2024-25 FTN NBA Power Rankings: Evaluating the NBA After the Trade Deadline

Welcome back to FTN Fantasy’s NBA Power Rankings!

The NBA trade deadline is always unpredictable, but this year might have been the most impactful in league history. Multiple former and current all-stars have found new homes, shaking up the balance of power across the league. Luka Dončić is now a Laker, Anthony Davis a Maverick, De’Aaron Fox a Spur, Jimmy Butler a Warrior and Brandon Ingram a Raptor – just to name a few. With so much movement, now is the perfect time to reassess the NBA landscape and identify the true contenders.

Among the league’s elite teams, the Cavaliers made perhaps the most intriguing addition, acquiring De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks. On paper, Hunter is an ideal fit – slotting into the starting lineup as a versatile defender who can space the floor with catch-and-shoot threes. While this move alone wasn’t enough to push Cleveland to the top of our rankings, it strengthened its roster for a deep playoff run.

Not every deal made sense, though. The Raptors’ decision to trade for Brandon Ingram raises questions about fit and long-term direction. With Ingram joining Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, Toronto is now well over the salary cap. How the Raptors navigate future roster moves will be key to their success.

I covered the Luka/Davis and Fox/LaVine trades last week, so I won’t rehash those deals here. You can check out last week’s article here. Instead, let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from the trade deadline and reveal our latest power rankings as we head into the NBA All-Star break.

Every Monday, we bring you an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the league with our exclusive power rankings, powered by the FTN NBA Betting Model. These rankings adjust for recent results, injuries and news, giving you a dynamic view of the NBA’s shifting landscape. We also track which teams are trending up – and which are trending down.

But this isn’t just about rankings – it’s about giving you the edge. Whether you’re betting on the NBA or simply keeping tabs on your favorite team’s performance, our rankings provide key insights to help you make smarter decisions. Curious to see how we evaluate a specific matchup? Our NBA Betting Model is constantly updated with the latest data, and we highlight the best value picks in our NBA Bet Tracker.

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Key Takeaways

The Cleveland Cavaliers are Loading Up for the Playoffs

De’Andre Hunter wasn’t the biggest name moved at the deadline, but he might be the most impactful acquisition. After spending his career on middling Hawks teams, Hunter now has a real chance to make a playoff impact. Despite playing fewer minutes this season, he’s posting career-highs in points (19.0), three-point percentage (39.3%), attempts (6.7) and free throws (4.8) per game – all while maintaining his status as a high-level on-ball defender.

For Cleveland, Hunter is the perfect fit: a low-usage wing who provides elite perimeter defense and knockdown shooting. Among the NBA’s top-tier teams, this is the most impactful deadline move. While our model still ranks the Cavs third, their title chances just got stronger.

As for the Hawks, their decision to trade Hunter is puzzling. The Hawks already mortgaged their future by sending three first-round picks to the Spurs for Dejounte Murray – a move that hasn’t panned out. With their 2025 first-rounder belonging to San Antonio, they have no incentive to bottom out. Yet, by trading away one of their best two-way wings for minimal return, they’ve weakened their roster without gaining significant assets for the future.

This move signals one of two things: either the Hawks are setting up for a larger retooling this summer, or they miscalculated Hunter’s value on the market. Either way, it’s hard to see how this trade helps them in the short or long term.

Jimmy Butler is a Warrior – Should We Care?

The biggest deadline deal was Jimmy Butler joining the Warriors. If this trade happened five years ago, Golden State would be an instant title favorite. Now? The market reaction has been lukewarm.

The Warriors’ championship odds improved from +6600 to +4000 after the trade – a notable jump but still just a 3% implied probability. While Butler remains a high-level player (our model ranks him 27th in impact), Golden State’s path to contention is murky. Both Butler and Stephen Curry are past their peaks, and the roster still lacks depth and size.

That said, our model did react positively, bumping the Warriors from 18th to 10th in our power rankings. While this move doesn’t put them among the elite, it makes them a tougher out in the playoffs. Even if Golden State isn’t a true contender, a Butler-Curry duo should be entertaining to watch down the stretch.

Fallout of the Mark Williams Non-Deal

The biggest risers in this week’s power rankings? The Lakers, who skyrocketed from 19th to 7th, putting them in the contender conversation. Luka Dončić is the obvious reason, but there’s another twist – the trade that didn’t happen.

Los Angeles had agreed to acquire Mark Williams from Charlotte in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. It was a steep price for a young center with durability concerns, and in the end, those concerns voided the deal after Williams failed his physical.

While this might benefit the Lakers long-term, it leaves them with a glaring hole at center. With Anthony Davis gone, their only true big is Jaxson Hayes, who has struggled to be a productive player. The Lakers will likely lean on small-ball lineups featuring Dorian Finney-Smith at the five, but that could be a serious problem against Western Conference bigs like Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Alperen Sengun.

What Should the Suns Do Next?

The Suns were one of the most talked-about teams before the deadline – and they did nothing. While most expected them to shop Bradley Beal and his albatross contract, the bigger surprise was the Kevin Durant trade rumors.

It’s one thing to explore trading Durant. It’s another to make him available and keep him. Now, the locker room is reportedly “toxic,” and it’s showing on the court. Phoenix has lost four of its last five, with the only win coming in overtime against the lowly Jazz.

Our model ranks the Suns 18th, a staggering 12-spot drop from where they started the season. With no cap space to maneuver and chemistry issues brewing, Phoenix could be staring down a long and difficult rebuild.

As the NBA landscape shifts, our tools at FTN Fantasy are here to help you stay ahead. Whether it’s our NBA Betting Model, Player Projections, or Same Game Parlay Tool, we provide the data you need to make smarter bets and fantasy decisions. Check them out today!

Conference:

Team	Conference	Record	Current Rank	Previous	Week Diff	Preseason	Pre Diff	Notes
Oklahoma City Thunder	WEST	42-9	1	1	-	2	+1	The Thunder's twin towers at center are going to be impossible to score on. And they have the best offensive player in the league
Boston Celtics	EAST	37-16	2	2	-	1	-1	The Celtics reminded us that they're the best team in the east by crushing the Knicks and Celtics last week
Cleveland Cavaliers	EAST	42-10	3	3	-	8	+5	The addition of De'Andre Hunter could pay dividends, as he adds an impactful 3&D win to this loaded roster
Los Angeles Clippers	WEST	29-23	4	11	+7	11	+7	This may seem high for the Clippers, but the big-3 of Kawhi, Powell, and Harden is a scary trio if they're healthy
Denver Nuggets	WEST	34-19	5	5	-	5	-	Despite the fact that they were dealing with injuries, the Nuggets increased their winning streak to 6 games
Memphis Grizzlies	WEST	35-17	6	7	+1	17	+11	The Grizzlies continue to roll, as they've now won 10 of their last 12
Los Angeles Lakers	WEST	31-19	7	19	+12	12	+5	Luka debuts tonight, and it will be fun see how far the Lakers can rise in these rankings
New York Knicks	EAST	34-18	8	4	-4	9	+1	The loss of OG hurts the Knicks standing in these rankings, as their lack of depth remains an issue
Golden State Warriors	WEST	26-26	9	17	+8	16	+7	Jimmy Butler's time in Golden State got off to a hot start, as the Warriors crushed the Bulls and scored 132 points
Philadelphia 76ers	EAST	20-32	10	22	+12	4	-6	Despite having a healthy big-3, these Sixers have lost 3 in a row. Paul George's contract looks worse by the day
Minnesota Timberwolves	WEST	30-23	11	10	-1	7	-4	The Timberwolves have been much better, since the start of 2025, and are now on a 3-game winning streak
Houston Rockets	WEST	33-20	12	6	-6	19	+7	The Rockets are major fallers in the rankings, but they did end their 6-game losing streak
Dallas Mavericks	WEST	28-25	13	15	+2	3	-10	The Mavericks got the full Anthony Davis experience in one game. A dominant first half sadly led to an injury in the 3rd quarter.
Sacramento Kings	WEST	26-26	14	9	-5	13	-1	The Kings fall to 14th by exchanging Fox for Lavine. They could make some noise if they get into the playoffs, but they're not a contender
San Antonio Spurs	WEST	22-28	15	14	-1	22	+7	While we like the addition of Fox, he and Wemby haven't found their groove playing together yet
Indiana Pacers	EAST	29-22	16	12	-4	18	+2	The Pacers have an unfortunate tendency to start games slow. They need to figure out how to have better starts
Orlando Magic	EAST	26-28	17	13	-4	15	-2	The Magic continue to falter despite having their two stars back. While getting Suggs back should help, this team appears further from contention than we thought
Phoenix Suns	WEST	26-26	18	16	-2	6	-12	Is any team in a worse position than the Suns moving forward? They failed to make any moves, and now have a roster full of disgruntled all stars
Detroit Pistons	EAST	27-26	19	20	+1	24	+5	The Pistons remain in the middle of the pack, but it's encouraging that they're above .500 this late into the season
Miami Heat	EAST	25-25	20	18	-2	20	-	The Jimmy saga is finally over, but the team is left with a mediocre roster
Milwaukee Bucks	EAST	28-23	21	8	-13	10	-11	This rankings reflects the loss of Giannis, who is without a clear timetable for return
Atlanta Hawks	EAST	25-28	22	21	-1	21	-1	The Hawks were sellers at the deadline, and should struggle the rest of the season
Chicago Bulls	EAST	22-31	23	25	+2	25	+2	They finally traded Lavine, but Vuc is still a Bull. It is not clear what direction they're moving into
New Orleans Pelicans	WEST	12-40	24	23	-1	14	-10	The Brandon Ingram era is finally over, as the Pelicans should look to reset this offseason
Charlotte Hornets	EAST	13-37	25	29	+4	28	+3	Lamelo gets snubbed again, as Trae Young was chose to replace Giannis in the all star game
Portland Trail Blazers	WEST	23-30	26	27	+1	30	+4	These Trail Blazers have been a fun story, as they're playing way better than the talent on their roster would predict
Toronto Raptors	EAST	16-37	27	24	-3	27	-	They acquired Brandon Ingram, who is a great player, but it's hard to see the vision
Utah Jazz	WEST	12-39	28	26	-2	23	-5	They are in talent discovery mode, and Isaiah Collier looks like a keeper
Brooklyn Nets	EAST	18-34	29	28	-1	26	-3	Surprisingly, Cam Johnson is still a Net, so look for them to remain competitive some nights
Washington Wizards	EAST	9-43	30	30	-	29	-1	I don't expect Khris Middleton to play any games for them
	Conference

2024-25 FTN NBA Power Rankings: Evaluating the NBA After the Trade Deadline

Key Takeaways

The Cleveland Cavaliers are Loading Up for the Playoffs

Jimmy Butler is a Warrior – Should We Care?

Fallout of the Mark Williams Non-Deal

What Should the Suns Do Next?

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