We're under a month from the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, and it's getting easier to separate the buyers from the sellers, the contenders from the pretenders and the competitors from the should-be-tankers.

The weeks between now and that deadline will surely make those distinctions even clearer.

And in the meantime, the games will roll on toward February. As the results keep coming in, we'll sort through the entire league with the same criteria we use for every week's power rankings: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.

30. Washington Wizards (6-29)

Previous Ranking: 29

Net Rating: -12.3

It was just a one-week reprieve from the bottom spot in the power rankings for the Washington Wizards.

Right after sneaking above the New Orleans Pelicans, they played them twice this week and lost both by double digits.

Add in losses to the Houston Rockets and Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers, and it feels safe to settle Washington back into the 30th spot, where the Wizards must be pretty comfortable by now.

29. New Orleans Pelicans (7-31)

Previous Ranking: 30

Net Rating: -10.1

The losses keep piling up for the New Orleans Pelicans, but they got a surprise (at least to some fans) return of Zion Williamson this week.

And perhaps every bit as important as the fact that he came back was how good he looked in doing so.

Williamson appeared to be in good shape, was explosive and had 22 points, four assists and three steals in 28 minutes.

And though it's probably too late for some kind of furious, Zion-led rally back into the play-in mix (New Orleans lost his one game back from injury), it should be encouraging to at least see the 2019 No. 1 overall pick in action.

In fact, if the rest of this season is about preserving Williamson's health and chasing another No. 1 pick to pair with him, great.

28. Charlotte Hornets (8-27)

Previous Ranking: 28

Net Rating: -6.2

The Charlotte Hornets' week was cut short when the league rescheduled Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to the tragic fires in and around L.A.

And right now, there's no indication of when (or if) the game will be made up.

So, Charlotte went 1-2 on the week. And that lone victory was just their second since December 8. The tank is officially on for the Hornets, though it may not prevent them from having an All-Star.

LaMelo Ball leads all Eastern Conference guards in All-Star votes and is averaging 29.9 points, 7.3 assists and a whopping 4.5 threes.

27. Utah Jazz (9-27)

Previous Ranking: 27

Net Rating: -7.0

As they continue to trudge through their third straight rebuilding season, the Utah Jazz may still be able to extract a hint of value from the Donovan Mitchell era.

Collin Sexton came over from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Mitchell deal, and after scoring 23 in Thursday's loss to the Miami Heat, he's averaging 18.0 points and 3.9 assists, while shooting 43.0 percent from deep on the season.

A team in need of some heat-check scoring off the bench might be willing to give up some real assets for Sexton, thus expanding the return of the Mitchell trade and helping Utah add more losses in their pursuit of this summer's top pick.

26. Toronto Raptors (8-30)

Previous Ranking: 26

Net Rating: -7.9

The Toronto Raptors were more competitive than expected against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, but they didn't win a single game this week. And they're now 1-15 in their last 16 games.

Along with the teams already detailed above, this is a real threat for the first overall pick in 2025.

And adding someone like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper to a core that already includes former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett could have Toronto back in the mix for a play-in spot as early as next season.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (13-24)

Previous Ranking: 25

Net Rating: -7.8

The Portland Trail Blazers have managed to collect more wins than their net rating suggests they should have.

And while that may not be great for the pursuit of the 2025 draft's top pick, it should help Portland fans feel a little better about their team's future prospects.

In Wednesday's blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Deni Avdija had 26 points and shot 4-of-7 from three, Anfernee Simons had 17 points on 11 shots, Shaedon Sharpe went 8-of-13 from the field, and Scoot Henderson had five assists off the bench.

On the season, Simons is now averaging 18.6 points and Sharpe is at 18.1. Henderson is averaging 5.0 assists in just 25.9 minutes, while Avdija is averaging 13.9 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 threes.

24. Brooklyn Nets (13-24)

Previous Ranking: 24

Net Rating: -5.9

With the help of the Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith trades and some non-serious injuries to other helpful players, the tank is officially on for the Brooklyn Nets.

Wednesday, they only played eight players and started Ziaire Williams, Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton, Tyrese Martin and Keon Johnson. That's a group you'd have a hard time picking against just about anyone.

And even though teams such as the Washington Wizards, New Orleans and Charlotte Hornets got a head start on the race for the No. 1 pick, there's plenty of time for Brooklyn to get (deeper) into the mix.

The Nets are now 4-14 since a 9-10 start.

23. Chicago Bulls (17-20)

Previous Ranking: 22

Net Rating: -3.3

With all the talk of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević's respective trade values this season, another solid campaign from Coby White may be flying under the radar.

This week alone, he went for 33 against the New York Knicks, put Victor Wembanyama on a poster as part of his 23-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs and handed out a team-high five assists in Wednesday's loss to the Indiana Pacers.

On the season, White is now averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 threes, while shooting 37.0 percent from deep.

So, even if Chicago does find takers for LaVine and Vučević and starts pushing for better lottery odds, Bulls fans will have at least one young (ish, White turns 25 in February) player to enjoy watching the rest of the way.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (15-20)

Previous Ranking: 20

Net Rating: -3.2

It's time to shine a little light on Guerschon Yabusele, the former EuroLeague star who's been a big part of why the Philadelphia 76ers have stayed in the playoff hunt despite Joel Embiid missing 22 of the team's 35 games.

The Sixers are minus-0.5 points per 100 possessions when Yabusele is on the floor, but they're minus-6.0 without him.

And over his last nine games, the 29-year-old is averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 threes in 28.9 minutes, while shooting 47.6 percent from deep.

21. Detroit Pistons (19-19)

Previous Ranking: 21

Net Rating: -1.3

The Detroit Pistons ended their week with a home loss to the Golden State Warriors, but there's little reason for pessimism around this organization.

One season after going an abysmal 14-68, the Pistons are .500 through 38 games and well on their way to annihilating their preseason over/under.

And at this point, they're probably beyond comparisons to their previous selves.

Detroit is a real threat to make the postseason. It's within a game of sixth place (the last non-play-in spot), and it has a genuine All-Star candidate in Cade Cunningham.

After dropping 32 against the Warriors, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick is averaging 24.3 points, 9.3 assists and 2.4 threes while shooting 37.6 percent from deep.

20. Phoenix Suns (17-19)

Previous Ranking: 19

Net Rating: -1.9

The Phoenix Suns don't look to be escaping mediocrity anytime soon. They went 2-2 this week, with one of the losses coming to the lowly Charlotte Hornets.

And their continued struggles necessitated a change that could eventually pay dividends.

Bradley Beal has come off the bench in each of his last three games, and the role appears to suit him. Thanks in part to the extra time spent against reserves, Beal has dropped 25 points in two of those three contests. He led the team in scoring in Thursday's win.

As a super sixth man, he should be able to have more of an impact than he did as a floor spacer alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

19. Atlanta Hawks (19-19)

Previous Ranking: 14

Net Rating: -2.6

Right when it was starting to look like the Atlanta Hawks might be turning some kind of corner, they've suddenly lost four of their last five. And the one win came courtesy of a half-court game-winner against the tanking Utah Jazz.

The latest slide has Atlanta back to .500, with a bottom-10 net rating and mediocre marks in both offensive and defensive ratings.

The glass-half-full view includes the fact that Jalen Johnson has missed four of these five games. His finishing alongside Young is a big part of why he has the biggest net-rating impact of anyone on the team. Atlanta is plus-2.6 points per 100 possessions with Johnson on the floor and minus-11.7 when he's off.

The more pessimistic, and perhaps more important take is that the Hawks won't be able to find long-term offensive consistency until Young starts consistently hitting shots. After going 6-of-15 in Thursday's loss, Young has hit fewer than half his shot attempts in 29 of his 36 appearances.

18. Sacramento Kings (18-19)

Previous Ranking: 23

Net Rating: +2.6

There was plenty of hand-wringing from the media and the coaching fraternity over the firing of Mike Brown. And yes, that move probably could have been handled better.

But the Sacramento Kings have now won five straight under interim coach Doug Christie. And their net rating has crept all the way up to ninth in the league.

Now, those wins came against the Dallas Mavericks without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid, the Memphis Grizzlies without Ja Morant, the reeling Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler. And four of the five were at home.

It's pretty easy to nitpick the turnaround.

But that point differential is a season-long number. They've likely been better than their record suggests for a while. And if this run and Christie give the Kings the confidence they need to start closing out close games, they still have a shot to make the playoffs after their disappointing start to the campaign.

17. Orlando Magic (22-17)

Previous Ranking: 17

Net Rating: +1.8

The Orlando Magic are 3-5 in their last eight, but help should soon be on the way.

Paolo Banchero, out with a torn oblique since October 30, will reportedly return to the lineup on Friday. And the team is in dire need of his scoring.

Orlando is 27th in the league in points per 100 possessions, and Banchero had 50 in his second-to-last appearance before the injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (19-18)

Previous Ranking: 16

Net Rating: +0.9

Could this up-and-down Golden State Warriors season be as simple as whether or not they get solid minutes from Buddy Hield?

During their 12-3 start, he averaged 16.2 points and 3.5 threes while shooting 44.2 percent from deep. Then, in the 6-15 stretch that followed, he averaged 9.2 points and 2.1 threes, while shooting 33.3 percent from three.

On the bright side, Golden State won a game in which Stephen Curry shot 5-of-21 from the field against the win-streaking Detroit Pistons on Thursday, thanks in large part to Hield's 19.

If that performance is a sign of things to come, the Warriors might start stacking up wins again soon.

15. San Antonio Spurs (18-19)

Previous Ranking: 12

Net Rating: -0.9

The San Antonio Spurs started their week with an impressive win over the Denver Nuggets in which Victor Wembanyama outplayed Nikola Jokić.

The reigning MVP had 41 points, but he was 15-of-36 from the field and struggled when on the floor with Wemby, who had 35 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Jokić isn't leaving the "best in the world" conversation any time soon, but the game still almost felt a bit like a passing of the torch.

Over the rest of the week, though, San Antonio went 0-3 (including a loss on the second leg of its home-and-home with Jokić and the Nuggets). And Wemby shot worse than 50 percent from the field in each of those three losses.

He's ascending faster than even the most optimistic prognosticators could've imagined before his rookie campaign in 2023-24. As a sophomore, he is already arguably playing like a top 5-10 player in the league.

But he just turned 21. There will be more growing pains, especially when faced with gauntlets like this week, when he had to face Jokić twice and Giannis Antetokounmpo once.

14. Miami Heat (19-17)

Previous Ranking: 15

Net Rating: +1.2

The Jimmy Butler saga will likely be the biggest story around the Miami Heat until he's traded (assuming that actually happens), but it may come with a silver lining.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., one of the most pleasant surprises of last season's rookie class, hadn't really taken a step forward in his sophomore campaign. But during this current absence from Butler, he's assumed more responsibility and had a mini-breakout.

In the four games since Butler's team suspension started, Jaquez has averaged 16.8 points (second on the team behind Tyler Herro), 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals.

13. Indiana Pacers (20-18)

Previous Ranking: 18

Net Rating: -0.7

It feels safe to say the Indiana Pacers, and more specifically, Tyrese Haliburton, have finally found the right track.

They have won four straight and are 10-3 in their last 13 games. They have scored at least 111 points in 12 of those 13 games and 120 in seven of them.

You don't have to look much further than Haliburton as the driving factor in the turnaround. In this 10-3 stretch, he is averaging 20.1 points, 9.8 assists and 3.3 threes, while shooting 41.0 percent from deep and only turning it over 1.4 times per game.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (20-16)

Previous Ranking: 13

Net Rating: -2.4

Given the tragic news constantly rolling out of Los Angeles, it's difficult to talk about the city's basketball team, but they've long been a cultural institution for L.A., the NBA and American professional sports, in general.

In the wake of the postponement of Thursday's game, the Lakers reassured Angelinos that they're in this with the people of the city.

And whenever the Lakers get their feet back on the floor, they can be a reprieve for fans all over the area.

11. Los Angeles Clippers (20-17)

Previous Ranking: 10

Net Rating: +0.9

Kawhi Leonard's current minutes restriction could delay our ability to draw some real takeaways from his return. It's hard to get into a rhythm in 20 minutes, especially if you're a career starter who's mostly been a first option.

So, Kawhi being 2-of-12 on two-pointers in his two games isn't a cause for concern. What's more important is that he's back and he's given us occasional glimpses of his old self (especially when he's outside the three-point line).

If, by the end of the campaign, L.A. is reliably getting 30-plus minutes per game from Leonard and still getting the playmaking of James Harden, the outside shooting of Norman Powell and the defensive tenacity of Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum, it could be a postseason spoiler.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-17)

Previous Ranking: 11

Net Rating: +1.6

This campaign has been a bit of a roller coaster for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the last few weeks are no exception.

Over their last 12 games, they lost three in a row, won three in a row, lost three in a row and now, they're once again on a three-game winning streak.

Finding some semblance of consistency is the next step for Minnesota, and it may have already found the fix.

Donte DiVincenzo has been in the starting five in each of the last three wins, and the added three-point volume seems to be helping.

With DiVincenzo on the floor, defenders have to sell out a bit more aggressively to the three-point line, giving Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards precious extra space to attack.

9. Milwaukee Bucks (19-16)

Previous Ranking: 9

Net Rating: +1.9

Every time it starts to feel safe to trust the Milwaukee Bucks as a title contender, they offer fresh reason for concern.

In their first two games of the new year, Milwaukee lost to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers. And Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared in both games.

Despite how dominant he's been this season, he can't singlehandedly save the team from its occasional bouts of mediocrity on both ends of the floor. At least not every night.

Wednesday, he dropped 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists against Victor Wembanyama, but he also got plenty of help from his supporting cast in that win. Brook Lopez (22) and Damian Lillard (26) each eclipsed 20 points, while Gary Trent Jr. and A.J. Green both scored in double figures off the bench.

8. Dallas Mavericks (22-16)

Previous Ranking: 8

Net Rating: +4.4

The last handful of games have been a pretty vivid illustration of how well the Dallas Mavericks built the supporting cast around Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

With both superstars out for each of the last four games, Dallas is 2-2, with one of the victories coming in blowout fashion over the Los Angeles Lakers.

And during those four games, P.J. Washington (19.3), Jaden Harden (18.0), Quentin Grimes (17.8), Dereck Lively II (12.3), Klay Thompson (11.8), Naji Marshall (11.3) and Spencer Dinwiddie are all averaging double figures.

7. Denver Nuggets (21-15)

Previous Ranking: 7

Net Rating: +3.6

It's been an eventful week for the Denver Nuggets that started with a home-and-away back-to-back with the San Antonio Spurs.

They went 1-1 in those contests, which featured what might already be the game's best big-man battle: Nikola Jokić vs. Victor Wembanyama.

And while those two contests, in which Jokić averaged 43.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks, would have given more than enough fodder for this write-up, an even more important take materialized in the second half of the week.

The reigning MVP missed Denver's Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back with an illness. And despite dropping one of those games, it was likely the most impressive stretch the non-Jokić Nuggets have had all season.

First, their effort on defense and increased three-point volume helped them stay competitive with the Boston Celtics for three quarters. Then on Wednesday, they blew out the Los Angeles Clippers in a game in which they went 17-of-35 from three.

If Denver maintains the kind of defensive effort and focus on getting threes up that it showed this week after Jokić returns, it could start looking like a title contender again.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (24-14)

Previous Ranking: 5

Net Rating: +7.3

Ja Morant returned from a five-game absence on Thursday, and the Memphis Grizzlies lost his minutes in a 119-115 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

But the team is still comfortably better when Ja is on the floor, and it could use an extended stretch with him in the lineup.

Among players who've appeared in at least 20 games, Morant is 16th in the league in points per possession and fourth in assists per possession.

5. Houston Rockets (25-12)

Previous Ranking: 6

Net Rating: +6.2

Heading into Thursday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Houston Rockets had gone 3-3 in their last six. And it was starting to feel like they might finally be coming back to earth a bit.

If they weren't as good as their record suggests, surely a game in Memphis, in which Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. were all playing, would prove it.

But the Rockets beat the Grizzlies, in spite of Dillon Brooks going 2-of-15 from the field. And their young, recently extended stars were the reason. Alperen Şengün had 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Jalen Green went for 27 points and hit four threes.

The Rockets are 5-2 when those two both eclipse 20 points.

4. New York Knicks (25-13)

Previous Ranking: 4

Net Rating: +7.0

The New York Knicks are coming off one of their worst weeks of the season, but there's far from any reason to press the panic button.

They have gone 1-3 since our last power rankings, with two of those losses coming on the road, one against the Oklahoma City Thunder and one in a game that Karl-Anthony Towns didn't play.

The Knicks got back on track Wednesday, beating the Toronto Raptors, 112-98, with KAT dropping 27 in his return. The team is now 11-4 when the four-time All-Star gets to at least 27 points.

3. Boston Celtics (27-10)

Previous Ranking: 3

Net Rating: +10.4

After steamrolling most of the NBA throughout 2023-24 and into the first few weeks of this season, the Boston Celtics have quietly looked mortal of late.

They ended their week with a road win over the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets, but that one was more competitive than expected. And since they beat the Bucks in early December to move to 19-4, Boston is 8-6 in its last 14.

And perhaps most notably during that stretch, the Celtics were throttled by an Oklahoma City Thunder defense that held them to 92 points this week.

Of course, that was the third game of a tough Western Conference road trip. And it's fair to wonder if the reigning champions are just in cruise control ahead of the postseason. But if you're the rest of the NBA, Boston winning it all doesn't feel as much like an inevitability as it did a month ago.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (30-6)

Previous Ranking: 2

Net Rating: +11.6

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their marquee matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, but that game was on the road, and OKC had won 15 straight (non-NBA Cup) games prior to that one.

There's certainly no cause for concern, especially since the Thunder will get a rematch against the Cavs on their own floor on Thursday.

Their legs might be a little more tired than usual in that one, though. Between now and then, they have an Eastern Conference road trip against the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-4)

Previous Ranking: 1

Net Rating: +11.2

The Cleveland Cavaliers won what may have been the game of the season so far on Wednesday, beating the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder 129-122 and pushing their winning streak to 12.

Nearly halfway through this campaign, it's time to start looking at this squad through a historical lens.

They have the fourth-best point differential in NBA history, behind only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. And they're on pace for what would be a record-tying 73 wins.

Now, are the Cavs likely to maintain this pace all season? Of course not. But this is a bona fide juggernaut, led by four different players playing at an All-Star level, three of whom (Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland) are in the top 10 of Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("...based on a model built using previous voting results").

Stat of the Week

Following this week's potential Finals preview between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, it feels like an appropriate time to revisit the East vs. West discussion that's long deserved a little more attention.

The West has dominated the East in terms of wins and losses, All-NBA nods and style of play for over two decades.

And even after Cleveland won the marquee matchup over OKC (which was without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso), the West is 89-76 against the East in 2024-25.