Avalanche
Brock Nelson has been a terrific No. 2 center spot for the Avs. He’s on pace for 40 goals, which would be a new career high at the age of 34. He also boasts a five-on-five expected goals share of 59.3%, which is better than Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. — 33-4-8
2

Lightning
Tampa has now rattled off 11 straight wins, but Brayden Point may have suffered a significant injury on Tuesday night. The Bolts have already thrived in spite of the injury bug this season, but a lengthy stretch without Point would really test their mettle. — 29-13-3
3

Red Wings
One of the biggest reasons for this surge from the Red Wings has been the play of John Gibson. He got off to an abysmal start with his new team, but he’s been a wall since the Christmas break. In his last seven appearances, Gibson has saved 8.87 goals above average. 3 28-16-4
4

Hurricanes
The on-ice goal differential may not show it, but K’Andre Miller has been excellent for the Canes. His 57.6% expected goals share is exceptional, and with 21 points in 39 games, he may well set a new career high in that category. — 28-15-4
5

Golden Knights
There’s a bender going on in Vegas. Mark Stone just scored goals in seven straight games. That streak came to an end on Sunday, and all he managed to do was register three assists against the Sharks. What a slacker. 8 21-11-12
6

Wild
The young Matt Boldy has taken his scoring to another level. He’s already up to 27 goals this season, which matches his total from 2024-25 and is just four away from his career high of 31. Boldly has seen a slight uptick in shots per game, but his finishing has been the difference with a 17.6% shooting percentage. 3 26-12-9
7

Canadiens
Juraj Slafkovsky has been scorching lately. Since Dec. 20, he’s fourth in the NHL with 18 points in just 13 games. Couple that with good five-on-five impacts, and the 21-year-old Slafkovsky seems to be climbing toward his potential in the NHL. 2 26-14-7
8

Sabres
Who needs Owen Power to take the next step when you have Mattias Samuelsson? The rangy defenseman has already set career highs in goals (7), assists (15) and points (22). Meanwhile, his plus-12 goal differential at five-on-five leads the team. — 24-16-4
9

Stars
Jake Oettinger hasn’t been very sharp since the Christmas break. In his last five stars, Oettinger has allowed at least three goals four times, and his save percentage is .861 in that span. Oettinger should get back on track, but he’s had a hand in the Stars’ recent dip. 4 27-11-9
10

Islanders
Mat Barzal is having a whale of a season, and that’s a welcome sight on Long Island after injuries limited him to 30 games in 2024-25. He’s up to 37 points, and the Islanders are hammering opponents when Barzal is on the ice. One of the NHL’s more underrated stars, Barzal is buoying his team. 3 25-16-5
11

Oilers
Since Zach Hyman rejoined the lineup on Nov. 15, he’s given the Oilers a big lift with 16 goals and 11 assists in 28 games. Over that span, Edmonton has gone 15-9-4 while climbing toward first place in the Pacific Division. 1 23-16-8
12

Panthers
With Aleksander Barkov out, Anton Lundell has struggled in a larger role. Due largely to increased ice time, Lundell is on pace for career highs in the traditional counting stats, but his five-on-five impacts leave a lot to be desired. Will Florida explore the trade market to find another center? 1 24-18-3
13

Bruins
Marat Khusnutdinov scored four goals against the Rangers last week. Prior to this season, he’d never scored more than three in a single campaign. Now up to nine goals and 20 points, Khusnutdinov has given Boston some unexpected depth scoring, even if the underlying numbers aren’t terribly flattering. 3 26-19-2
14

Flyers
Matvei Michkov update: Zero goals and three assists in his last eight games. His ice-time is now down more than two minutes per game compared to last season. Michkov’s sophomore slump has become a real concern for Philly. 2 22-14-8
15

Maple Leafs
Joseph Woll didn’t get his first start until Nov. 15 due to injury. Since then, he’s recorded 11.2 goals saved above average (8th in the NHL) and a .883 high-danger save percentage. He’s given the Leafs an edge in the crease as they make moves up the standings. 5 23-16-7
16

Penguins
Erik Karlsson will miss multiple weeks with a hand injury, and that is awful news for the Pens. The veteran defenseman has been a net positive at five-on-five, and he leads the team with 29 assists. This will be a tough blow for Pittsburgh as it tries to claw back into a playoff spot. 3 21-14-10
17

Kraken
After a few miserable seasons in Seattle, Philipp Grubauer is having a resurgence. His 10.1 goals saved above average are eighth in the NHL, and along with Joey Daccord, Grubauer has given the Kraken one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL. 6 21-15-8
18

Capitals
The Capitals just need to make Logan Thompson a workhorse in goal. That may be easier said than done due to a compressed Olympic schedule, but Charlie Lindgren has been somewhat of a liability. He’s allowed 3.62 goals above average and has a .796 high-danger save percentage behind a team that doesn’t have a ton of firepower up front. 3 24-17-6
19

Sharks
The next step in the Sharks’ rebuild has to be acquiring an impact defenseman. They have Sam Dickinson in the prospect pipeline, but he’s only 18 years old. San Jose is in dire need of blue liners who can drive play from the back end consistently. 1 23-19-3
20

Kings
Over the last month, the Kings’ goaltenders have combined for a .877 save percentage. Los Angeles simply cannot afford to have its goaltending falter for any kind of significant stretch because we know very well this team is unable to outscore its problems. 2 19-16-10
21

Devils
The Devils may not have landed Quinn Hughes. They may be four points out of a playoff spot. But at least they went into Minnesota and won the Hughes Bowl in decisive fashion. It’s the little things. — 23-21-2
22

Senators
What a week it’s been in Canada’s capital. The general manager calls out “trolls and sick people” for starting rumors about Linus Ullmark’s absence. Meanwhile, the team has lost four straight games in regulation. 8 21-19-5
23

Mammoth
Nate Schmidt has turned out to be a savvy addition. The veteran defenseman has a 59.2% expected goals share and a plus-17 goal differential at five-on-five. That’s on top of 13 points, which doesn’t sound like much but puts Schmidt on pace for his most since 2021-22. 3 23-20-4
24

Ducks
Third-year phenom Leo Carlsson got off to a blistering start, but he’s been ice cold as the Ducks have tumbled down the standings. Carlsson just snapped a 12-game goal drought on Saturday, and he has just one goal and four assists since Dec. 13. 7 22-21-3
25

Predators
Prior to Tuesday night’s win over the Oilers, the Predators surrendered the first goal in 10 straight games. They were 6-4-0 over that stretch. Nashville has lived dangerously in recent weeks, but it hasn’t mattered. The Preds have to draw first blood more often. — 22-20-4
26

Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets have pulled the fire alarm by firing Dean Evason just halfway through his second season. I don’t know what Columbus expected out of him, but we’ll see whether Rick Bowness can get more out of this group. 2 20-19-7
27

Blackhawks
Tyler Bertuzzi has been a real weapon for the Blackhawks on the power play this season. He’s got nine goals on the man advantage already, and that’s one shy of his career high with 39 games left on the schedule. 2 19-20-7
28

Flames
Mackenzie Weegar’s five-on-five results — which include a minus-23 goal differential — have been ugly. However, those results are largely driven by abysmal puck luck. His on-ice PDO is .930, which is almost inconceivable. 1 19-23-4
29

Jets
Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi have combined for 46.3% of the Jets’ goals. No other player is on pace for more than 14 tallies this season. Winnipeg has an extremely top-heavy offense. 3 18-22-5
30

Blues
It sounds like the Blues are on the verge of hanging a “For Sale” sign out in front of the Enterprise Center. That’s probably a wise move because the trade market is flooded with demand, but no teams have been willing to provide the supply. — 18-21-8
31

Rangers
Over the last month, the Rangers have exactly two regulation wins. This team, which is now below .500, is bad. There’s just no other way to slice it. 7 20-21-6
32

Canucks
Brock Boeser hasn’t scored since Nov. 28, which amounts to a 21-game drought. He only has five assists over that span. Ouch. 1 16-25-5

The 2026 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner (Feb. 5, 3 p.m. ET) and teams are hitting the midseason mark as the pace is starting to pick up around the league.

The biggest name to kick off this trade season was Trae Young, as the four-time All-Star is now a Washington Wizard after eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. But the trade buzz doesn’t stop there, as Ja Morant, star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, is officially available as the team is entertaining trade offers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

As for the actual standings, keep your eyes on the race for the top six seeds and the play-in in both conferences, as teams have just over 40 games left in the regular season and only a few clear runaways for the top spots.

With 23 days left until the trade deadline and just about three months left in the regular season, here are where our NBA insiders rank all 30 teams in this week’s power rankings.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

Positive news: Nikola Topic, the Serbian guard drafted No. 12 by the Thunder in 2024, announced that he’s back on the court after completing a recent round of chemotherapy treatment. Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the regular season, stepping away from basketball right when it appeared his NBA career was about to begin. Topic sat out his rookie season rehabbing an ACL tear but had been cleared for his preseason debut in early October, scoring 10 points in 31 minutes. Days later, the cancer diagnosis was announced. — Anthony Slater

The injury bug has hit the Pistons. Cade Cunningham has sat out the past two games, and Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris were out because of injuries. But Detroit is now riding a robust four straight days off to recover before playing Phoenix on Thursday. The Pistons’ 30-point beatdown of the Knicks sent shockwaves around the league about their postseason prospects. Important to note before the deadline: The Pistons have a $14 million trade exception they can use before it expires in July — they should be looking for shooting help and perhaps a secondary scorer next to Cunningham. If there’s a short-term impact player they can acquire who can keep their books in order for the future, they will certainly explore it. — Vincent Goodwill

The dog days of the NBA season have fallen upon San Antonio and its trio of guards in De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper, who have struggled in recent games. When the Spurs defeated Oklahoma City on Christmas Day, they had already traveled more than 13,000 miles (more than twice the leaguewide average at that point), spending 26 of 34 days on the road, only to start January with three consecutive back-to-back sets. San Antonio knows a break is on the horizon, but it must continue to fight to maintain its standing near the top of the West. — Michael C. Wright

• 2025-26 record: 27-13

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: @ DAL (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 17), vs. CHA (Jan. 18), vs. LAL (Jan. 20)

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a tremendous bargain on a veteran’s minimum deal, averaging 13.8 points while shooting career bests of 46.3% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range. Hardaway has benefited from playing with NBA assists leader Nikola Jokic, who has fed Hardaway on 18.7% of his buckets this season. But Hardaway has also been a huge factor in the Nuggets remaining competitive during Jokic’s absence, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 42.6% on 3s since the three-time MVP injured his knee. — Tim MacMahon

Rudy Gobert is having a great season and is once again making himself a contender to finish high in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But Gobert sat out Tuesday night’s game against the Bucks because of a one-game suspension for flagrant foul points, and will sit out more time this season for suspensions for every additional flagrant foul he accrues — something that could become a problem for a Minnesota team that relies on his defensive impact. — Tim Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 25-14

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: @ SAC (Jan. 14), @ GS (Jan. 15), vs. PHX (Jan. 17), vs. DAL (Jan. 19)

The Knicks were relieved when they welcomed back Josh Hart after he sat out eight games because of an ankle injury that occurred on Christmas Day. During his absence, the Knicks went 3-5 and sported the third-worst defensive rating. Hart’s 18 points and six rebounds in their 123-114 win over Portland signaled a return to normalcy — somewhat. Owner James Dolan stated last week that he expects a Finals run with this roster. But over the past few weeks, sources say the Knicks are looking for a backup big and takers for free agent signing Guerschon Yabusele. — Goodwill

On Saturday, it was Jaylen Brown expressing frustration with the referees after losing to the Spurs. On Monday, it was Joe Mazzulla just repeating “illegal screen” in response to every question after a close loss to the Pacers. The result, though, is the same. And now Boston has dropped three of its past four games and has gone from having a chance to secure second place in the East to being in third, with the Raptors and Sixers closing in quickly. — Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 24-16

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: @ DET (Jan. 15), @ NYK (Jan. 17), @ BKN (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 20)

Phoenix guard Jalen Green, who has been limited to only two games all season because of a right hamstring strain, is nearing a return. He announced as much while replying to Devin Booker‘s Instagram story this week, writing “we right there” in regard to his comeback. The Suns have been a Cinderella story so far, starting the season 24-15 (ESPN Bet set their over/under win total at 31.5 in the preseason). — Dave McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 23-14

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: vs. OKC (Jan. 15), vs. MIN (Jan. 16), vs. NO (Jan. 18), vs. SA (Jan. 20)

Rockets coach Ime Udoka made a salient point after a recent loss, pointing out the team’s overreliance on superstar forward Kevin Durant. “You take a 37-year-old out of the game for [three] minutes, and you lose a 13-point lead, 11-0 run. [We] don’t play with any aggression or confidence. [We were] mentally weak.” Call that Udoka’s way of lighting a fire under supporting cast players such as Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, who is back in the lineup after a three-game absence, along with Reed Sheppard. — Wright

• 2025-26 record: 24-17

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: @ IND (Jan. 14), vs. LAC (Jan. 16), @ LAL (Jan. 18), @ GSW (Jan. 20)

Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles were the surprise standouts over the weekend in a comeback win over Philadelphia. But that victory was sandwiched between losses to Boston and Philadelphia — the two teams closest to Toronto in the standings — which helped reaffirm the Raptors’ place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Barring an improvement before the trade deadline, they profile as fringe contenders but still a step below the conference’s top teams. — Zach Kram

• 2025-26 record: 22-16

• Previous ranking: 11

• Next games: vs. CLE (Jan. 14), vs. CLE (Jan. 16), vs. IND (Jan. 19), vs. PHX (Jan. 20)

The next couple of weeks could be pivotal for the 76ers, who play nine of their next 10 games at home beginning Wednesday. Philadelphia will then have only 13 of its final 34 games at home after that, meaning this is an opportunity to try to pull into the top four in the East and is a necessary stretch to capitalize on before spending a lot of time away from home late in the season. — Bontemps

The Cavs are coming off a disappointing loss to the Jazz at home, where De’Andre Hunter, their prized acquisition from last year’s trade deadline, was benched for the fourth quarter. He scored two points in 17 minutes, both season lows, and coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game that Hunter was going through a prolonged slump. It has resulted in one of the worst starts to a season in his seven-year career — averaging 13.9 points on 42.5% shooting, both his lowest marks since his rookie season, while shooting a career-worst 30% from 3. — Jamal Collier

• 2025-26 record: 24-14

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: vs. CHA (Jan. 15), @ POR (Jan. 17), vs. TOR (Jan. 18), @ DEN (Jan. 20)

With JJ Redick declaring that Rui Hachimura will come off the bench upon his return from a right Achilles issue, wading back into action on a minutes restriction, the question is whether he’ll stay there. Jake LaRavia has enjoyed his best month as a Laker in January with Hachimura out. In his first six games of 2026 — all as a starter — LaRavia averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.7%, including 37.8% from 3. — McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 22-19

• Previous ranking: 16

• Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 15), vs. CHA (Jan. 17), vs. MIA (Jan. 19), vs. TOR (Jan. 20)

Offseason signing De’Anthony Melton is beginning to take a firm grip of the Warriors’ shooting guard position. Melton sat out the first six weeks of the season while completing the later stages of his ACL rehab. He was on a strict 20-minute limit upon his return and hasn’t been cleared for back-to-backs. But Steve Kerr recently bumped Melton’s limit up to 25 minutes and has been regularly closing games with him on the court. Stephen Curry recently called Melton a “prototypical” starting shooting guard after he had 22 bench points in a win. Kerr said the expectation is Melton will get cleared for 30-plus minutes and, once he does, Kerr said he planned to use all 30 — an indication that he will be the eventual starter. — Slater

The Magic head to Berlin and London for a pair of games against Memphis, and although Berlin is 4,900 miles from Orlando, the game is essentially home for brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. After tearing his left ACL last December, Moritz returned in the team’s win Sunday against New Orleans, scoring eight points. Meanwhile, after sitting out 16 games because of a sprained left ankle, Franz is nearing a return. With its loss to Philadelphia last week, Orlando is now 10-12 against teams above .500. — Bobby Marks

Before losing Tuesday against the Lakers, the post-Trae Young era had seen Atlanta win three straight games, including victories over Denver and Golden State on the road. The addition of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert should help a roster that has been hit hard with injuries.

In the Lakers loss, the Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Zaccharie Risacher and had just 10 active players. An area of concern that could get addressed closer to the trade deadline is a lack of size in the frontcourt. Atlanta has allowed the eighth-most points in the paint and rank 25th in rebounding percentage. — Marks

• 2025-26 record: 21-19

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: vs. BOS (Jan. 15), vs. OKC (Jan. 17), @ GS (Jan. 19), @ SAC (Jan. 20)

Tuesday’s win against Phoenix ended a three-game losing streak for Miami, and all three of those losses (Minnesota, Indiana, Oklahoma City) were by double digits. Before scoring 127 against the Suns, the Heat ranked second to last in offensive efficiency since Dec. 1. They ranked 13th in the first six weeks of the season. Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production is worth watching. Since Dec. 1, Adebayo has ranked fifth on the team in scoring (14.5) and is shooting 28% on 3-pointers. — Marks

The Blazers’ five-game winning streak, which was ended Sunday by the Knicks, was the team’s second longest since February 2021. During the run, Portland produced impressive wins at San Antonio and back-to-back at home against Houston. The bigger loss Sunday was Deni Avdija, who left late in the game because of back soreness and was sidelined Tuesday at Golden State. Avdija told reporters he was optimistic that he won’t miss long after feeling his back “give up on me” while landing on the rebound. On the plus side, Jrue Holiday played Sunday for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain in mid-November. — Kevin Pelton

• 2025-26 record: 16-23

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: vs. WAS (Jan. 14), @ TOR (Jan. 16), @ WAS (Jan. 19), @ CHI (Jan. 20)

Don’t look now, but the Clippers have won 10 out of 12 games since mid-December, including two against the East-leading Pistons. Third-year guard Jordan Miller, a 2023 late second-round pick out of the University of Miami, has been a bright spot during that stretch. He has averaged 6.2 points on 55.1% shooting (45% from 3) in 14.2 minutes off the bench, giving the injury-riddled Clips a lift so Kawhi Leonard and James Harden don’t have to do everything. — McMenamin

Since Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from injury, the Bucks are 5-4, a solid but unspectacular mark for a team trying to dig itself out of a massive hole. Milwaukee still hasn’t recorded a three-game winning streak this season, one of only six teams in the league (Pacers, Hornets, Kings, Wizards and Jazz) that have failed to do so, according to ESPN Research. And as a result, the Bucks still haven’t gained any ground in the standings. They begin another week stuck in 11th place and outside of the play-in tournament. — Collier

• 2025-26 record: 18-21

• Previous ranking: 19

• Next games: vs. UTAH (Jan. 14), @ BKN (Jan. 16), vs. BKN (Jan. 18), vs. LAC (Jan. 20)

Matas Buzelis has proved to be Chicago’s biggest bright spot so far this season. With Josh Giddey injured and Coby White playing in only two of the past six games, Buzelis has stepped into more of a scoring role and flourished. Since Dec. 31, Buzelis is averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks on 47.9% shooting. Chicago does have a favorable schedule over the next week, with games against Utah, Brooklyn (twice) and the Clippers. After their loss against the Rockets on Tuesday, the Bulls have now been 18-21 through 39 games for the fourth consecutive season. — Collier

Losers in six of their plast eight games, the Grizzlies are hoping recent news of their willingness to trade star guard Ja Morant won’t cause too much of a distraction. Memphis initiated a soft reset of the franchise last March when it fired longtime coach Taylor Jenkins and traded Desmond Bane three months later to Orlando. And with the Grizzlies now entertaining potential offers for Morant, a full roster teardown could be on the menu with the team shifting its focus to developing younger players such as Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer to play alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.. — Wright

On Thursday, LaMelo Ball came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season in the second game of a back-to-back and responded well, topping 30 points for only the third time all season. But Saturday’s 55-point blowout win over the Jazz overshadowed that, as it was a historically lopsided outcome. Per the Dunc’d On Daily Duncs, only three teams in NBA history have won by so many points in a season in which they won fewer than 36 games. The Hornets are on pace for 29 losses, though their minus-0.6 point differential is now better than the 24-14 Lakers. — Pelton

• 2025-26 record: 15-25

• Previous ranking: 23

• Next games: vs. DEN (Jan. 14), vs. UTAH (Jan. 15), vs. UTAH (Jan. 17), @ NYK (Jan. 19)

Forward Naji Marshall has been one of the bright spots of a difficult season in Dallas. He’s averaging career bests of 13.6 points and 54% shooting, and his production has increased to 16.9 points on 58.6% shooting in his 17 starts. He has been especially productive attacking off the dribble, shooting 60.7% off of drives. According to NBA Advanced Stats, only Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have a higher field goal percentage among the players who rank in the top 50 in points off of drives. — MacMahon

• 2025-26 record: 14-25

• Previous ranking: 25

• Next games: @ CHI (Jan. 14), @ DAL (Jan. 15), @ DAL (Jan. 17), @ SA (Jan. 19), vs. MIN (Jan. 20)

Lauri Markkanen‘s availability is a pretty strong indication of how competitive the Jazz will be on a night-to-night basis. Utah is 8-6 with its star in the lineup since Dec. 1, and Markkanen is averaging 27.9 points on .507/.383/.856 shooting splits in that span. The Jazz lost all six games that Markkanen sat out. — MacMahon

• 2025-26 record: 11-26

• Previous ranking: 26

• Next games: @ NO (Jan. 14), vs. CHI (Jan. 16), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. PHX (Jan. 19)

All of the good vibes from December seem to have dissipated for the Nets, who have lost seven of eight since Dec. 29. After being the best defense in December, Brooklyn slipped to 26th in January (118.8 defensive rating). The rumors will continue to swirl around Michael Porter Jr‘s availability before February’s trade deadline, but there’s a bright spot amid the slide: Egor Demin has been hot from 3-point range this month, shooting 53% on over six attempts a game. — Goodwill

• 2025-26 record: 10-30

• Previous ranking: 28

• Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 16), vs. POR (Jan. 18), vs. MIA (Jan. 20)

After an extended stretch outside Doug Christie’s rotation, reserve guard Malik Monk has reappeared in the past three games and produced to a great degree. Monk played 26 and 32 minutes against the Rockets and Lakers, respectively, scoring 15 and 26 points in a pair of surprising upset wins. This is happening at a potentially useful time for Sacramento. The Kings explored Monk’s trade market this past summer and offered him to the Warriors in a variety of constructions for Jonathan Kuminga, league sources said. Golden State has continually declined. There’s no indication that will change, but Monk is expected to remain available to the rest of the league in the lead-up to the deadline, and this recent mini-surge could provide a tiny boost to his value. — Slater

• 2025-26 record: 9-31

• Previous ranking: 30

• Next games: vs. TOR (Jan. 14), vs. NO (Jan. 16), @ DET (Jan. 17), @ PHI (Jan. 19)

Last week was the best of Indiana’s season so far, with wins over Charlotte, Miami (by 24 points) and Boston (holding them under 100 points for the first time this season). Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam both averaged 21 points in that stretch, while youngsters Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy also added positive contributions. Excellent 3-point shooting helped as well, as Indiana has made at least 40% of its 3s in six games in a row. — Kram

• 2025-26 record: 10-28

• Previous ranking: 27

• Next games: @ LAC (Jan. 14), @ SAC (Jan. 16), @ DEN (Jan. 17), vs. LAC (Jan. 19)

Don’t expect Trae Young to play for Washington anytime soon, despite joining the Wizards in a trade last week. The four-time All-Star remains sidelined because of a leg injury, and ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that the Wizards don’t yet have a return timeline scheduled. Given that the Wizards have been surprisingly competitive of late — with a 7-8 record since a 3-20 start — and are focused on ensuring they keep their top-eight-protected pick in the 2026 draft, there’s an incentive to keep Young out a while longer. — Kram

The Pelicans ended their second nine-game losing streak of the season Friday against a Washington team playing without newly acquired Trae Young, getting 30-plus points from both Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson, plus a triple-double from Derik Queen against his hometown team. New Orleans was competitive again in a loss Sunday at Orlando but has still sunk to the bottom of the NBA standings with just nine wins at the midpoint of a schedule that has done the Pelicans no favors. The Wizards were the only team New Orleans has played since Christmas that is currently outside the play-in. — Pelton