NBA Power Rankings: All-Star starters announced; Jimmy Butler out for season

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The 2025-26 regular season continues to roll along. We're in the bottom half inning of this marathon. Inching closer to the unofficial halfway mark with All-Star weekend, we learned some of the big names that will participate in the weekend festivities.

The NBA announced the 2026 All-Star starters. It went mostly chalk for folks, minus the last spot in the West going to Victor Wembanyama over Anthony Edwards due to tiebreakers. The rest of the field was as expected, though. The league's top stars will headline this year's Team World and Team USA rosters for the round-robin tournament.

In grimmer news, we saw one West contender get delivered a severe punch. The Golden State Warriors will be without Jimmy Butler III the rest of the way. He sustained a torn ACL. Already on the bubble, this completely knocks out the veteran group from any surprise playoff run.

Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Jan. 19-25 edition:

30. Washington Wizards (10-34)​

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Previous Rankings: 30

The Wizards have lost nine in a row. It's given them a cushion in the reverse standings. There are some positives to take away, though. Mainly Tre Johnson. He had a slow start to his rookie season but has recently broken into the starting lineup. He scored 26 points in a loss to the Hornets. That's what the rest of the season is about for Washington. He's shown his outside shooting potential.

29. New Orleans Pelicans (12-36)​

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Previous Rankings: 28

The Pelicans are back to being a losing squad. They grabbed a rare win over the Grizzlies. Saddiq Bey scored a career-best 36 points. Even though they have a couple of nice prospects, New Orleans is in this weird spot. It's played by several veterans. They're likely better off trading away some of them. Let's see what happens at the upcoming trade deadline.

28. Indiana Pacers (11-35)​

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Previous Rankings: 29

Amid a lost season, the Pacers picked up a rare good win. In their first trip to OKC since the NBA Finals, they picked up the upset win over the Thunder. Andrew Nembhard had 27 points and 11 assists. Afterward, he said it was revenge for what happened to Tyrese Haliburton when he tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7. Good for Indiana, I guess. You gotta find your positives when you're at the bottom of the standings.

27. Brooklyn Nets (12-32)​

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Previous Rankings: 27

Well, the Nets are back at the bottom of the standings. They had an unreal 120-66 loss to the Knicks that marked rock bottom. You also saw Cam Thomas get benched because he refused to shoot the ball before a shot clock violation happened. It's been pretty ugly in Brooklyn. But all of that was planned, though. Hopefully, it works out for them with a high lottery pick.

26. Sacramento Kings (12-35)​

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Previous Rankings: 25

The Kings have lost five in a row. The only real interest left is seeing Russell Westbrook break all types of NBA records in your uniform. He recently became the highest-scoring point guard in league history. Just shows how insane his longevity is. Besides that, though, Sacramento remains a mess. It doesn't really have a direction on where it wants to go. Sad to see that franchise back in that state.

25. Utah Jazz (15-31)​

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Previous Rankings: 26

The Jazz continue to rack up losses. Lauri Markkanen has missed time due to an illness. Playing like a borderline All-Star, that has helped them get lower in the standings. Utah had a rare upset win over the Timberwolves, though. Keyonte George went off for 43 points. He's made quite the leap this season. His development alone can make you feel like it's already been a successful season.

24. Milwaukee Bucks (18-26)​

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Previous Rankings: 22

Things are getting ugly between the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. They've lost five of their last six games. After a bad loss to the short-handed Nuggets, the two-time MVP winner said he'll be out at least a month with a calf strain. That could be the end of an era. Considering his recent comments and passive style of play, you can see the writing on the wall. It's now about whether a deal happens by the trade deadline or they wait out the awkwardness until the offseason. I lean towards the former.

23. Memphis Grizzlies (18-25)​

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Previous Rankings: 21

Speaking of awkward situations that are bordering on ugly. Ja Morant is set to miss at least three weeks with an elbow sprain. Doing the quick math, that puts him at a return after the trade deadline at the earliest. That could make a potential trade more difficult. Memphis has likely called to see what he'd get back in a deal, but now this recent development has sunk his stock. Aside from headaches, injuries have ruined him over the last handful of years.

22. Charlotte Hornets (18-28)​

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Previous Rankings: 24

I'm sure you've heard it by now, but something is brewing in Charlotte. The Hornets have had one of the league's best offenses when fully healthy. Kon Knueppel has made some buzz as the Rookie of the Year favorite. He's had one of the greatest starts as a 3-point shooter. The Hornets had a rare national TV game this past week, where people learned why they're suddenly playing winning basketball.

21. Atlanta Hawks (22-25)​

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Previous Rankings: 19

After a minor slump, Jalen Johnson is back to playing at an All-Star level. Not a coincidence that the Hawks have returned to getting wins with that. He had 32 points and 15 rebounds in a close win over the Grizzlies. He then had 23 points and 18 rebounds in a win over the Suns. Atlanta has already made its seismic move a couple of weeks ago. The rest of the season is about riding things out to see what offseason moves will be required.

20. Chicago Bulls (23-22)​

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Previous Rankings: 20

Over the last week, the Bulls have surged with wins in five of their last six games. Josh Giddey finally returned from a hamstring strain. Chicago has finally found a rhythm. To add to the positive vibes, they retired Derrick Rose's jersey during their win over the Celtics. Of course, he's one of the biggest what-if's in NBA history. A torn ACL stomped out his superstar ascension. That said, his connection with the Bulls remains strong all these years later.

19. Dallas Mavericks (19-27)​

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Previous Rankings: 23

Even with an elephant in a room, you gotta be happy if you're the Mavericks over how they've played in recent weeks. Cooper Flagg has mostly lived up to the hype. He dropped 18 points in a blowout win over the Knicks. I don't think Dallas will ever forgive what happened around a year ago with the Luka Doncic blockbuster, but it didn't take long for them to figure out a new long-term plan. It's now about building around the 18-year-old.

18. Miami Heat (25-22)​

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Previous Rankings: 18

Plenty of criticisms have been made about the Heat in the past month. After scorching the league with their offense, they've regressed. It's caused folks to wonder what Miami's long-term plans are besides just being a competitive team. The offense has returned to producing ridiculous levels. Bam Adebayo has had a hot scoring week. He had 25 points in a win over the Kings and 26 points in a win over the Jazz. Miami would welcome that version of him for the rest of the way.

17. Orlando Magic (23-21)​

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Previous Rankings: 14

Well, things aren't pretty in Orlando right now. They've lost three in a row. All double-digit losses too, against meh teams like the Cavaliers and Grizzlies. Already dealing with scutinity all year, Paolo Banchero expressed disappointment with their inconsistency. The Magic have the exact same record through 44 games that they had in the last two seasons. Something you don't want to see. They went all in this past offseason and were penciled in as a contender. So far, it's been more or less of the same.

16. Golden State Warriors (26-21)​

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Previous Rankings: 12

What a disastrous week. After finally finding a flow, the Warriors suffered a season-altering injury. Jimmy Butler III tore his ACL in a win over the Heat. A ginormous injury that completely changes what Golden State's long-term future could be. The whole plan was to contend in Stephen Curry's twilight years. Now, it's difficult to imagine them overcoming this latest obstacle. Just a bummer with huge repercussions we won't see for a while.

15. Portland Trail Blazers (23-23)​

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Previous Rankings: 16

Riding a recent four-game win streak, the Trail Blazers have been one of the hottest teams. What makes it even more impressive is that they've done so with Deni Avdija dealing with a nagging back injury. He had 30 points in his return in a win over the Kings. But exited Portland's win over the Heat with the same problem. It'll be interesting to see if he misses more time. He's played like a first-time All-Star this season as an efficient 26-point scorer.

14. LA Clippers (21-24)​

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Previous Rankings: 17

Slowly climbing out of their hole, the Clippers have been one of the hottest teams for the last month. They've won eight of their last nine games. Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points in a win over the Lakers. He's been his vintage self for a while now. Give credit to LA. This turnaround has been remarkable to see. They've finally figured stuff out, as the veteran group was a contender last season with mostly the same roster.

13. Philadelphia 76ers (24-20)​

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Previous Rankings: 15

In one of their more entertaining wins of the season, the Sixers survived the Rockets in an overtime thriller. Tyrese Maxey had 36 points and 10 assists. Joel Embiid had a 32-point triple-double. Philadelphia has had a fun year. Something they badly needed after last year's worst-case scenario. I think they have the wildest variance among all of the East contenders. Their ceiling is incredibly high, but their floor is rock bottom. Like it's been the case for years now, it all depends on health.

12. Phoenix Suns (27-19)​

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Previous Rankings: 9

The injury bug has claimed its latest victim. In a loss to the Hawks, Devin Booker sustained a gnarly-looking ankle sprain. He needed help off the floor. Brutal. The Suns have been one of the feel-good stories of the season. He led the way as the rest of the roster followed him. While we don't know the severity of the injury yet, you hope he doesn't miss too much time. Phoenix has already dealt with its fairshare of injuries as Jalen Green has missed most of the season with a nagging hamstring strain.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-20)​

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Previous Rankings: 10

Besides a bad blowout loss to the Thunder, the Cavaliers had a productive week. They've won three in a row since then. Donovan Mitchell has put on his Superman cape all season. He had 33 points in a win over the Kings and 36 points in a win over the Magic. Cleveland has had quite the drop-off from last year to now. They went from a 60-win machine to another team fighting to barely be above .500. Their only hope is that once they're healthy, they can get rolling.

10. Toronto Raptors (29-19)​

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Previous Rankings: 13

The Raptors have had a successful road trip. They picked up wins over the Warriors, Kings, Trail Blazers and Thunder. Pretty, pretty good. Dropping 145 points in regulation over Golden State, Immanuel Quickley had a historic game. He finished with 40 points on 11-of-13 shooting and 10 assists. That's about as close as you can get to pitch basketball's version of a perfect game. Toronto has been one of the surprise teams in the league this season. They've found the right balance where any of their starters can have a big night. Ala Quickley.

9. New York Knicks (27-18)​

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Previous Rankings: 11

Losing nine of their 11 games, the Knicks held a player-only meeting. Jalen Brunson wanted the veteran group to air out any grievances they might have. Afterward, his message was that their bad stretch falls on them and not the coaches. So far, the meeting has been therapeutic. New York responded with an unreal 54-point win over the Nets. While it only counts for one win, you gotta feel good about it. Let's see if they can get things back in order for the rest of the way.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-19)​

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Previous Rankings: 6

Been a bad week for Timberwolves fans' stress levels. They've dropped five in a row. All within single-digit points, too. Which means they were right there to get a win. Anthony Edwards had an unreal 38 points in a close loss to the Jazz. He's flirting with averaging 30 points for the first time in his career. Even with this skid, Minnesota remains one of the inner contenders out West. They have the track record to prove it. It's all about avoiding dropping gimmes like some of these losses to bad teams.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (27-17)​

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Previous Rankings: 8

Always going to be an emotional trip when Luka Doncic makes it to Dallas. Nearing a year since the blockbuster trade happened, he dropped 33 points and 11 assists in a win over the Mavericks. The Lakers have been up and down all year. Most don't believe their record indicates how good they actually are. The advanced stats back up that gut feeling. That said, Doncic has had an MVP candidate type of season. He stuffs the box score every night. Even if it means inefficiency and bad turnovers.

6. Boston Celtics (28-17)​

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Previous Rankings: 5

While Jaylen Brown grabs all the headlines, the Celtics being a surprise contender can also be credited to the rest of the roster. Payton Pritchard had 32 points in a comeback win over the Nets. He's been awesome as his role has scaled up from bench scorer to top-three player. Boston is filled with role players having career years. You gotta give the coaching staff love for squeezing every drop of juice from this roster.

5. Houston Rockets (27-16)​

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Previous Rankings: 7

Badly needing some signature wins, the Rockets got a couple. They beat the Spurs and Pistons this past week. Not that difficult to project a possible playoff series between Houston and San Antonio. So it was good to get that win. And then Kevin Durant had 32 points to go on the road and beat Detroit. Not having a true playmaker has hurt them in recent weeks, but they still have the makings of a team that could make a playoff run.

4. San Antonio Spurs (31-15)​

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Previous Rankings: 4

At the halfway point of the season, the Spurs are smack-dab in the middle of being a title contender. That's quite the leap to make for a group that hasn't even played a playoff game together. Victor Wembanyama celebrated his All-Star starter bid with 33 points in a win over the Jazz. San Antonio's rapid ascension starts and stops with him. As long as he remains healthy, he'll be one of the league's five best players for the foreseeable future.

3. Denver Nuggets (31-15)​

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Previous Rankings: 3

I mean, this Peyton Watson stuff is getting a little ridiculous. He scored a career-high 35 points in a win over the Wizards. Since Nikola Jokic has been out, he's ascended into a 20-point scorer. What a career arc he's having for someone who was an afterthought in most folks' minds. That's helped Denver overcome half of its roster being out with injuries. Aaron Gordon once again saw his hamstring flare up. He's battled that for over a year now. The Nuggets look every part of a title contender. It's now about being healthy for when the games really matter.

2. Detroit Pistons (33-11)​

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Previous Rankings: 2

The Pistons continue to get wins. They had a four-game win streak. Jalen Duren tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Pelicans. You could make an argument for him to join Cade Cunningham for the All-Star extravaganza. At least JB Bickerstaff will be there. He will coach the game as he clinched the East's best record through the start of February. While everybody wonders who might come out of the East, the Pistons have quietly put together one of the best seasons.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-10)​

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Previous Rankings: 1

Injuries are starting to pile up for the Thunder. Half of their roster is out with some ailment. The only constant has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He dropped an insane 47 points in a close loss to the Pacers that spoke more about OKC's short-handed roster. The reigning MVP is a walking 60-win machine. As long as he's out there, he can win with any other four-man combination most nights. That's one of the reasons why he's the heavy favorite to win the prestigious award again.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Power Rankings: All-Star starters announced; Jimmy Butler out for season

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