The Warriors are trying to defy history. The Denver Nuggets are trying to prove they still have championship fiber. The Orlando Magic want you to know they’re not too young, and the LA Clippers would like you to believe they are not too old.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James – the three kings – are determined to show they still can haunt opposing defenses despite advanced age. Cooper Flagg hopes to join Victor Wembanyama in turning the NBA’s page into a new chapter.

Nearly one-third of NBA teams have at least a modest chance to win the 2026 NBA Finals, which is enough to provide six months of intrigue.

Which makes for an enjoyable dive as we kick off the 2025-26 season with the NBA Power Rankings:

30. Washington Wizards: After going 18-64, they shed more talent than they added. Trading Jordan Poole and getting CJ McCollum raises the professionalism but that’s it. Is there a more abused fan base?

29. Utah Jazz: There was a time when it seemed Danny Ainge owned the GM cheat code. No more. He has spent the last four years building bridges to nowhere. Show the people you care.

28. Brooklyn Nets: GM Sean Marks shuffled his deck, with the key additions being Terance Mann and Michael Porter Jr. Pairing MPJ with Cam Thomas should be explosive, but who else is a threat?

27. Phoenix Suns: One of the NBA’s most scandal-plagued franchises opted out of the quick fix and is diving headlong into a rebuild. Devin Booker, enjoy the follies of Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.

26. Charlotte Hornets: With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, they’ll be fun. Relevant, even. Don’t confuse relevance with scary, but they could push for a play-in bid in the ultra-weak Eastern Conference.

25. Sacramento Kings: Love Doug Christie, but he’s trying to push a mismatched roster up a mountain. No shortage of talent and skill, but Dennis Schröder can’t fix a box with so many duplicate tools.

24. Memphis Grizzlies: Scotty Pippen Jr. is out until 2026. Zach Edey and Brandon Clark hope to return by Thanksgiving. That primal scream you hear is coming from Ja “day to day” Morant.

23. Chicago Bulls: The franchise made great by Michael Jordan & Co. has made two brief playoff appearances over the past 10 seasons. Committed to a rebuild, they’ll make it two of 11.

22. Toronto Raptors: They made no significant offseason additions, but if Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley stay upright, the conference could hand them a play-in berth.

21. New Orleans Pelicans: They’ll battle the injury hex; that’s tradition. If they succeed – and Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III each appear in at least 70 games – they have enough to excite the Big Easy.

20. Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra, widely considered the league’s top coach, will try again to turn hamburgers into prime ribeye steaks. They’ll annoy opponents because they always do.

19. Portland Trail Blazers: Automatic wins in Portland are a thing of the past. They were 23-18 in the second half last season, and they’re better now. A play-in tournament bid is well within reach.

18. Indiana Pacers: Rick Carlisle is another astute coach, but he’ll need some wizardry to push this squad – which has some depth – into the playoffs without offensive engine Tyrese Haliburton.

17. Boston Celtics: Let’s see now. Jayson Tatum could miss the season. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford are gone. Jaylen Brown is nursing a tender hamstring. We smell a play-in tournament team cooking.

16. Milwaukee Bucks: Lost faith in Doc Rivers years ago, but we like the Myles Turner pickup. Also believe Giannis Antetokounmpo is determined to squeeze all he can from a team bounced in the first round the last three seasons.

15. San Antonio Spurs: A play-in tournament bid is the floor if Victor Wembanyama snags the DPOY award and De’Aaron Fox returns to the All-Star team. And both goals are very plausible.

14. Philadelphia 76ers: With Joel Embiid and Paul George are infinite variables, no team is tougher to evaluate. If they bring their best, this is a top-four team in the East. If not, we’ve already seen the movie.

13. Atlanta Hawks: Keep hearing Quin Snyder is an excellent coach. Keep awaiting results. The roster is improved, so it’s reasonable to expect they’ll finish among the top six in the East.

12. Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, their best leader since Chauncey Billups, has pulled DEEE-troit basketball out of the wilderness. If Jaden Ivey recovers well, they could climb into the top four.

11. Dallas Mavericks: With Kyrie still rehabbing, a lot will be asked of Cooper Flagg. The rook looks ready. But, as always, the availability of Anthony Davis is the determining factor.

10. Los Angeles Lakers: Still don’t like the perimeter defense. At all. Hopes are high because it’s the Lakers, but they’ll fight for a top-six finish. It’s Luka Dončić’s time, for better or worse, and LeBron James knows it.

9. Golden State Warriors: They’re old, small, and relatively unathletic – but lead the league in wisdom. The roster is their best since 2019. Expect Steph Curry to make a scoring leap. Good health should land them no lower than the top six in the West.

8. LA Clippers: They’re old, big and have an elite coach. They’re listed ahead of the Warriors mostly because they swept them last season. If Kawhi Leonard stays healthy, they’re fearsome.

7. Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero is coming. The defense is terrific, and the big payout for Desmond Bane nets a fabulous deep shooter. He’ll address an offense long accustomed to wheezing.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Their defense is legit, and their six top scorers return. Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s minutes go mostly to Donte DiVincenzo. That’s a good option. And, well, there’s Ant.

5. Houston Rockets: They’ll miss orchestrator Fred VanVleet, but the league’s nastiest defense added a generational scorer. This is Kevin Durant’s best chance at a ring since he left the Warriors.

4. New York Knicks: Mike Brown gave Sacramento a first-year bump, but this team doesn’t have nearly as far to go. How high can he take defensive-minded forwards Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby?

3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Love the backcourt’s offense, don’t love its defense. Won’t matter so much, with Jarrett Allen and reigning DPOY Evan Mobley as the league’s best dual rim protectors. East is theirs to lose.

2. Denver Nuggets: They gave Oklahoma City fits in May, coming within one win of the conference finals, and they’ve improved the roster. Jamal Murray looks good. And, of course, there’s Joker.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: There has not been a back-to-back champ since the 2017 and 2018 Warriors. But as defending champs, OKC now has a jolt of confidence while still being the youngest team in the league.

Let’s check back in February to see how things look with a midseason version.

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