NBA Future Power Rankings: Thunder lead field as Rockets, Knicks round out top three
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ESPN released its annual NBA Future Power Rankings on Sept. 16, offering a three-season forecast that covers 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. The Oklahoma City Thunder, armed with a championship core that features no starter older than 27 and a stockpile of draft picks, retained the No. 1 position for a second straight year.
Top 10 franchises
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – The defending champions secure the highest overall score recorded since the Kevin Durant-era Golden State Warriors. New super-max deals for MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams lock in the nucleus, though replacing role players will test the club’s depth.
2. Houston Rockets – After hovering near the bottom two years ago, Houston vaults to second place. The rise is fueled by one of the league’s best young cores, coach Ime Udoka’s presence and the offseason addition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
3. New York Knicks – New York remains third after last season’s first conference-final trip in 25 years. Player quality, market size and a coaching change from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown underpin the rating.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – Cleveland jumps nine spots on the heels of a 64-win campaign. Despite entering the second tax apron, long-term deals for Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell position the club as a major Eastern Conference threat.
5. LA Clippers – A 15-place surge stems from strong scores in money, market and management. Eleven players, including Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, are signed through 2026-27, but an ongoing league investigation into possible cap circumvention could alter future outlooks.
6. Golden State Warriors – Even with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III all age 35 or older, a 20-7 post-All-Star run and a first-round win over Houston keep Golden State in the top six.
7. Orlando Magic – Offseason moves to acquire Desmond Bane and extend Paolo Banchero sustain Orlando’s ranking, though heavy future salary commitments and limited tradeable picks curb upward mobility.
8. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers climb 13 spots after landing Luka Doncic in February and extending him in August. Significant cap space and the Los Angeles market further enhance the team’s three-year projection.
9. Denver Nuggets – Denver’s player score remains fourth overall, but concerns about draft assets and looming salary-cap constraints push the 2023 champions down three slots.
10. San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama headlines a roster that also features 2024 and 2025 top-five picks Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle plus trade acquisition De’Aaron Fox. The Spurs finish no worse than 16th in any category.
Notable risers and fallers
The Clippers (+15), Lakers (+13), Hawks (+11) and Cavaliers (+9) make the biggest positive moves. Philadelphia suffers the steepest decline, sliding 15 spots to 19th after injury-marred seasons for Joel Embiid and Paul George. Boston falls from second to 13th as Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles tear, while Phoenix plummets to 30th amid scarce draft capital and lingering dead money from past trades.
Methodology
Analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps graded all 30 teams in five areas: roster (weighted at 50 percent), management, money, market and future draft assets. Composite scores produced the overall ranking that projects competitive success through the 2027-28 season.
Source: ESPN
