Just because the NBA season just ended — with the Oklahoma City Thunder claiming their first championship since relocating to the city — that doesn’t mean that the balance of power across the league hasn’t already shifted.
The 2025 NBA Draft provided a chance for plenty of teams to infuse young talent into their rosters with the aim, aside from Oklahoma City, to become the eighth different team in as many years to win the title.
Free agency, which is right around the corner (beginning Monday, June 30), presents the next chance for teams to add to their rosters.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ post-playoffs, post-NBA draft power rankings:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The NBA champs have their young core in place, players like 2024-25 rookie Nikola Topić — a skilled, 19-year-old guard who didn’t step on the court at all this season — and added a skilled big in Thomas Sorber at No. 15 who should develop in the program.
2. Houston Rockets
A dynamic young team with an excellent coach in Ime Udoka just took a huge, win-now swing for an elite player in Kevin Durant. The Rockets could become very dangerous.
3. New York Knicks
A lot will depend on the head coach they hire, but — given the massive injury ramifications across the East — the Knicks get a boost just because they have their core healthy.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Their first-round draft pick — mobile big man Joan Beringer — is an 18-year-old project who doesn’t help the Timberwolves get past the conference finals hump, but they have a very good core in place.
5. Indiana Pacers
It’s tough to see the Eastern Conference champs (and a team that pushed the Thunder to seven games) this far down, but Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear is devastating.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
They were bounced out of the playoffs far earlier than they wanted, but in coach Kenny Atkinson’s first year, the Cavaliers led the NBA in most shooting and offensive metrics.
7. Denver Nuggets
With a full offseason to settle into the job, new coach David Adelman should create a more unified vision for the Nuggets. They’ll need more depth, but Nikola Jokić remains a force.
8. Los Angeles Clippers
After finishing the regular season strongly, the Clippers took the Nuggets to seven games. The roster is definitely aging so the window to win is right now.
9. Los Angeles Lakers
With a full offseason to develop an offense that suits Luka Dončić and LeBron James, coach JJ Redick should get more out of the Lakers, whom the Timberwolves eliminated in five games in the first round. Still, L.A. needs to find a center.
10. Boston Celtics
The team is undergoing a transition, with Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday gone in luxury-tax-trimming moves and potentially more on the way out. The Achilles tear to Jayson Tatum, however, is most devastating for Boston’s chances to get another title.
11. Golden State Warriors
Adding Jimmy Butler certainly made Golden State more competitive, but the Warriors’ leaders are 37 (Stephen Curry), and 35 (Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green).
12. Detroit Pistons
They broke out last season and played the Knicks very tough in the first round. They should only become more competitive as Detroit’s young core continues to develop.
13. Orlando Magic
Injuries derailed their season, but adding Desmond Bane should make the defensive-minded Magic a little more consistent with their shooting.
14. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo may be assessing his future with the Bucks, who have lost three consecutive playoff series and saw Damian Lillard suffer a torn Achilles.
15. San Antonio Spurs
All of a sudden, the Spurs have a dynamic and hyper-athletic core. Victor Wembanyama is the obvious centerpiece, but Stephon Castle, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox is almost too much talent at one position.
16. Memphis Grizzlies
They were able to find their replacement for Desmond Bane on a budget, trading for the rights to Washington State guard Cedric Coward at No. 11. Memphis needs to minimize turnovers.
17. Atlanta Hawks
With the additions of Kristaps Porziņģis and forward Asa Newell at No. 23, the Hawks got tremendous value and may be a surprise team in the wide-open East.
18. Dallas Mavericks
It’s a shame Kyrie Irving will miss time with a torn anterior cruciate ligament because the fit with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis would be fascinating to watch.
19. Chicago Bulls
This feels like a team at a crossroads and one that has been middling in the play-in window. Noa Essengue is an exciting young player, but the Bulls need help now.
20. Miami Heat
Having struck out on Kevin Durant and having traded away Jimmy Butler, the Heat seem like a team stuck in the middle and without a clear direction. They needed play-making at guard and Kasparas Jakučionis provides plenty of it, but he’s likely a few years away from consistent production.
21. Philadelphia 76ers
This placement comes with a massive caveat. The 76ers have plenty of talent — young, mid-career and veterans in decline — but Philadelphia absolutely needs Joel Embiid to stay healthy. Regardless, VJ Edgecombe infuses dynamic athleticism on both ends.
22. Toronto Raptors
It will be interesting to see how Brandon Ingram, who didn’t play in a single game for Toronto with an ankle injury, incorporates into the offense. Same for rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, taken No. 9 overall.
23. Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is a team that may be looking to offload some of its veteran pieces, potentially signaling an impending rebuild.
24. Phoenix Suns
They’ll be without Kevin Durant and will have a new coach in Jordan Ott. They still need to figure out their Bradley Beal problem.
25. Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers have amassed four centers, three of which are 7-footers (Donovan Clingan, Deandre Ayton, Yang Hansen). The other is Robert Williams (6-foot-9).
26. New Orleans Pelicans
They actually have a lot of young and dynamic talent, with No. 13 overall pick Derik Queen being the latest piece. The fit is what’s questionable.
27. Washington Wizards
The trade of Jordan Poole should open up things for No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson, but the continued development of Alex Sarr is arguably the most important piece for Washington.
28. Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn had an interesting draft, selecting five first rounders, four of which were guards.
29. Utah Jazz
Danny Ainge had a tremendous draft, getting great value with wing Ace Bailey at No. 5 and guard Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 18.
30. Charlotte Hornets
Frankly, there’s not a whole lot about the Hornets that’s exciting. They did, however, add a pair of excellent shooters in the first round of the draft in Kon Knueppel (No. 4) and Liam McNeeley (No. 29). Getting Ryan Kalkbrenner early in the second round was another high-value move.
