, including Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr. If the former first-round picks take a big step in development, we could see the Wizards take a jump on this list. — Marks
Previous ranking: 27
The Nets struck gold last summer when they hired coach Jordi Fernandez, who immediately proved himself to be an asset. But the Nets, who clearly targeted last season and this season to bottom out after reacquiring their draft picks from the Houston Rockets last summer, were one of several teams to have bad luck in the lottery by falling to eighth. The Nets, who have the league’s worst roster, are in the bottom 10 for a third straight year. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 25
In terms of wins, it’s unlikely Chicago will finish this low after posting 40, 39 and 39 wins, respectively, over the past three seasons. Yet, few teams have less hope of becoming a contender than the Bulls, who have prioritized competing for the play-in over grander ambitions. Chicago has gotten younger, transitioning from a DeMar DeRozan–Zach LaVine core to one led by Coby White (25) and Josh Giddey (22). The Bulls will have cap flexibility next summer, but we don’t trust this organization to maximize that opportunity. — Pelton
Previous ranking: 16
It has been an eventful summer in New Orleans, where David Griffin was let go after running the team for several years and was replaced by Hall of Famer Joe Dumars. The Pelicans then made a massive draft night swing by taking not only Jeremiah Fears seventh overall, but trading an unprotected swap in next year’s draft to Atlanta to take Derik Queen 13th. That move could have ramifications for both teams for years to come. As a result, New Orleans has its lowest landing spot in 16 years of these rankings. — Bontemps
Previous ranking: 19
It was only three years ago when Phoenix ranked third in the FPR and had a solid foundation of young players and future draft assets. That foundation no longer exists, thanks largely to the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades. Both players are no longer on the roster, and though Phoenix isn’t in financial purgatory and still has All-Star Devin Booker, its path back to relevancy is unclear. The Suns have no tradable firsts in the next seven years and have $23 million in dead money on their books in the next five years. One positive is that Phoenix has shifted away from building around multiple high-priced veterans to trading for former first-round picks Jalen Green, Mark Williams and selecting Khaman Maluach in June’s draft. — Marks
Full team-by-team results
We determined that the most important category is a team’s current roster and the future potential of those players. That category accounts for 50% of each NBA team’s overall Future Power Rating, the 0-100 score each team receives to determine its overall ranking.
At the same time, we looked at management, ownership, coaching, a team’s spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise, and what kind of draft picks we expect the team to have in the future.
The full ratings and rankings for every category are below.
