We last ranked all 30 NBA teams near the end of free agency.
It’s time for an updated ranking with Summer League and the Olympics now complete.
The summer tournaments gave us a better idea of how some of the stars of the league will perform, along with how many of the younger players are ready to contribute. The Celtics still remain at the top of these rankings, despite Jayson Tatum’s disappointing Olympics.
Here’s how the rest of the landscape has shifted in the past month.
MORE: NBA Winners and Losers from the 2024 Olympics
NBA power rankings after Olympics
Tier 1: The true contenders
1. Celtics (–)
The Celtics were the No. 1 team the last time we did these rankings. There have been some hiccups since then — Jaylen Brown expressed frustration at not being named to the Olympic team over teammate Derrick White and Tatum shot 0-of-16 on jumpers in the instances where he did get into the Paris games.
None of that matters in the long run.
The Celtics are bringing back the same roster that dominated the league last season, and their main guys are still in their prime. They will miss Kristaps Porzingis at the beginning of the season as he recovers from offseason surgery, but they already proved that they can win even without him. It’s their title to win.
2. Thunder (–)
The Thunder stay at the No. 2 spot. They should take a huge leap next year with the addition of proven playoff performers in Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, along with internal development from their young core.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort looked good in the Olympics. SGA continued to show that he can score against anyone, while Dort locked down the competition defensively.
This is an extremely deep, well-coached team that has a legitimate MVP candidate who can hit big shots down the stretch of games.
3. Mavericks (–)
Not much has happened for the Mavericks since we last did these rankings. Dante Exum played well for the Australian national team. Luka Doncic missed the Olympics altogether.
The Western Conference champions have gotten much better this offseason, addressing their lack of shooting with Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes. Derrick Jones Jr. is out, but incoming Naji Marshall is a better player.
Another full year of Luka and Kyrie Irving playing together should yield better chemistry on the floor. A supporting cast that works better on paper will only make this group even more dangerous.
MORE: Klay Thompson’s father explains why he’s ‘disappointed’ in son’s decision
4. Knicks
The Knicks made a small but important move in the last month, locking up Precious Achiuwa to add much-needed big man depth. They got excellent Summer League play from rookie Tyler Kolek, who looks like he will be able to contribute immediately.
That gives New York great depth for one of the best starting fives in the league. Mikal Bridges and Julius Randle should give the Knicks more scoring punch to a team that ran out of healthy bodies last year in the second round of the playoffs. Tom Thibodeau got locked up to a three-year extension, adding even more stability to the franchise.
5. 76ers (–)
Joel Embiid didn’t have a great Olympic run, looking out of place early on. But he did have some key moments, particularly against Serbia in the semifinals where he rattled off seven straight points late to help fuel a comeback.
The Sixers aren’t going to need an MVP-level Embiid as much during the regular season. Tyrese Maxey’s continued development and the addition of Paul George should help ease the load on the big man, and that makes up one of the best trios in the league.
6. Bucks (+3)
The Bucks didn’t do much at the start of free agency, but they made the best moves at the end of it. They had very few avenues to improve their team, yet they got solid veteran role players in Taurean Prince, Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr.
Prince and Wright are solid defenders who should help the shaky perimeter defense issues that the Bucks experienced last year. Trent is more of a gambler, but he can get a lot of steals and help ignite a transition attack that ranked 19th last year, per Cleaning the Glass.
Most importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo reminded everyone that he is still one of the best players in the world. His 25.8 points per game on a ridiculous 67.8 percent from the field for Greece led all players at the Olympics.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added another MONSTER poster to his collection. 😤 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/XLH8ltyjId
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 30, 2024
The Bucks are going to have the best player in every playoff series leading up to the Finals, and their lack of depth has been addressed. That earns them the biggest jump in rankings over the month among all Eastern Conference teams.
7. Timberwolves (-1)
Anthony Edwards’ 12.8 points per game in the Olympics ranked third on the team. His 3-point shot continues to look more and more deadly — he hit 48.0 percent of them in Paris. And while he still made some bad gambles at times, his defensive pressure was overwhelming when he turned it on. He is developing into the next face of the league.
The Timberwolves still drop a spot in the rankings because of the ineffective play of Rudy Gobert, who faded into the background when it mattered the most for France. He continues to show less impact in big games when teams have time to scheme against him.
8. Nuggets (-1)
Nikola Jokic was that guy for Serbia, helping it to a bronze medal in Paris. He’s unstoppable in the post. One concerning trend was his lack of 3-point touch — he connected on just 16.7 percent of his attempts from deep. That was a struggle for him in the playoffs as well, where he hit just 26.4 percent.
The other troubling trend for the Nuggets was the play of Jamal Murray, who looked lost in shooting just 29.0 percent from the field for Canada.
The Nuggets are still a serious contender in the West with Jokic, but losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and seeing Murray struggle has to be worrisome given that much of their competition got better during the offseason.
NBA DRAFT GRADES: Ranking all 30 teams from best (Lakers) to worst (Bucks)
Tier 2: Solid playoff teams
9. Cavaliers (+1)
There’s an argument out there that the Cavs underachieved last season in winning 48 games. They have a lot of talent on the roster, but J. B. Bickerstaff couldn’t seem to get the most out of some odd pairings.
Kenny Atkinson faced a similar situation while serving as an assistant coach for France this summer. He helped make some decisive moves to break up the Victor Wembanyama and Gobert pairing, which helped them win Silver. He showed that he’s a creative thinker and a good in-game tactician with his advice on how to guard SGA during the quarterfinals.
10. Suns (+4)
The Suns didn’t have many avenues to address the lack of depth on their roster, but they hit some home runs at the end of free agency, picking up a solid starter in Tyus Jones with a veteran minimum contract. Monte Morris is another solid new point guard addition that directly addresses one of the team’s biggest weaknesses from last season.
Phoenix also got great play from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the Olympics, giving confidence that those two can play off each other well. Booker was more than willing to scale down his role when needed, putting aside his ego for the good of Team USA. That could be important on nights when Durant or Bradley Beal have it cooking.
11. Magic (-2)
The Magic don’t have the top-end talent to win it all just yet, but they have everything else. They might be the deepest team in the league.
The Wagner brothers were both good scoring threats in helping Germany secure a fourth-place finish in the Olympics. Franz’s jump shot still remains a question mark. He hit just 20.0 percent of his 3s, following up on a disappointing 28.1 percent from deep last season. He needs to be a threat from outside to take this team to the next level.
12. Pacers (-1)
While Tyrese Haliburton barely played in the Olympics, Andrew Nembhard made smart plays for Team Canada, giving hope that his breakout last playoffs was no fluke.
Not much else has changed for the Pacers from their Eastern Conference Finals squad. They’re a well-coached team with talent to make a deep run again.
13. Grizzlies (-1)
Zach Edey looked ready to contribute immediately with a strong Summer League performance. He’s the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year right now.
The No. 9 pick Zach Edey stays with it and delivers the poster with two hands 😤#NBASummer on ESPN pic.twitter.com/sPl6yadwxQ
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2024
The Grizzlies got a look at how Santi Aldama performed as a featured player for Spain. He shot the ball well and averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game in the Olympics but couldn’t get his country into the knockout stage of the tournament.
Aldama shouldn’t have to play too big of a role on a Memphis team that is finally healthy. Don’t count them out.
MORE: Why the Grizzlies drafted Zach Edey higher than expected
14. Pelicans (-1)
Everyone thought that Brandon Ingram would be traded by now. The Pelicans don’t want to give him a huge extension, but it appears that the rest of the league feels similarly.
New Orleans still needs to address its lack of big man depth as well. Rookie Yves Missi did not look ready to contribute in a big role in Summer League, shooting just 46.2 percent on his 2s. He did have a good defensive presence, though, and the Pelicans added veteran big man Daniel Theis late in free agency.
15. Heat (–)
The Heat somewhat surprisingly didn’t change the composition of their team much.
Alec Burks is a nice veteran free agent signing, but he’s not a difference-maker. A full year of Terry Rozier will take the offensive load off Jimmy Butler. And rookie Kel’el Ware looked impressive in helping the Heat win the Summer League championship.
Those moves around the fringes aren’t going to be enough to change the Heat from their middle-of-the-pack finish last season.
16. Kings (+2)
The Kings made the biggest move of the last month, trading for DeMar DeRozan. That bumps them up two spots in these rankings. The fit isn’t super clean, but he’s smart enough to figure out a way to contribute.
MORE: DeMar DeRozan trade grades for Bulls and Kings
Tier 3: Fringe playoff teams
17. Warriors (+1)
There are still concerns about how the Warriors replace Klay Thompson — can Buddy Hield fill that role? — but they move up a spot because Stephen Curry absolutely proved that he is still capable of being that guy in two brilliant Olympic games. De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson also give Golden State better depth than it had last year.
MORE: Three trades to get Stephen Curry the Warriors help he needs
18. Lakers (+1)
LeBron James earned a much-deserved MVP award for his Olympic performance. He’s still impossible to stop going downhill. Anthony Davis looked like one of the best defenders on the planet.
Los Angeles still needs to make a trade to rise up from this tier. The Lakers need to get LeBron more help while he’s still an All-NBA player.
19. Clippers (-3)
The Clippers made a nice fringe signing at the end of the summer, bringing Kris Dunn in to replace Russell Westbrook. Dunn is a good defensive specialist who played well for the Jazz last season. Nic Batum also showed that he still has some juice left, helping France make the Olympic final.
Even so, this team doesn’t have enough top-end juice with the departure of Paul George to do much in a tough Western Conference.
MORE: Inside Paul George’s decision to leave Clippers for 76ers
20. Rockets (–)
The Rockets had some nice performances over the past month. Reed Sheppard was one of the most impressive players in Las Vegas. He will be ready to score from Day One, as will his fellow Summer League standout Cam Whitmore. Dillon Brooks played good defense and hit 46.2 percent of his 3s for Canada in the Olympics.
The Rockets have a lot of young guys to play.
21. Spurs (–)
Victor Wembanyama is going to be the best defender in the league next season. He proved it in a dominant Olympics where he was France’s best player on both ends of the floor. He’s not quite ready for as much self-created offense as he tried during the Olympics, but he is an unbelievable play-finisher who should thrive with Chris Paul.
MORE: Why Chris Paul is joining the Spurs for his 20th NBA season
22. Raptors (–)
RJ Barrett’s strong close to the season with the Raptors was further validated by an Olympic performance where he averaged 19.8 points per game and shot 58.3 percent from the field. He’s been far more consistent than he was as a Knick.
23. Jazz (–)
Lauri Markkanen is on the Jazz for at least another year. He’s ineligible to be traded after signing his $ 238 million extension. Keyonte George proved that he’s too good for Summer League, getting to the line at will and scoring 30.5 points per game, but he turned it over an alarming five times per game. Cody Williams and Kyle Filipowski looked more NBA-ready than advertised, while Isaiah Collier struggled.
24. Hawks (–)
Zaccharie Risacher didn’t have a great Summer League, shooting just 39 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3. It’s going to be a year of transition for the Hawks without Dejounte Murray.
25. Hornets
No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaun did not look ready to play meaningful NBA minutes. Vasilije Micic showed that he is going to be a high-level backup point guard, helping to lead Serbia to bronze.
Tier 4: Capture the Flagg teams
26. Bulls (–)
Josh Giddey had an up-and-down Olympics, filling up the box score for Australia and hitting clutch shots but also turning the ball over at the worst times. Matas Buzelis showed flashes of excellence but couldn’t score efficiently.
MORE: Duke’s Cooper Flagg headlines USA Select Team for 2024 Paris Olympics
27. Nets (–)
Dennis Schroder always turns his game up in international play. The speedy guard was one of the best players of the Olympics, averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 assists.
28. Blazers (–)
Donovan Clingan picked up All-Summer League Second Team honors, leading the league with 12.3 rebounds per game and setting an all-time record with his 4.2 blocks per game. The predictions about how well his defense will translate look spot on.
29. Wizards (–)
Bub Carrington looks like an early candidate for the steal of the draft. He was named to the Summer League Second Team, averaging 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists in Vegas. Bilal Coulibaly didn’t play much for France in the Olympics but had some nice layups when he did get an opportunity.
30. Pistons (–)
No. 5 pick Ron Holland was able to score well in Las Vegas, averaging 18.7 points per game and generating plenty of blocks and steals. But he didn’t score efficiently and looked raw at times.
The Pistons are still going to be one of the youngest teams in the league, focusing on development over wins.
