The 2025-26 NBA regular season concludes Sunday, and ESPN’s panel of insiders has issued its last set of power rankings, measuring how all 30 clubs fared against preseason expectations.
Favorites hold firm in the West
Oklahoma City Thunder (63-16) retained the No. 1 spot despite extended absences for Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. The defending champions enter the playoffs 130-30 over the past two seasons.
San Antonio Spurs (60-19) finished second after rookie Dylan Harper predicted an end to the club’s postseason drought. With a healthy Victor Wembanyama and a revamped backcourt, San Antonio improved its win total by more than 25 games.
Denver Nuggets (51-28) climbed to fifth overall. First-year coach David Adelman steered the league’s top offense while injuries to Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson hampered the defense.
Eastern surprises and comebacks
Detroit Pistons (57-22) surged to third in the rankings two years after owning the NBA’s worst record. Cade Cunningham emerged as an MVP candidate, and Ausar Thompson became a Defensive Player of the Year contender.
Boston Celtics (54-25) landed fourth as Jayson Tatum returned from an Achilles injury and the club locked up a high playoff seed.
Key storylines elsewhere
The New York Knicks (51-28) met “Finals or bust” expectations with a top-three offense and seventh-ranked defense but remained inconsistent, ranking sixth overall. Injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves derailed the Los Angeles Lakers (50-29), who slid to No. 10.
At the other end, the Milwaukee Bucks (31-48) missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years amid tension with Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Washington Wizards (17-62) finished last after midseason trades for Trae Young and Anthony Davis failed to change their trajectory.
The complete rankings reflect votes from ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram.
Source: ESPN
