NBA Power Rankings: Miami Heat Slide After Jimmy Butler Trade Request

As Samuel L. Jackson's Ray Arnold once said: It's time for NBA fans to "hold onto your butts."

Just over a month from the trade deadline, Jimmy Butler has made it publicly known that he wants to be traded. And it feels like the league's transactional floodgates are about to open.

That means much of the league could be in flux for the next few weeks, making power rankings a trickier exercise than usual.

But it won't deter us here at B/R. And several steady title contenders will surely offer this exercise some stability while much of the rest of the league is shaken up over the next few weeks.

On the verge of numerous potential deals, here's how the entire NBA currently stands, based on our tried-and-true criteria: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.

Previous Ranking: 29

Net Rating: -11.3

The New Orleans Pelicans have lost 11 straight and 20 of their last 21. They have the worst record in the NBA. And the face of the franchise, Zion Williamson, hasn't appeared in a game since November 6.

It's time to consider moving just about anyone from the roster, and that includes the oft-unavailable Zion.

This era of Pelicans basketball has been marred by inconsistency, and it's time to consider turning the page for good.

Previous Ranking: 30

Net Rating: -12.2

The Washington Wizards are quietly 3-4 in their last seven, which doesn't scream "one of the worst teams in the league," but some season-long stats sure do.

Washington is dead last in net rating and second to last in winning percentage. Jonas Valančiūnas, Jordan Poole and Justin Champagnie are the only rotation players with above-average box plus/minuses.

And though it would be nice to see a little more upside from rookies Alexandre Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, things couldn't be going much better for a team in the hunt for the best draft lottery odds this summer.

Wizards fans should relish every loss.

Previous Ranking: 28

Net Rating: -6.6

As the 2024-25 campaign continues to unravel for the Charlotte Hornets, their older players have somehow escaped the trips around the rumor mill, unlike veterans on other rebuilding squads.

But the Hornets are 1-16 in their last 17 games, and it's time to start thinking about potential moves that would keep the losses rolling in while potentially adding a few future draft picks.

Miles Bridges has averaged 20.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in eight games since returning from injury, and he's on a relatively team-friendly contract that pays him $27.2 million and declines in each of the next two seasons.

Seth Curry is shooting 41.9 percent from three. Vasilije Micić is averaging 6.3 assists per 75 possessions, while Cody Martin is a solid playmaker and defender for a reserve wing.

Any of the above might be able to bump a playoff team from one tier to the next, and Charlotte should be trying to sell suitors on that possibility.

Previous Ranking: 27

Net Rating: -9.1

The Utah Jazz have basically been in rebuild mode since they traded Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, but this is the first season that's truly felt like it from the jump.

The Jazz have the second-worst record in the West. And they're bottom-four in net rating. But there are still some moves available to really shore up Utah's shot at the top pick in the draft.

Veterans Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Jordan Clarkson make up four of the team's top six in total minutes played this season. With the exception of Markkanen (who's ineligible to be traded this season), all of the above should be on the trade market between now and February.

Previous Ranking: 26

Net Rating: -7.2

Count the Toronto Raptors among this season's rebuilding teams that could have some helpful veterans available prior to February.

Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk could reportedly be available for second-round picks. And though the former has only appeared in two games this season, the latter is proving he can still swing a game as a reserve.

In Wednesday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, Olynyk was perfect from the field on the way to seven points off the bench. He's now averaging 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.1 threes per 75 possessions while shooting 47.8 percent from three.

If that kind of production is available for a second-round pick, someone will surely pay the price.

Previous Ranking: 25

Net Rating: -9.1

The Portland Trail Blazers have squeaked out a few more wins than some of their rebuild-minded fans would like, but they closed the week with back-to-back losses.

And they're still within shouting distance of a bottom-five record and at least a 10.5 percent shot at the No. 1 draft pick in 2025.

If they keep heading down the standings while getting encouraging performances from young players around the roster, even better.

Lately, plenty of those have been coming from Deni Avdija. Over his last 13 games, the 24-year-old forward is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while shooting 42.9 percent from deep.

Previous Ranking: 24

Net Rating: -4.7

Behind 12 assists from the recently acquired D'Angelo Russell and 26 points from Cameron Johnson, the Brooklyn Nets snuck up on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, winning 113-110.

The game was perhaps a reminder that even though Brooklyn unloaded Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in rebuild-minded trades, the East is weak enough for what's left of the team to hurt its lottery odds with random wins.

The Nets might have to find new homes for both Johnson and Russell between now and the trade deadline to truly enter the race for 2025's top overall pick.

Previous Ranking: 22

Net Rating: +1.7

The Sacramento Kings, in the middle of what ended up a six-game losing streak, fired coach Mike Brown on Saturday.

And though they ended their week with back-to-back wins over the Luka Dončić-less Dallas Mavericks and Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers, it certainly doesn't feel like the team is in the clear after this move.

Staying in reach of the play-in tournament is harder in the West than it is in the East. DeMar DeRozan's on-ball-heavy offense and sometimes nonexistent defense have made him a tricky fit. Keegan Murray's bizarre inability to hit threes remains. And when Malik Monk starts, the bench can seem woefully underpowered.

Axing Brown isn't likely to fix all of that overnight. And if the Kings remain underwhelming, expect the De'Aaron Fox trade rumors to just keep getting louder.

Previous Ranking: 23

Net Rating: -3.6

It's become pretty clear this version of the Chicago Bulls, currently in 10th place after losing to the dreadful Washington Wizards on Wednesday, doesn't have a ceiling much higher than where they are now.

And staying there could be a terrible mistake.

The Bulls only keep their 2025 first-round pick if it lands in the top 10, so they need to unload Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević sooner than later, lose a little more consistently and truly turn the page toward a new era.

Previous Ranking: 21

Net Rating: -2.6

We're barely into the new year, and the Detroit Pistons have officially surpassed last season's win total. They're also on pace to smash their preseason over-under of 25.5 wins.

While the coaching change from Monty Williams to J.B. Bickerstaff, the addition of some veteran talent and improved play from Jaden Ivey are all keys to the improvement, nothing has been more important than Cade Cunningham's breakout.

After scoring 19 points, handing out nine assists and going 4-of-6 from deep in Wednesday's win over the Orlando Magic, he is putting up 23.8 points and 9.7 assists while shooting 37.2 percent from three.

Cunningham is playing like an All-Star (or at least a fringe All-Star), and that should be enough to keep Detroit in the mix for an Eastern Conference play-in spot.

Previous Ranking: 20

Net Rating: -4.3

The Philadelphia 76ers hit some bumps in the road in California, closing out their week with back-to-back losses to the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, but things are still heading in the right general direction.

Philadelphia is 10-5 in its last 15. Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid are finally stringing some starts with each other together. And Embiid has rediscovered his trademark ability to dominate from the free-throw line.

The 30-year-old has had at least 13 free-throw attempts in each of his last three appearances, and he's averaging 9.3 over his last nine games.

Previous Ranking: 17

Net Rating: -1.8

Devin Booker returned from a five-game absence on New Year's Eve, but he wasn't able to stop the Phoenix Suns' slide down the Western Conference standings.

Booker had nine assists, but it took him 20 shots to get to his 16 points in Tuesday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. His team has now dropped six of its last seven.

For an organization with three huge names (on huge contracts), being below .500 at this point of the season is a borderline disaster. And the natural inclination for fans is probably: They need to shake things up with a trade.

But the Suns are beyond leveraged. They unloaded just about all of their trade capital to acquire Kevin Durant in February of 2023 and Bradley Beal in the following offseason. The former is still one of the league's best scorers, but he's 36. It's hard to imagine anyone signing up to take on the contract of the latter.

The only real asset Phoenix can move now is Booker, and the only reason to do that is to tip off a full-scale rebuild. After the big game Mat Ishbia has talked since buying the team just before the KD deal, he's probably not ready to swallow that pill yet.

That means the Suns might be forced to simply wait this out, hope that Durant, Beal and Booker stay healthy enough to stay in the play-in range and all happen to get hot at the same time in April, May and (if everything suddenly falls into place) June.

Previous Ranking: 19

Net Rating: -2.1

It hasn't been the fastest climb, but the Indiana Pacers are working their way up the Eastern Conference standings to a position closer to where many expected prior to this season.

They're 8-4 in their last 12, which has been good enough to put them within striking distance of the East's top six, especially after they ended the week with a win over one of the teams above them.

On Thursday, Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to a 128-115 victory. He had 33 points and 15 assists.

On the season, Indiana is now 8-0 when the 24-year-old totals at least 12 assists (and 11-3 when he's over 10).

Previous Ranking: 16

Net Rating: +2.3

The injury-ravaged Orlando Magic are sliding down the Eastern Conference standings, but that's likely happening a little slower than most expected.

The Magic are a respectable 4-6 since Franz Wagner went down with his torn oblique, and they're getting seemingly random breakout performances from all over the roster in their wins.

On Sunday, rookie Tristan da Silva led a furious comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets with 21 points, seven assists and four threes. The win before that, over the Boston Celtics, he had 18. And on the Saturday ahead of Christmas, Cole Anthony exploded for 35.

Of course, losses are interspersed with the wins now. And the players who are upright are as likely to have a cold night as a hot one. But Jamahl Mosley has the defense competing every night. And if da Silva, Anthony or Jalen Suggs hit a few threes, they have a chance.

That formula should be good enough to at least keep Orlando in or around the softer Eastern Conference's play-in range until Paolo Banchero and Franz are back.

Previous Ranking: 18

Net Rating: +2.0

It's been a rough month and a half for the Golden State Warriors. After starting 12-4, they went 4-12 in their next 16.

But on Thursday, Stephen Curry put together a performance that reminded everyone he's still capable of completely taking over a game.

The 36-year-old had 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 8-of-8 from three. He also handed out 10 assists.

And while it may be tempting to react to a 139-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers by saying the current roster is pretty good after all, the stronger take is that this should just be more motivation to make a win-now deal.

The Paris Olympics and performances like this are evidence that Curry is still capable of being the best player on a title contender. And the organization owes it to him to surround the 10-time All-Star with a championship-caliber supporting cast.

Previous Ranking: 10

Net Rating: +1.8

It feels like the Jimmy Butler trade rumors have yet to work their way into the collective psyche of the Miami Heat, especially after news of his desire to leave broke late Thursday night.

That report came after a loss in which Miami gave up 128 to the Indiana Pacers, and Butler attempted just six shots in the game (and only took two free throws).

For now, though, however the drama plays out, Butler's potential heir apparent is demonstrating his ability to be a consistent No. 1 option.

After scoring 17 in the recent loss, Herro is at 24.1 points per game on the season. And he's led the team in scoring in 17 different games.

Previous Ranking: 14

Net Rating: -1.5

The Atlanta Hawks lost their last game of the week on Wednesday, but it was on the road, against the climbing Denver Nuggets and without Jalen Johnson.

They'd won four straight prior to that, and they have a trio emerging as one of the league's best.

When Trae Young (averaging a league-best 12.0 assists), Johnson and Sixth Man of the Year candidate De'Andre Hunter are all on the floor, Atlanta is plus-17.3 points per 100 possessions.

Previous Ranking: 15

Net Rating: -2.4

After taking care of the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers have quietly won seven of their last 10. And Austin Reaves has looked like an All-Star of late.

Since returning from injury on December 13, the 26-year-old has averaged 21.3 points and 8.1 assists. And his uptick in playmaking may have helped motivate the front office to balance the roster a bit.

This week, L.A. made a smart, win-now move that essentially plugged three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith into D'Angelo Russell's rotation spot. The newest Laker was plus-11 in Thursday's eight-point victory.

In sum, things are looking up for the Lakers.

Previous Ranking: 12

Net Rating: -0.2

Victor Wembanyama turns 21 this week. He isn't halfway through his second NBA campaign, and he's already emerging as a very real All-NBA (and maybe even MVP) candidate.

His team finished the week with a win that put it over .500 for the season, and NBA.com had Wemby at sixth on its most recent "MVP Ladder."

He's already, almost certainly, a better and more impactful defender than any of the five names above him on that list (Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić and Jayson Tatum), and his offensive numbers are a big part of this mini-surge up the standings.

Since November 11, Wemby has appeared in 18 games and is averaging 29.6 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 threes in 33.9 minutes while shooting 38.2 percent from deep.

Previous Ranking: 11

Net Rating: +1.6

Over his first 25 games of the season, Anthony Edwards averaged 26.2 points and 4.3 threes, while shooting 42.4 percent from deep.

Over his last eight, he's at 18.9 points and 2.9 threes, while shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three.

Even that second set of numbers would be more than fine for most NBA players, but following the trade of Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota needs Edwards to be a full-fledged, every-single-night superstar to have any hope of returning to the level it played at for much of last season.

It should come as no surprise that the T-Wolves are 3-5 in this eight-game stretch.

Previous Ranking: 9

Net Rating: +1.0

Given the context of Paul George bolting in free agency and Kawhi Leonard missing the first 34 games of the season, the Los Angeles Clippers have undoubtedly exceeded expectations.

Plenty are worthy of shoutouts for the success. Norman Powell has been one of the most dangerous volume three-point shooters in the league. Ivica Zubac is an almost nightly double-double threat. And defense-first role players such as Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum have all had their moments.

But the most indispensable member of the team has been 35-year-old James Harden, who's proving he's still capable of carrying a team. On the season, he is at 21.9 points, 7.8 assists and 2.8 threes.

And now, a superstar reinforcement is on the way. According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Leonard and the Clippers are targeting Saturday's matchup with the Atlanta Hawks for his return.

Previous Ranking: 8

Net Rating: +1.0

In Giannis Antetokounmpo's second game back from an injury, the Milwaukee Bucks lost at home to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

And after seemingly course-correcting by the time the NBA Cup final came around, Milwaukee suddenly feels like one of the league's least consistent contenders (or fringe contenders) again.

The Bucks are 3-4 in their last seven, with two losses to the Nets in that stretch.

In the playoffs, they may still have the ultimate trump card in any individual matchup. Giannis can be the best player in any series, but the lack of firepower behind the eight-time All-Star and Damian Lillard is at least concerning.

Previous Ranking: 7

Net Rating: +4.9

A little slide was almost inevitable for a Dallas Mavericks squad without Luka Dončić, and they're in the middle of it now.

After ending their week with a loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Dallas is now 1-3 during Luka's current absence. And the schedule isn't easing up any time soon.

Dallas' next six games are against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets (twice). There's only one sub-.500 team in that mix.

Previous Ranking: 13

Net Rating: +3.4

It's going to be hard to forget losses to teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers, but the Denver Nuggets are quietly 8-3 in their last 11.

They've scored at least 130 in each of their last four games and four of their last six, and they've worked their way into the top four of the league in points scored per 100 possessions.

The defense still ranges from mediocre to awful from night to night, and they're near the bottom third of the league on that end of the floor overall.

But this team's foundation is offense. And right now, led by Nikola Jokić's 30.7 points, 9.7 assists and 49.2 three-point percentage, the foundation is solid.

Previous Ranking: 6

Net Rating: +6.7

The Houston Rockets opened this week with back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves (in a game they led by 15 in the fourth quarter) and Miami Heat, but they had a chance to get right against the banged-up Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

They entered this iteration of the power rankings with a win over those Mavericks, and star center Alperen Şengün had six steals on the night.

For the season, Şengün is averaging 19.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 31.5 minutes. And if the Rockets stay in the top four between now and the All-Star Game, they almost have to have an All-Star. Şengün's case is strong.

Previous Ranking: 4

Net Rating: +8.2

The Memphis Grizzlies got some bad news ahead of the New Year, when star guard Ja Morant was diagnosed with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. For now, his status is considered "week-to-week."

But these are far from last season's Grizzlies. They're comfortably winning their minutes without Morant, who's up to 14 missed games in 2024-25. And the biggest driver of on-court success may now be Jaren Jackson Jr.

After dropping 38 in Tuesday's win over Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, Jackson is averaging a team-high 22.1 points while also shooting 35.3 percent from deep and adding 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals.

Previous Ranking: 5

Net Rating: +8.4

Jalen Brunson missed his first game of the season on Wednesday with calf tightness, and he's more than earned the rest.

Two games prior, he went off for a season-high 55 points in a win over the Washington Wizards.

And for the season, Brunson is now averaging 25.2 points, 7.7 assists and 2.5 threes while shooting 40.3 percent from three.

He and Karl-Anthony Towns are both playing at an All-NBA level for the New York Knicks. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are magnifying their roles as three-and-D forwards. And Josh Hart is one of the best gap-fillers in the NBA.

Thanks in large part to that lineup, New York has rattled off nine straight wins, quietly moved up to third place in the East and looks like a bona fide title contender.

Previous Ranking: 3

Net Rating: +10.6

The Boston Celtics have sort of appeared to be in cruise control of late.

They had a 4-5 stretch from mid-to-late December. Kristaps Porziņģis has been out with an ankle injury for the last four games, and Jaylen Brown joined him on the injury report (and the bench) for the team's latest game.

But the Celtics just started a prove-it road trip with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. They scored 118 in that one (again, without Brown and Porziņģis).

And if they hit threes like they did on Thursday—when they went 22-of-57—they're capable of knocking off each of their next three opponents: the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.

If they even go 3-1 on this trip, it'll feel like the champs are doing just fine.

Previous Ranking: 2

Net Rating: +12.2

Since the NBA Cup final didn't count toward the standings, the Oklahoma City Thunder are technically on a 13-game winning streak.

And superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be authoring the single best non-Nikola Jokić MVP case since the start of the 2020-21 campaign (when the Serb won the honor for the first time).

SGA has gotten to at least 25 points in 28 of his 33 appearances. He's developed into far more than a ball hawk on the defensive end. This season, he's been more disciplined both on and off the ball. And he leads the entire NBA in both Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus and Basketball Index's LEBRON (two catch-all metrics that attempt to measure the on-court impact of everyone in the league).

Previous Ranking: 1

Net Rating: +11.6

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their week making mincemeat of a trio of above-.500 Western Conference opponents. And they did it on the road.

On Friday, Cleveland scored 149 points and beat the Nuggets by 14 in Denver. They followed that up with an 18-point win over the Warriors in San Francisco. And then on Tuesday, they beat the Lakers by 12 in L.A.

The even broader view is even more encouraging. The Cavs have won 12 of their last 13, and that stretch includes a win over the Boston Celtics.

This team is deep, well-balanced, getting All-Star-level play from Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and looking more and more like a real threat to win it all with each passing week.

From 1979-80 (the NBA's first season with a three-point line) through 2015-16, the single-game record for team three-point attempts was 49.

That record was set way back on March 5, 1996, when the Dallas Mavericks (who beat the Brooklyn Nets) went 18-of-49.

After the Boston Celtics put up 57 triples on Thursday, this season has already given us a whopping 53 team games with 50-plus three-point attempts. The all-time record is 55 (set in 2022-23).