NBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsSep 16, 2026, 07:10 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsHow does your NBA team look heading into the 2026-27 season? What about in 2029?The NBA Future Power Rankings are ESPN’s projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three seasons: 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.To determine the rankings, we asked ESPN analysts Ben Golliver, Zach Kram, Bobby Marks and Dean Oliver to rate teams in five categories and rank them relative to the rest of the league. (An explanation of each category and a full view of all 30 teams’ ratings is at the bottom of these rankings.)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 | UTA | WAS1. Oklahoma City ThunderThree-year outlook: The Thunder finished with the NBA’s best record and point differential in each of the past two seasons, and there’s no indication that the next few years will go much differently. Oklahoma City has a championship core that’s still young, plus plenty of extra picks over the next few years and arguably the most respected lead decision-maker in the league in Sam Presti.
The Thunder were a relatively easy choice to repeat as Future Power Rankings leaders. — KramRoster question looming: The Thunder shrunk their payroll by over $300 million without touching their core players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, which helped Oklahoma drop below the second apron this season. With the first year of Gilgeous-Alexander’s supermax extension beginning in 2027-28 and Cason Wallace rookie extension eligible, the Thunder are a second apron team if the roster returns next season. The positive, however, is that thirteen players on the current roster are under contract next season and Oklahoma City has two first-round picks. — MarksFPR nugget to know: At the start of the 2023-24 season, OKC was coming off a 40-42 season, but the writing was on the wall. The 2023 Future Power Rankings had them with the best draft assets, second in management, sixth in money and 10th in players, giving them the fourth-best ranking overall.
That’s quite consistent with them posting the best record since then. — OliverBold prediction for 2027-29: Oklahoma City will shift from a big three to a big two because of second apron concerns. The Thunder preserved their star trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren this summer by executing a series of cap-clearing trades, but more financial pain awaits next offseason. Gilgeous-Alexander’s salary will spike in the 2027-28 season, forcing the Thunder to make sharp cuts to their supporting cast or consider moving Williams or Holmgren. Constructing a new-and-improved version of the 2012 James Harden trade would help Oklahoma City maintain its depth and remain focused on its long-term sustainability. — GolliverPrevious ranking: 12.
San Antonio SpursThree-year outlook: San Antonio boasts the best young trio in the NBA, led by the best young player in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama. There was a huge gap between the top two teams in these rankings — the Thunder and Spurs — and everyone else on the list, which reflects just how well positioned the reigning Western Conference finalists are for the foreseeable future. — KramRoster question looming: The Spurs were potentially facing a financial crunch with extensions on the horizon for Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. But Wembanyama electing not to include an All-NBA, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year escalator clause could save San Antonio nearly $10 million per season starting in 2027-28. As a result, San Antonio would have the financial runway to keep its core intact for the foreseeable future. — MarksFPR nugget to know: In the 2022 version of the Future Power Rankings, the Spurs ranked 28th.
The following spring, they won the draft lottery when Wembanyama was the clear No. 1 pick. Their rankings since have been 18th, 10th, 10th and now second. That’s how much one special player can change the future. — OliverBold prediction for 2027-29: Wembanyama will win NBA Cup MVP, All-Star Game MVP, NBA MVP and Finals MVP in a single season. The Spurs’ franchise player faltered in his first trip to the Finals, but he will enjoy an impossibly long runway to get his revenge given that he’s only 22 years old and is surrounded by a stacked roster.
Wembanyama led San Antonio to the 2025 NBA Cup championship game, and he helped set a competitive tone at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles back in February. What better way to prove he’s the best player in the world than to sweep four MVP awards while winning his first championship? — GolliverPrevious ranking: 103. Boston CelticsThree-year outlook: The Celtics fell in the Future Power Rankings last season because of an anticipated gap year following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear. But Boston performed well above expectations, securing a 56-26 record before an admittedly contentious summer.
The Celtics now have five consecutive seasons with 50-plus wins, and they place in the top half of our rankings in every subcategory, which explains why they’re back up in third place overall. — KramRoster question looming: The Celtics restocked their draft assets, picking up two valuable firsts from Philadelphia in the Jaylen Brown trade. As a result, Boston has four available firsts and Paul George’s contract to use in trade discussions. The question, however, is whether Boston adds another max contract to pair with Tatum or adds multiple players to help balance the roster. — MarksFPR nugget to know: The Celtics are a picture of consistency across the years. In the past five seasons, their offensive efficiency has never been worse than sixth, their defense hasn’t been worse than fourth and they have won 50-plus games.
Their FPR was only 13th last season after three years in the top five. Despite the loss of Brown, we restore Boston’s FPR to that lofty level this year. — OliverBold prediction for 2027-29: Tatum will be the only member of the Celtics’ 2024 championship team still on the roster entering the 2029-30 season. After trading Brown this summer, Boston is down to just six members of its title team: Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh. With Boston’s new ownership making sharp cuts in the second apron era, the only constant has been change. — GolliverPrevious ranking: 134.
Houston RocketsThree-year outlook: Despite a fairly underwhelming 2025-26 campaign, Houston is still in strong position for this season and beyond. The Rockets have an enviable mix of high-upside youth and proven veterans — including Fred VanVleet returning from injury — and they’ve been one of the NBA’s best front offices in terms of financial management, routinely saving money with firm negotiations on extensions. Add in an unprotected pick swap with the Nets next summer, and Houston could be back in business quite soon. — KramRoster question looming: A new contract for Amen Thompson is certainly a priority, but what happens with Kevin Durant if this Rockets team fails to advance past the first round again or struggles during the regular season? The soon-to-be 38-year-old has a $46 million player option next season, and Durant last season played his second-most games since 2013-14 and has not averaged fewer than 20 points since entering the NBA in 2007. — MarksFPR nugget to know: In January 2023, when I was a coach on the Wizards bench, I remember being down 19 points in the first half to a young Rockets team.
I felt confident that we would come back and beat them because they were not just young, they were a chaotic group that didn’t know how to play together. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun still had a lot to figure out. We did indeed come back to win. That anecdote illustrates why you should forgive ESPN for ranking the Rockets 26th in the Future Power Rankings after t
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