We’re now just 10 days from the NBA trade deadline, and it’s altogether unclear what that will mean this season. Ben Simmons is still theoretically in play, though no one seems to think he’ll be moved. The Lakers are desperate for a quick fix, though it’s hard to see how they get one. The Hawks seem to have stabilized. The Jazz are unraveling.
Meanwhile, in the era of the play-in tournament, only a handful of teams in each conference truly appear to be out of the running. It doesn’t feel like a market ripe for major activity, but the NBA has a way of surprising us.
We’ll know soon enough.
On to the rankings …
(Note: SI’s NBA staff is ranking every team from best to worst all season long, taking into account how each squad is currently playing.)
1. Phoenix Suns
Current record: 40–9
Previous ranking: 1
If the Suns’ championship hopes (and their window to keep contending) are ultimately tied to Chris Paul’s longevity (and they are), then the Suns need to get it done soon. Paul is already exceeding nearly all reasonable expectations for what a 36-year-old point guard can do. He’s averaging 14.7 points and 10.2 assists, markers that only one other 36-year-old in NBA history has hit: Steve Nash, in 2010–11, also for the Suns. Nash made one more All-Star team after that season, then went into quick decline, as smaller guards in their late 30s tend to do.
2. Golden State Warriors
Current record: 37–13
Previous ranking: 2
While everyone was having a minor freakout over Andrew Wiggins’s All-Star selection, Klay Thompson was quietly staging a revival—averaging 18 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4 assists over his last three games, while hitting 45.5% of his threes, including a dagger three to finish off the Nets on Saturday. After a brief post–New Year’s hangover, the Warriors have won five straight and seven of their last nine.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
Current record: 35–17
Previous ranking: 4
We need a new rule: If Ja Morant does anything as spectacular as this windmill dunk against the Wizards, it has to count, even if there was an offensive foul on the play.
4. Miami Heat
Current record: 32–18
Previous ranking: 3
Last five games for Jimmy Butler: 23.6 points, 8.8 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals. He might be the least-appreciated superstar in the league, playing for the most-slept-on contender. That the Heat are now leading the East, despite the number of games missed by Butler (18), Bam Adebayo (25) and Kyle Lowry (11) is truly remarkable.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
Current record: 30–19
Previous ranking: 11
Are we sure Philly can’t win a title without Ben Simmons (or the trade package he’ll eventually bring back)? As of now, the Sixers are just one game out of first in the loss column, in a year with no clear favorite in the East. Joel Embiid might be the new leader in the MVP race, averaging 34 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists over his last 15 games.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Current record: 30–20
Previous ranking: 9
In October, you’d have projected the Cavs as a seller at the trade deadline, given their youth, low expectations and, frankly, the need to offload some vets, including Kevin Love and his large contract. Now? Even with Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton out, the Cavs look like serious players in the East race, and Love suddenly feels essential for the first time since LeBron left town in 2018.
7. Chicago Bulls
Current record: 31–18
Previous ranking: 10
A year ago, the Nikola Vučević trade looked like a bold stroke—and a slightly desperate one, for a Bulls team desperate to make the playoffs. They fell far short of that goal, and the trade looked like a dud. But Vooch is, belatedly, making a case for himself. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the last 10 games, including a dominant 24 and 14 in Sunday’s demolition of the Blazers.
8. Denver Nuggets
Current record: 28–21
Previous ranking: 14
I’m a stickler for the unwritten rule that the MVP should come from a contending team, and I’ve argued against Nikola Jokić as recently as, er, two weeks ago. But man, he’s going to make this tough. The Nuggets have won five straight and 10 of their last 13, on the strength of Jokić’s all-around dominance. He averaged 27.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 10.6 assists over that span, while shooting 45.5% from three and 61.5% overall. Denver is just a game out of fourth now, despite the season-long absences of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
Current record: 31–21
Previous ranking: 6
No matter how you feel about Grayson Allen—or his flagrant foul that led to Alex Caruso’s fractured wrist—his one-game suspension by the NBA was justified. Indeed, there are plenty of league observers who thought it was light. So it was frankly strange—and highly unusual—to see the Bucks issue a statement decrying the suspension and expressing support for Allen. Sure, it’s generally good for a franchise to support its players. But you’re not obligated to endorse dangerous play, especially by a player with a history of cheap shots, and certainly not when his actions resulted in a serious injury. Read the room, Bucks.
10. Dallas Mavericks
Current record: 29–22
Previous ranking: 8
You know what we’re all really bad at? Assessing NBA coaches. Raise your hand if you thought the Mavericks would be worse under Jason Kidd, and the Pacers would be much-improved under Rick Carlisle. (My hand is up.) The Mavs are 12–4 since Jan. 1, with the No. 1 defense in the NBA, and they just obliterated the Pacers. The Mavs have roughly the same winning percentage as last season, despite substandard play from Luka Dončić and despite Dončić and Kristaps Porziņģis each missing roughly a month of games. Meanwhile, the Pacers are beyond dismal, despite Carlisle’s reputation for getting the most out of players.
11. Brooklyn Nets
Current record: 29–20
Previous ranking: 5
Remember when everyone was projecting a Nets-Lakers Finals, owing to their respective Big Threes? Good times. The Nets have lost four in a row and are 6–10 in 2022. (The Lakers are 6–8.) This team just isn’t very good without Kevin Durant, which is either a damning statement about Kyrie Irving and James Harden, an indictment of the supporting cast, or both. The Nets are just 6–8 since Irving returned as a part-time player, and 4–4 in the games he’s actually played.
12. Utah Jazz
Current record: 30–21
Previous ranking: 7
I don’t care much about All-Star “snubs” (a comically overwrought annual discussion), but man, does Rudy Gobert have a serious grievance. He’ll surely be voted in as a reserve by the coaches, and the world will spin on. But losing in the fan voting to Andrew Wiggins—a good player but one who doesn’t have nearly the impact Gobert does—has to sting. He finished ninth—ninth!—among frontcourt players in the fan vote. He was fourth in the player vote, which was at least respectable. Only the media had him high enough (third) to win a starting spot. Gobert is almost single-handedly responsible for the Jazz’s being elite defensively year after year. He’s just weirdly polarizing, and/or undervalued.
13. Atlanta Hawks
Current record: 24–25
Previous ranking: 17
Trae Young is on a tear, and the Hawks have won seven straight, tying their best streak this season. This is the bouncy, aggressive, swaggering Hawks team we thought we’d get after their run to the conference finals last spring. Maybe Cam Reddish’s brooding demeanor was holding them back this whole time?
14. Toronto Raptors
Current record: 24–23
Previous ranking: 16
Can an NBA team be delightful? This one is. They’re young, talented, energetic and entertaining. No, the Raptors still haven’t found a franchise star to fill the hole Kawhi Leonard left three years ago, but the foundation here is solid. Shameless plug: Go read my story on Fred VanVleet, who should make the All-Star team as a reserve.
15. Charlotte Hornets
Current record: 28–23
Previous ranking: 13
For all their passing and pyrotechnics, the Hornets are still missing a little offensive pop in the paint. Maybe they can pry Jusuf Nurkić loose from Portland?
16. Boston Celtics
Current record: 26–25
Previous ranking: 12
It’s great that Marcus Smart views himself as a top-flight starting point guard, as he told reporters Friday, pushing back on the notion the Celtics need an upgrade at the position. But here’s the thing: The Celtics need an upgrade at the position. That’s not a knock on Smart, a tenacious defender and passionate player. He’s just been miscast as the starting point guard, which is the fault of a front office that keeps losing/jettisoning playmakers, from Isaiah Thomas to Kyrie Irving to Terry Rozier to Kemba Walker. Imagine how much better this team would be with, say, Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
Current record: 25–25
Previous ranking: 15
Last week, Anthony Edwards went on ESPN and declared himself the hardest player in the league to guard, called himself “unstoppable” and said the Wolves could “beat anybody” in the playoffs. He also embraced the nickname “Black Jesus.” One day, we’ll bring back the All-Interview team, and Edwards will make it unanimously.
18. Los Angeles Clippers
Current record: 26–26
Previous ranking: 20
Tyronn Lue might not get many votes for Coach of the Year, given the Clippers’ record, but he needs to be in the discussion for what this team is doing without its two biggest stars. No Kawhi Leonard since last spring. No Paul George since Dec. 22. And yet here they are, hanging in at .500, with a blowout win over the Hornets on Sunday, and solid wins this month over the Hawks, Nuggets, Wizards and Sixers.
19. Portland Trail Blazers
Current record: 21–29
Previous ranking: 22
As if an abysmal, depressing season couldn’t get worse … now the Blazers have lost Nassir Little, their promising young forward, to what appears to be a season-ending shoulder injury, just as he was starting to blossom. There are only two questions left here: Will the Blazers spin off their top veterans—in particular, Jusuf Nurkić, Robert Covington and perhaps CJ McCollum—by the Feb. 10 trade deadline? And can they do enough to retool between now and next season to justify keeping Damian Lillard?
20. Los Angeles Lakers
Current record: 24–27
Previous ranking: 18
Remember when everyone was projecting a Nets-Lakers Finals, owing to their respective Big Threes? Good times. Oh, did I already say that earlier, in the Nets item? Look, if the Lakers are going to sleepwalk through the season, I can do the same. This alleged superteam has lost eight of its last 11 games. I’m just looking forward to the oral histories of the Russell Westbrook trade, which might turn out to be the most catastrophic deal in franchise history.
21. New York Knicks
Current record: 23–27
Previous ranking: 21
Ain’t no honeymoon shorter than a New York honeymoon. Last year, Knicks fans were ready to retire Julius Randle’s jersey and build a statue of Tom Thibodeau. Now fans are booing Randle and openly wondering whether Thibs is the right guy for the job. Half the rotation—including their signature signings, Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier—is now on the trade market. (And where is team president Leon Rose? The man has been on the job for two years and has yet to explain, well, anything.) Last season is looking more like an aberration every day.
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22. Washington Wizards
Current record: 23–26
Previous ranking: 19
Has a team ever gone from feel-good story to colossal disappointment so quickly within a half season? The Wiz were 10–3 on Nov. 15 and (rightfully) winning praise for dumping Russell Westbrook on the Lakers for a package of sturdy role players. They’re 13–23 since then and are riding a five-game losing streak.
23. San Antonio Spurs
Current record: 19–32
Previous ranking: 26
Still my favorite speculative destination for Ben Simmons, who would surely benefit from being in a small market, playing for a Hall of Fame coach and getting tutored by one of the best shooting coaches in the league, Chip Engelland.
24. Indiana Pacers
Current record: 18–33
Previous ranking: 23
This might be the ultimate example of a team that looks 10 times better on paper than in reality. Yes, the Pacers have had their share of injuries—including Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon—but there’s too much talent here to be this bad. Indy might rank second to the Kings in “teams that desperately need to make a trade.”
25. New Orleans Pelicans
Current record: 18–31
Previous ranking: 24
Any news on Zion? No? Moving on …
26. Sacramento Kings
Current record: 18–33
Previous ranking: 25
No team in the league is more in need of a wrecking ball than this one. If they don’t make at least one trade by Feb. 10 (Marvin Bagley III, Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, the head custodian), I’d be stunned. On the plus side, Tyrese Haliburton just keeps getting better. The second-year guard is averaging 17.2 points, 8.7 assists and shooting 39% from three in the month of January. I don’t know when this team will regain respectability, but Haliburton might just be the one who leads them there.
27. Houston Rockets
Current record: 14–35
Previous ranking: 27
Christian Wood can be maddening at times, but he’s a really versatile big who can put up numbers and seems like he’d be more valuable to a playoff team than the meandering Rockets. Could the Bucks, Mavericks or Hornets pry him loose?
28. Detroit Pistons
Current record: 12–37
Previous ranking: 29
Head-to-head matchups shouldn’t matter much in the Rookie of the Year race, especially if they don’t play the same position. But Cade Cunningham left a nice impression on both his biggest rival (and awards voters) on Sunday, putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory over Evan Mobley and the Cavaliers. Mobley still leads this race, but Cunningham has come on strong recently, averaging 20.8 points, 7 assists and 6.2 rebounds over his last five games.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
Current record: 14–34
Previous ranking: 28
Wake me up when they trade all those picks for someone.
30. Orlando Magic
Current record: 11-40
Previous ranking: 30
Stealth Rookie of the Year candidate: Franz Wagner, now second in scoring among all rookies, at 15.7 points per game, ninth in rebounding (4.6) and sixth in assists (2.9). Between the Wagner brothers, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and the Wendell Carter Jr. revival, the Magic are starting to become interesting.
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