We’re one week from the 2025 NBA trade deadline, and while there haven’t been any major moves leading up to Feb. 6, there have been developments across both conferences.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reportedthe Sacramento Kings are open to trade talks regarding star guard De’Aaron Fox. Plus, to add to the ongoing Jimmy Butler trade saga, Charania also reportedthe Miami Heatare in “active conversations” with “multiple teams” to move the disgruntled superstar.
With All-Star guards potentially on the move, teams will be keeping a close eye on the standings as they push through the regular season. Are there any league-shifting trades in the works? How will that affect a team’s strategy moving forward? Also, how will it affect our power rankings?
All good things to ponder as our NBA insiders break down this week’s list.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton) think teams belong this season.
Previous rankings: Preseason| Oct. 30| Nov. 5| Nov. 13| Nov. 20| Nov. 27| Dec. 4| Dec. 11| Dec. 18| Dec. 25| Jan. 1| Jan. 8| Jan. 15| Jan. 22
Jump to a team:br/>ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLEbr/>DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | INDbr/>LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MINbr/>NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHXbr/>POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA| WAS
Center Isaiah Hartenstein picked up where he left off after sitting out five games because of a lower calf strain, recording 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and a block in a win over Portland on Sunday. The Thunder are 23-2 when Hartenstein plays. Four of Oklahoma City’s eight losses have occurred when the Thunder didn’t have Hartenstein or fellow 7-footer Chet Holmgren, with one loss coming on the night Holmgren fractured his pelvis earlier this season. — Tim MacMahon
To start the season, it took Cleveland 20 games before it picked up its third loss. Last week, the Cavs dropped three in a row, their longest losing streak this season. Each of the defeats was gutting in its own way: Darius Garland missed two potential winning free throws with 2.1 seconds left against Houston; Ty Jerome‘s career-high 33 points weren’t enough to get by a Joel Embiid-less Sixers squad; and then another loss to the Rockets despite a 17-point rally in the fourth. — Dave McMenamin
Boston suffered another loss Monday, this time to the Rockets on a last-second shot, dropping the Celtics to 13-11 since Dec. 7. But over that stretch, Boston still ranks eighth in offense, fourth in defense and third in net rating. Considering that Boston is coming off yet another deep Finals run, had three players in the Olympics, went to Abu Dhabi during the preseason and the general malaise that comes with a long season, it’s hard to get too concerned about a team that has stayed consistently near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. — Tim Bontemps
Memphis won six in a row before a rough road setback Monday against the Knicks. Jaren Jackson Jr. has developed into a go-to scorer as the Grizzlies continue to tinker with a new wide-open offense that could prove problematic for teams in the postseason. First, Memphis needs to solve its issues dealing with physical teams and the Grizzlies will get another test in that respect Thursday against a Rockets squad that has beaten them three times this season. — Michael Wright
Coming off its 16th clutch win of the season Monday at Boston, Houston bested Atlanta on the road Tuesday on the second night of a back to back. The Rockets are tied with the Suns for clutch victories this season, and they’ve won 10 of their past 12 outings and 10 of their past 11 on the road. Second-year forward Amen Thompson is surging, scoring 20-plus points in three of his past six games as Houston collected three wins in the last week over the East-leading Cavaliers and Celtics before Wednesday’s win at Atlanta. — Wright
The Knicks had gone 45 years without a 143-point showing in a regulation contest before doing it in back-to-back games Saturday and Monday. The NBA’s second-most efficient offense notched consecutive wins over the Kings and Grizzlies by that tally — the Knicks’ 60th straight win when holding at least a 15-point lead, the longest active streak in the NBA. The Knicks will continue to be tested, though: They have the East’s hardest remaining slate as they head into February and are only one game behind the second-place Celtics. — Chris Herring
After winning eight of nine games, the Nuggets opened a five-game road swing with consecutive losses at Minnesota and Chicago. Aaron Gordon has been ramping up in his return from a calf injury and has yet to play more than 25 minutes in his past eight games coming off the bench. But Russell Westbrook has played well, shooting 62.7% and averaging 13.1 points and 5.6 assists, in his past six games. — Ohm Youngmisuk
With wins in nine of their past 12 games, the Bucks have taken hold of the No. 4 seed in the East as they try to at least secure home-court advantage in the first round. The next three games for Milwaukee will provide a test against playoff teams from the Western Conference: on the road against San Antonio before hosting Memphis then heading to Oklahoma City on a back-to-back. — Jamal Collier
9. LA Clippers
The Clippers have three players who have arguments to make the All-Star Game: James Harden,Norman Powelland Ivica Zubac. Harden has a double-double in six of his past eight games, averaging 23.1 points and 10.2 assists in that span. After having 40 points and nine assists in a win over Milwaukee last Saturday, Harden became the seventh player with at least three 40-point games in a season at age 35 or older in NBA history. He also has 10 games with 20 points and 10 assists this season, joining LeBron James, Steve Nash and Lenny Wilkens as the only players 35 or older to do so, according to ESPN research. — Youngmisuk
Over the Lakers’ four-game win streak coming into Tuesday, Anthony Davis averaged 32.8 points on 58.2% shooting, 15 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. The dominant stretch happened to coincide with Davis telling ESPN’s Sham Charania that, “I think we need another big,” before the trade deadline passes. That momentum came crashing down for both Davis and L.A. in Philly on Tuesday night, with Davis exiting early because of an abdominal strain and the Lakers getting blown out. — McMenamin
Wolves coach Chris Finch took issue with the team’s second-half performance during a win over the Hawks on Monday, calling out the best players for not coming out with more intensity. Minnesota has still won three games in a row, climbing up to seventh place in the Western Conference. They’ll have a chance to win back the confidence of their coaches, beginning with back-to-back road games in Phoenix and Utah. The Wolves then return home to host the Wizards and Kings. — Collier
12. Indiana Pacers
After a two-game trip to Paris, the Pacers return home for a game for the first time in 11 days on Wednesday against the Pistons. Indiana split games with San Antonio while in France and has continued to look like a different team since the calendar flipped to 2025. Since the beginning of January, the Pacers rank sixth in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency. Indiana’s 10.2 net rating this month is the second best in the NBA, behind only Oklahoma City. — Collier
13. Dallas Mavericks
Klay Thompson‘s 21-point explosion in the first quarter of Monday’s blowout win over the Wizards was more than he had scored in his previous three games combined. He matched a franchise record and his own this season by making seven 3-pointers in the quarter. “You do that, it reminds you that there’s greatness still within you,” Thompson said postgame. — MacMahon
14. Phoenix Suns
Benched center Jusuf Nurkic caused some waves last week when he told the Arizona Republic that he and coach Mike Budenholzer “don’t have a relationship.” But it’s hard to argue with Budenholzer’s faith in newly-acquired big man Nick Richards. Since trading with Charlotte for Richards earlier this month, the Suns are 4-1 and he has fit in swimmingly — averaging 11.8 points on 62.9% shooting and 11.2 rebounds. — McMenamin
15. Sacramento Kings
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday the Kings are expected to open up talks to trade De’Aaron Fox before next Thursday’s deadline, which would take Sacramento in a different direction. Currently built to win now with veteran starters DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings will have a difficult time replacing Fox who is averaging 25.2 points and 6.2 assists. Sacramento’s decision has a ripple effect on the Hawks, who get the Kings’ first-round pick from the Kevin Huerter trade if it lands outside the top 12 picks. — Kevin Pelton
16. Detroit Pistons
Since their five-game winning streak to start January, the Pistons have been no more than two games in either direction from .500. An impressive pair of wins last week at Houston and Atlanta were followed by more disappointing performances in a loss at Orlando and a 19-point defeat Monday against the East-leading Cavaliers. After wrapping up their five-game trip Wednesday in Indiana, Detroit will be home through the All-Star break. — Pelton
17. Miami Heat
With Jimmy Butler now suspended through the trade deadline, the Heat will get a 10-day respite from the nonstop drama surrounding their star forward. The question is still the same one that has lingered over the franchise for months: Will there be a suitable deal for Butler by 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 6, or will this standoff drag on for the rest of the season and into the summer? — Bontemps
18. Orlando Magic
On Saturday, the Magic had their top three players (Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner) available at the same time for a game since October, and they ended a five-game losing streak with a win over Detroit. The good health was short-lived: Suggs subsequently sat out Monday because of a quadriceps contusion as Orlando lost a double-overtime heartbreaker in Miami. The Magic are 16-9 with a plus-4.2 differential in the 25 games Suggs and Wagner have played together, despite Banchero sitting out the majority of them. — Pelton
The Warriors are in the middle of a stretch in which they play eight of nine games at home but have lost three of the first six games in that span. Stephen Curry has said that this stretch could “make or break” the Warriors’ season as they try to stay above water without Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga. Green (calf) has been cleared to return to practice later this week, but Kuminga will be out for at least another two weeks after injuring his ankle on Jan. 4. The Warriors, who beat Utah on Tuesday, host Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Orlando. Following that, Golden State plays seven consecutive road games and won’t return to Chase Center until after the All-Star break. — Youngmisuk
Losers of four of their last five, San Antonio hosts former Spur Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers on Wednesday at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs should be well-rested after spending last week in Paris for two games against Indiana, which included a 38-point loss in which San Antonio coughed up a season-high 24 turnovers. Victor Wembanyama scored only three points on three field-goal attempts in the second half. But he has produced three consecutive showings with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, one shy from tying a career-high four straight outings putting up those numbers. — Wright
21. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta has taken six straight losses since beating the defending champion Celtics on the road in overtime. How bad has the Hawks’ offense been in that span? The Hawks join the tanking Nets and Wizards as the only teams to score less than 100 points per 100 possessions over the past five outings. To be fair,Trae Young sat out Monday in a loss against the Wolves, but that still doesn’t explain the Hawks’ struggles. De’Andre Hunter had a career-best 35 points against Minnesota, but the Hawks will need other players stepping up to stay in contention. — Herring
To show how weak the bottom of the Eastern Conference is: The 76ers lost seven games in a row earlier this month before pulling off back-to-back victories over the Cavaliers and Bulls and gained a game on the 10th-place Bulls in that span. This is why the ongoing belief is that no matter how hard Philadelphia tries, it’s probably going to remain in the fight for a play-in spot until the end of the season. — Bontemps
23. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls picked up an upset victory over the Nuggets this week before heading out on a three-game trip, which takes them through Boston, Toronto and Detroit. But the Bulls are expected to be without their leading scorer Zach LaVine, who will sit out the trip for personal reasons. LaVine’s wife posted on social media that she’s expecting the birth of their third child. — Collier
The Blazers’ four-game winning streak, including a perfect 3-0 trip to the Southeast, was their longest since starting the 2022-23 season 4-0 when Damian Lillard led the way. Even the loss that ended the streak was impressive: a 10-point loss at home to the league-leading Thunder. It’s no coincidence the uptick came with Deni Avdija‘s return to the lineup. Avdija averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals in those five games. After combining for only 17 points in his first three games back on the bench, all wins, Scoot Henderson had 25 against Oklahoma City. — Pelton
After beating New Orleans on Monday night, Toronto has now won six of its last seven games, including sweeping a two-game series in Atlanta and beating the defending champion Celtics. It has been a nice uptick in form for a Raptors team that won only two games in December and is again without Immanuel Quickley, this time because of a left hip strain. — Bontemps
26. Brooklyn Nets
It has been tough sledding for Brooklyn, which has lost seven straight — and 12 of its past 13 — heading into a Wednesday matchup with the Hornets. Center Nic Claxton has struggled this season and is amid a career-worst 54.0% in efficiency shooting from the field. But with the Nets in a rebuilding season, the young big has shown great potential and instincts. — Herring
The team had a different leading scorer for each of its past four games, a positive for a club whose leading scorer, LaMelo Ball, averages upward of 28 points. The Hornets, now second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings, can desperately use some development beyond Ball’s ability to score; particularly with second-year wing Brandon Miller out indefinitely because of a wrist injury. — Herring
New Orleans finished its most recent three-game trip winless, after cobbling together four straight victories before the start of the trek. The Pelicans face a banged-up Dallas squad Wednesday with Zion Williamson coming off back-to-back games with 28 points or more with seven-plus rebounds. Brandon Ingram, a mainstay in trade-deadline rumors, hasn’t played since Dec. 7 (left ankle sprain), and it doesn’t appear he’ll be back soon. New Orleans is 4-22 this season against sub-.500 teams with an upcoming schedule that includes the Mavericks, Celtics and two road clashes against the Nuggets. — Wright
29. Utah Jazz
Veteran power forward/center John Collins doesn’t play often these days, but his rare performances haven’t diminished trade interest in him. Collins played in only two games during Utah’s 3-14 stretch entering Tuesday night’s matchup with the Warriors in which Collins sat out. He averaged 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 62.1% from the field in his two appearances over the past month. — MacMahon
Washington has lost 14 straight games and has won a total of only 21 games since the beginning of last season. Kyle Kuzma indicated he wanted to be more aggressive, which means not fitting into the franchise’s direction of developing its young prospects. After having 30 points and 11 rebounds in a 119-109 loss at Phoenix on Saturday, Kuzma told reporters, “I just decided to be myself and not really just try to fit into everything that we’re doing here, and just really played in the moment.” Perhaps Kuzma will be more open to trade discussions this time than he was last season at the deadline. — Youngmisuk
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