How will your team perform over the next three NBA seasons?
The Future Power Rankings are ESPN's projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three seasons: 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Consider this a convenient way to see the direction in which your favorite team is headed. To determine the Future Power Rankings, we asked ESPN analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre Snellings and Tim Bontemps to rate teams in five categories and rank them relative to the rest of the league.
Since the last version of the Future Power Rankings dropped in March, we've seen the Golden State Warriors return to the top of the NBA mountain. But was another title -- and locking up Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to contract extensions -- enough to return the Warriors to the top of our rankings?
An explanation of each category and a full view of how each team did in each category is at the bottom of the rankings. Each team also received an overall Future Power Rating of 0 to 100, based on how well we expect it to perform over the next three seasons. Here are our latest rankings.
Note: The last version of these rankings was released in March.
Losing a hard-fought second-round series against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors has done nothing to dampen our enthusiasm about the Grizzlies, who top the future rankings for a second consecutive installment. With Ja Morant leading three starters 24 and younger (Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the others), Memphis is tied for second in the players category. The Grizzlies still have the cap and draft-pick flexibility to swing a trade and add to their core. No wonder Memphis management finished sixth overall. -- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 1)
The Clippers have been at the top of the this-team-could-win-a-championship lists every season since they signed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as their centerpieces. Injuries to those two have likely prevented that championship. But the team's ability to reload with affordable, productive veterans and remain competitive even without its stars has made the Clippers a championship favorite again now that said stars have returned. The team has high-end talent, a deep roster and enough resources to keep putting a championship-level product on the court for the foreseeable future. That was enough to get the Clippers within a spot of the top. -- Andre Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 6)
After breaking through and returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years last season behind a core of players in their mid-20s, the Celtics leapfrogged the Milwaukee Bucks and jumped into the top spot of these rankings in the player category. The only downside is the sudden suspension of coach Ime Udoka for the season on the eve of training camp and the elevation of 34-year-old assistant Joe Mazzulla in his place, which led to Boston landing 17th in the management category, down from 13th in the spring. Otherwise, the Celtics might very well have landed the top spot in these rankings. -- Tim Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 5)
The four-time (in eight years) champion Warriors move up five slots largely based on the recent long-term extensions of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and, most importantly, Steph Curry for the next four seasons. The big question looming over the organization next offseason is the future of Draymond Green. The former Defensive Player of the Year has a $27.6 million player option. If Green returns, the Warriors will have over $500 million committed to salary and tax penalties in one season. Despite a hefty financial commitment, there is upside if the former lottery picks James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga develop into solid rotational players. -- Bobby Marks
(Previous rank: No. 9)
The 2020-21 champs are our preseason favorite to win another title. At some point the age of Giannis Antetokounmpo's supporting cast could become an issue for Milwaukee, which boasted the league's fourth-oldest roster last season when weighted by minutes played. A large luxury tax bill and missing draft picks make further upgrades difficult for the Bucks. That's OK, however, when we know a core of Giannis, Jrue Holiday and a healthy Khris Middleton is good enough to win it all. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 4)
Philadelphia moved up four spots thanks to slight improvements in its player (from tied for eighth to sixth) and management (10th to seventh) scores. The climb comes on the heels of a successful offseason that saw the 76ers add P.J. Tucker, Danuel House and De'Anthony Melton, who bring much-needed two-way ability on the perimeter. Those improvements should help the Sixers clean up in the regular season but everyone involved knows the verdict on this team will come once it reaches the second round of the playoffs, where Philadelphia has lost in four of the past five years. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 10)
The Heat dropped from second to seventh largely due to their player score falling by several points -- a consequence of P.J. Tucker departing in free agency and Jimmy Butler getting a year older. Still, Miami continues to have one of the best player-development machines in the league, with preseason star Jamal Cain providing the latest evidence. Miami, behind coach Erik Spoelstra and president Pat Riley, also remains rated the best management group in the league. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 2)
Buoyed by a jump in its player score and many other teams trading future draft equity, Toronto moved up three spots. That said, the league's second-best management team, led by Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse, will have decisions to make about where to go from here. Fred VanVleet is a year away from free agency and only one player -- Chris Boucher -- is officially under contract for the 2024-25 season. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 11)
The Nuggets are a team that may already have all the talent they need for a championship, but they still haven't proved they can win the biggest games. After giving huge contracts to their core players, they now lack the cap space and future picks to further update the roster in meaningful ways. That, plus the added risk of several core players coming off major injuries, was enough for Denver to drop a couple of spots in these rankings. But, led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets' upside is strong enough to keep them in the top 10. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 7)
The Suns committed $350 million to Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, returning most of their core roster that won a league-high 64 games in 2021-22, but still fell seven spots. The big reason: The Robert Sarver one-year suspension that was followed up with a "For sale" sign placed on the franchise. Until there is a resolution that results in the sale and new ownership, the Suns are removed from the top five. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 3)
The Pelicans made the biggest leap of any team since March, back when they were still battling to make the play-in tournament. New Orleans' run culminated in a tough series against the Phoenix Suns, validating the addition of CJ McCollum and highlighting the development of rookie Herb Jones. Add a healthy Zion Williamson to the mix and we're excited about the Pelicans' roster, which ranked 10th. And while extensions for McCollum and Williamson could push New Orleans into the luxury tax, the Pelicans still have valuable draft picks coming, including swap rights with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 21)
The Cavaliers leaped five spots since the last rankings, and only their relative lack of cap flexibility and future draft capital kept them from rising into the top 10 this time around. They'll very likely be there very soon though, because they've amassed a team full of players in their early 20s who have either already achieved or are soon-to-reach All-Star status. The addition of Donovan Mitchell with Darius Garland in the backcourt, paired with the high ceiling of a front court with Jarrett Allen and last season's Rookie of The Year runner-up Evan Mobley has made the Cavaliers a team to watch to potentially make noise in the postseason. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 17)
The Mavericks remain in a holding pattern despite reaching the Western Conference finals and having MVP candidate Luka Doncic under contract through the next five seasons. The stagnation is a result of a roster that is dominated by rotational players, a likely luxury tax penalty this year, over the salary cap in 2023-24 and owing New York a top-10 first-round pick in June. Despite the financial restrictions on its roster, GM Nico Harrison has been aggressive in the trade market, swapping former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. As a result, Dallas has seven tradable candidates that earn between $10 and $20 million this season. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 12)
Atlanta's move up two spots is almost entirely attributed to its huge trade this summer for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs, which boosted the team's player score. The Hawks, now a full season removed from their surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals, sit at a bit of a crossroads. They have the talent to bounce back to where they were two years ago, and with a young core, they could easily move up this list rather quickly. Another middling season, however, could see things go the other way. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 16)
Despite -- and to some extent because of -- adding their own All-Star in Rudy Gobert this offseason, the Timberwolves find themselves in the same spot in the rankings due to the high price. The four first-round picks, plus a swap, Minnesota gave up for Gobert left it dead last in that category, while Gobert's salary also takes the Timberwolves out of possible max cap space. Adding Gobert did help Minnesota move in the top 10 for players, but the development of Anthony Edwards could make this ranking look foolishly low in a year or two. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 15)
The Lakers are the most talked about franchise in the NBA, due to the misfit supporting cast around aging MVP LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Russell Westbrook's massive, expiring deal could hold the key to reconfiguring the roster as soon as this season. That potential flexibility and upside, in addition to the remarkable sustainability of LeBron's run at the top of the league (and the precipitous fall of a few teams ahead of them) was enough to raise the Lakers a couple of spots since the last ranking. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 18)
While New York didn't land Donovan Mitchell via trade this summer, they did get Jalen Brunson -- the best player to change teams in free agency. That allowed New York to get a boost to its player score and jump up a couple of spots in these rankings. That the Knicks, of all teams, continue to be in the top 10 in the draft category is a sign that things are different than they have been in the past in New York. But until the Knicks have a true star to build around, it will be difficult for them to move up from this area in the rankings. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 19)
It was less than a year ago that the Bulls were 27-13 and considered a favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference. The future showed promise with a new big three of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Chicago is now considered a team just fighting to get into the playoffs and has a murky future. Ball has not played since Jan. 15 and will miss the early part of the season, recovering from surgery on his left knee. LaVine signed a five-year $215 million contract but his commitment is overshadowed by a troublesome left knee. The Bulls do have DeRozan under contract for the next two years but are faced with a decision on starting center Nikola Vucevic, who is on an expiring contract. Factoring in the health of their own players and owing two future picks to Orlando and San Antonio leads to the Bulls falling four spots. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 14)
Brooklyn was one of the biggest fallers in this set of rankings, tumbling from eighth to 19. Anyone who paid even the slightest attention this summer will know why, given the tumultuous offseason the Nets had. Brooklyn fell primarily for two reasons: the team's player rank dropping from sixth to 17th and the management rank dropping from 12th to 23rd. A strong season -- which is certainly possible, given the presence of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons on the roster -- could quickly send things in the other direction. But so many questions about the present, let alone the future, have led to a precipitous fall down these rankings. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 8)
In March, the Blazers' direction was uncertain as they got blown out on a nightly basis with star Damian Lillard watching from the sidelines after abdominal surgery. Portland eschewed a rebuild in favor of retooling around Lillard by dealing for starting forward Jerami Grant and re-signing Jusuf Nurkic. Lillard also added another two years to his contract via extension. As a result, the Blazers should be back in postseason contention, though it may be up to rookie Shaedon Sharpe to give them enough to go deep in the playoffs. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 28)
This is likely the last time the Pistons will be as low as the 20s in the rankings, because their core of young talent looks particularly promising. Last season's top pick, Cade Cunningham, is developing into a franchise centerpiece and rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren have impressed to start the season. Add in recent acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic and third-year forward Saddiq Bey and the Pistons could be on the verge of competing for a postseason slot. The Pistons don't have a big cache of future picks but if they do ramp up to their potential with their young core on rookie deals, they should have the cap space to bring in veteran support in the near future. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 23)
It is rare when a team finishes with a league-worst 20 wins and still moves up four slots in the FPR. The slight improvement is a result of a roster that features eight players on first-round contracts, financial flexibility in the future and most important, draft capital to either add or use in a trade. The average age of the roster is 23 and no player outside of Eric Gordon earns more than $10 million. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 26)
The youngest roster in the NBA moves up one spot in the FPR. The rebuild that started in 2020 after Chris Paul was traded to Phoenix checks the boxes with draft assets and financial flexibility to continue reshaping the roster. The Thunder have 13 first-round picks in the next seven years and seven players on first-round rookie contracts. They are also projected to have significant cap space in 2023-24 and 2024-25. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 24)
In No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, Orlando finally has a high-upside centerpiece to anchor offenses that have underwhelmed since Dwight Howard patrolled the Magic Kingdom. Banchero has looked the part thus far, including a 27-point debut last week. Franz Wagner, an All-Rookie First Team pick last season, also looks like a building block. Now Orlando must sort through the other young pieces on the roster to determine which other ones are keepers -- though perhaps not before adding another high lottery pick this year, with an extra one coming from the Chicago Bulls. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 27)
Washington's rise in the rankings can be attributed to the team's player score going up by several points. Getting Bradley Beal locked into a long-term extension plays a part there, although Beal's no-trade clause could be a complication down the road. The trade to turn Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith into Will Barton and Monte Morris gave the Wizards a solid starting point guard for this season. Still, until Washington chooses a direction -- beyond playing for 10th place which is what it seems to be now -- moving up from here will be difficult. -- Bontemps
(Previous rank: No. 29)
Sacramento's stay in the future rankings cellar was short-lived, as the arrival of No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray and young wings Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk have given hope to the Kings for ending major pro sports' longest playoff drought sooner rather than later. Putting those pieces around De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis has made Sacramento competitive in the player category, and while there's still concern about Vivek Ranadive's capricious support of the front office, the Kings have moved out of last in the management category with first-year head coach Mike Brown in place. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 30)
The Pacers have started to embrace the rebuild, trading stars in their prime like Domantas Sabonis last season and Malcolm Brogdon this offseason in exchange for building around up-and-comers like Tyrese Haliburton and rookie Bennedict Mathurin. However, they are still in a bit of rebuild limbo until they decide whether to trade or keep veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The lack of direction and lack of impressive rebuilding capital has them anchored toward the bottom of the list. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 25)
The Spurs leaped into full-on rebuilding mode since the last rankings, going so far as to deal young budding star Dejounte Murray to the Hawks this offseason. They are building up their cache of picks and cap space, but without a clear foundation player to build around and in a small market, the Spurs have fallen eight spots in the rankings. They may have a couple of keepers in Team USA member Keldon Johnson and center Jakob Poeltl, and they are trying out several young players in larger roles this season. But they still need to identify and/or bring in a franchise cornerstone to really jump start this rebuild. -- Snellings
(Previous rank: No. 20)
The arrest of Charlotte forward Miles Bridges on three domestic violence charges, to which he plead not guilty in July, has clouded the organization's future. Without Bridges, who remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, it's unclear how Charlotte can support the development of All-Star LaMelo Ball. The Hornets will have ample cap space next summer and again in 2024, when Gordon Hayward's contract expires, but history suggests the franchise will need to overpay to get a marquee free agent to Charlotte. -- Pelton
(Previous rank: No. 22)
Despite a surprising 3-0 start this season, the last spot is temporarily reserved by a Jazz team that had the best record in the NBA two years ago and now has seen the second-biggest drop in FPR history (the 2010 Cavs fell 20 spots after "The Decision"). The roster teardown that started in June eventually saw All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Goebert shipped away. The good news is the retooling of the roster centers on a league high 14 first-round picks, seven which are unprotected from Cleveland and Minnesota. -- Marks
(Previous rank: No. 13)
What goes into our NBA Future Power Rankings point totals?
Here's how we did it.
We determined that the most important category is a team's current roster and the future potential of those players. That category accounts for more than 50% of each NBA team's overall Future Power Rating, the 0-100 score each team receives to determine its overall ranking.
At the same time, we looked at many other factors such as management, ownership, coaching, a team's spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise and what kind of draft picks we expect the team to have in the future.
The full scores for every team in each category are below.