🏀 NBA Future Power Ranks: Where is your team?

16.09.2025, 16:41 espn.com

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?

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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 | CLEDAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | INDLAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MINNO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHXPOR | 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 lotte