The calendar year is about to close and NBA action is about to heat up.
Not only is the trade deadline a little more than a month away, but we finally have a new No. 1 atop these power rankings.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated basketball for a full season and then some, but they have hit a recent skid, losing four of their last seven — which came after a 16-game winning streak.
The Thunder still have reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the young core remains intact, so it’s not time to sound the alarms.
It’s clear, however, that there are at least some challengers capable of playing with OKC.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 9 of the 2025-26 regular season:
USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings
Note: Records and stats through Dec. 28. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Top 5
1. San Antonio Spurs, 23-8 (+2)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder, 27-5 (-1)
3. Detroit Pistons, 24-8 (-1)
4. New York Knicks, 22-9 (—)
5. Denver Nuggets, 22-9 (—)
You don’t defeat the top team and defending champions three times in the span of 13 days without taking an edge over them. The Spurs may not be all the way complete, but with Victor Wembanyama all the way back and their trio of speedy guards pushing pace, San Antonio may be breaking out as an incredibly dangerous team. The Spurs, at least right now, are just that. The Nuggets got a massive day from Nikola Jokić on Christmas Day, but three losses in five games is a bit of a concern.
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Nos. 6-10
6. Boston Celtics, 19-12 (+3)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves, 20-12 (—)
8. Houston Rockets, 19-10 (—)
9.Los Angeles Lakers, 20-10 (-3)
10. Phoenix Suns, 18-13 (+2)
Boston is quietly lurking, though its schedule has been relatively light with no games played yet against Western Conference powers: the Spurs, Thunder or Nuggets. The Timberwolves will kick themselves for giving away a nine-point lead in overtime to the Nuggets Christmas Day, a game that could carry seeding implications down the road. The big concern for the Lakers is that they still haven’t figured out how to play cohesively with both Luka Dončić and LeBron James both on the floor; losing Austin Reaves (calf) for extended time doesn’t help, either.
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Nos. 11-15
11. Orlando Magic, 18-14 (—)
12. Toronto Raptors, 19-14 (+1)
13. Miami Heat, 17-15 (+5)
14. Cleveland Cavaliers, 17-16 (—)
15. Philadelphia 76ers, 16-14 (-5)
Every team in this middle pack suffers from lack of consistency; the Magic have seemingly alternated between wins and losses all December. The Cavaliers clearly need to rework their roster, so expect them to be active before the trading deadline. After jumping up the rankings last week, the Sixers have dropped three consecutive and need improved perimeter shooting from role players.
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Nos. 16-20
16. Golden State Warriors, 16-16 (+3)
17. Memphis Grizzlies, 15-17 (—)
18. Chicago Bulls, 15-16 (-2)
19. Milwaukee Bucks, 13-19 (+4)
20. Atlanta Hawks, 15-18 (-5)
The Bulls have actually won five of their last six and are playing far quicker (ranking second in pace at 103.64), but they’re victims of movement above them. Getting Giannis Antetokounmpo back and healthy is the boost the Bucks needed, though trade rumors will not go away. And the Hawks have lost six consecutive and are 0-5 in games Trae Young has played in since his return, averaging 133 points per game in those contests. Atlanta might be best served to ship him off.
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Nos. 21-25
21. Portland Trail Blazers, 13-19 (—)
22. Utah Jazz, 12-19 (—)
23. Los Angeles Clippers, 10-21 (+5)
24. Dallas Mavericks, 12-21 (-4)
25. Charlotte Hornets, 11-20 (-1)
Have the Clippers finally turned the corner? Winners of four consecutive, three of those have come against solid opponents (Pistons, Rockets, Lakers). Anthony Davis is hurt once again, and the Mavericks have lost four of five. And the Hornets have some markers of an improving team; they’re tied for first in defensive rebounding percentage (71.6%) and rank fifth in 3-pointers made per game (14.9).
NBA Week 10 power rankings: Nos. 26-30
26. Brooklyn Nets, 10-19 (-1)
27. New Orleans Pelicans, 8-25 (-1)
28. Sacramento Kings, 8-24 (+1)
29. Washington Wizards, 7-23 (+1)
30. Indiana Pacers, 6-26 (-3)
The Nets are on a little tear, winning three in a row against the Raptors, 76ers and Timberwolves. The Pelicans desperately need shooting, ranking dead last in the NBA in 3s made per game (10.6), and the Pacers are the worst offensive team in basketball, ranking last in rating (107.7). The return of Aaron Nesmith will help, but it won’t fix all their issues.
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