Some teams are chasing titles. Others are chasing their tails. We rank all 30 NBA franchises to see who actually knows what they’re doing.

Imagine, for a moment, that you own an NBA team. It’s a beloved franchise, with a rich history and a loyal following. It’s gone through a rough stretch, but now things are looking up: The kids are starting to blossom. They even made the playoffs last spring, for the first time in a half decade. And the most popular player in franchise history is back, ready to help lead the resurgence.

Do you:

(A) Nurture this promising young core, retain the coach who guided your team back to relevance, and do everything possible to foster that growth; 

or

(B) Dismiss the coach, sign his replacement to an unprecedented one-year contract, and trade for a troublesome, overpaid former All-Star who happens to play the same position as both the super-popular veteran and your best young prospect?

Rational people would probably choose Option A. 

Tom Dundon, the Portland Trail Blazers’ neophyte owner—and already perhaps the most loathed figure in the Pacific Northwest—chose Option B. And for that, the Blazers have earned a prominent place in the Fun House Mirror Tier of The Ringer’s 2026-27 NBA Clarity Index. To be clear: This is not a compliment.

Since 2023, we at Clarity Index HQ have annually ranked all 30 NBA franchises not by talent (borrring!) or championship odds (whatever), but by how well team officials have charted a course forward. We’re not concerned with a team’s immediate on-court success so much as their intentions—their clarity of purpose.

The Blazers under Dundon are basically a bog of confusion and despair, despite some positive signs.

Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick in 2023, is finally starting to break out. Damian Lillard, arguably the greatest Blazer of all time, is finally playing again, after losing a year to an Achilles injury. Deni Avdija just had a breakout All-Star season as the Blazers’ primary offensive hub. All three operate best with the ball in their hands. And yet Dundon and Co. decided to trade for Ja Morant, another ball-dominant player, along with his max contract and all of his off-court baggage. Oh, and combo guard Jrue Holiday is still there, too.

Of course, Dundon also (infamously) hired his new coach, Micah Nori, to an unheard-of one-year deal, after declining to retain Tiago Splitter, who oversaw last season’s revival. Meanwhile, off the court, Dundon is laying off employees en masse, hiring (and firing) broadcasters amid controversy, and feuding with local politicians over arena renovations, with an implied threat of franchise relocation.

None of this exactly screams “stability,” much less clarity. Where is this franchise headed, competitively or Your guess is as good as ours!

As we’ve mentioned in this space before: The most important commodity in the NBA, other than talent, is conviction. Does a given team have a clear plan? And are the owner and front office firmly committed to it? There are lottery teams following sound blueprints and playoff teams with seemingly no blueprints at all. 

Our framework for evaluating each team therefore varies. If you’re a contender, did you improve or at least maintain your viability? If you’re a bad team, are you bad with a purpose—or bad out of sheer ineptitude? Have you identified a franchise star—and if not, do you have a plan to get one, via the draft or cap room? If you’re a team lodged somewhere in the middle, are you clearly trying to move one direction or the other? 

The index generally rewards boldness and creativity, and punishes inertia.

Finally, as we explain each year: This is an observational and impressionistic exercise, based on what we can see, hear, and intuit about each franchise. But there are no advanced metrics or fancy formulas at work here. Your mileage may vary.

Tier 1: The Ever-Clear Tier

These teams know exactly what they’re trying to do. And so do we.

Indiana Pacers (⬆️2)
Memphis Grizzlies (⬆️3)
Oklahoma City Thunder (↔)
Philadelphia 76ers (⬆️2)
San Antonio Spurs (⬆️2)
Toronto Raptors (⬆️5)

Sing it with me now (preferably in Dave Grohl voice): One of these teams is not like the others!

Yes, this is the only power ranking where the rebuilding Grizzlies are—oddly, but appropriately—sandwiched between a bunch of actual title contenders. Memphis earned its position by making a clean break with its moderately successful but ultimately frustrating recent past. The Grizz finally jettisoned Morant—along with his contract, attitude, and poor rep—completing a makeover cycle that began with the trades of Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. 

They also tanked effectively enough to land Cameron Boozer with the third pick of the June draft, giving Memphis a young, promising new core of Boozer, Zach Edey, and Cedric Coward. Along the way, the Grizz amassed a pile of extra draft picks, providing them all the tools they need to build a future contender. The youth movement is fully underway. Their agenda is clear.

Everyone else in this tier earned their spot by being unambiguously ALL IN to win the championship.

The Sixers swung a stunning trade for Jaylen Brown—then followed up with the even-more-stunning signing of LeBron Raymone James -- creating the most star-studded starting five in the league.

The Raptors, already on the rise behind young star Scottie Barnes, hit the accelerator by bringing back their 2019 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.

The Pacers survived their forced gap year (owing to Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury) and set themselves up for a quick rebound by acquiring Ivica Zubac in February, filling the vacancy created when Myles Turner left last summer. With Haliburton back, the Pacers effectively have the same core that made the Finals just 16 months

The way-ahead-of-schedule Spurs didn’t need to do much after making the Finals in June, but they added the ultimate high-character vet in Tobias Harris, while losing no one of importance.

We nearly knocked the Thunder down a tier for salary-dumping three rotation players in July—but those cap-driven moves created the flexibility to sign Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein to big extensions, while making room for Wallace and Ajay Mitchell to play bigger roles next to two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. OKC is the rare contender that can shed supporting talent and still boast arguably the best roster in the league.

Tier 2: The Side-View Mirror Tier

Objects (and obstacles) are closer than they appear.

Cleveland Cavaliers (⬇️1)
Detroit Pistons (⬆️1)
Miami Heat (⬆️2)
New York Knicks (⬇️1)
Utah Jazz (⬆️3)

The Knicks (as you might have heard) won a championship in June … but they lose standing here for their owner’s inexplicable, self-sabotaging decision to curtail their payroll, which immediately cost them rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson (who signed with rival Boston), muddled extension talks with star Karl-Anthony Towns, and generally cast a pall over their title defense.

The Cavaliers also slip a tier, for overcommitting to a 37-year-old James Harden (3 years, $97 million) and losing some key pieces (Dean Wade) while waiting for a LeBron return that never came to fruition. Major kudos, though, for backfilling with the up-and-coming Peyton Watson.

The Heat took the Clarity Index equivalent of two Giannis-sized leaps by acquiring the Greek Freak in a blockbuster trade. Of course, that ALL IN move also cost them a ton of depth, rendering the roster a work in progress, with few tools to fix it. What’s the plan now?

The Pistons get a modest promotion, with reservations. They sort of addressed their shooting deficiencies with the additions of Isaiah Joe and John Collins, but we’re not sure that’s truly a net upgrade from Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart. And they still need another creator to alleviate Cade Cunningham’s workload.

You know what brings instant clarity? A league crackdown on tanking and a $500,000 fine. But credit the Jazz (who leaped four tiers) for making a quick pivot after their multiyear, er, rebuild. The losing paid off with second overall pick Darryn Peterson, who joins established vets Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. and promising youngsters Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. The only demerit here was the (cap-driven) decision to let Walker Kessler walk away, just when they finally decided it was time to win.

Tier 3: The Frosted Glass Tier

There’s a plan here, but it’s hazy.

Atlanta Hawks (↔)
Charlotte Hornets (⬆️2)
Houston Rockets (⬇️1)
L.A. Lakers (⬆️1)
Minnesota Timberwolves (⬇️1)

We were seriously tempted to rename this the LaMelo Ball Tier—in honor of the two teams involved in the Ball trade, both of which landed here—and, well, because LaMelo might be the ultimate Frosted Glass star: his prodigious talent perpetually shrouded in hazy decision-making.

The Hornets get a modest promotion for the bold decision to trade their franchise star and turn the future over to rising star Brandon Miller and Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel. Charlotte clearly determined that Ball wasn’t reliable enough to build around, which is understandable and defensible. But the trade left a sizable hole at point guard, where Coby White is now supposed to be the de facto starter. The Hornets gained clarity but might have lost a few wins in the process.

As much as we admire the Wolves’ confidence and audacity in acquiring Ball, the trade cost them most of their frontcourt (Julius Randle and Naz Reid). The Ball-Anthony Edwards partnership will be compelling, electric even. But are the Wolves actually a better team now? Hard to say.

The Lakers earned a one-tier promotion by letting LeBron walk away, clearing the spotlight for Luka Doncic and clearing the cap room to build a new supporting cast, highlighted by Kessler. But this team as constructed likely isn’t good enough to win the West. And the bigger picture is profoundly hazy, with the franchise being sold twice in a year, the Buss siblings all suing each other, and the rest of the league speculating about the future of GM Rob Pelinka.

The Hawks followed a perfectly solid season (46 wins and a playoff appearance) with a perfectly solid offseason, adding Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and lottery pick Kingston Flemings to the roster, while re-signing midseason pickup CJ McCollum. There’s a lot to like here, but no clear path to title contention. (Related: Is Jalen Johnson a true foundational star, or just a multi-tooled stat-stuffer who’s better suited as a no. 2?)

The Rockets’ plan—like an intergalactic rebellion in a galaxy far, far away—is built on hope: hope that Kevin Durant is still dominant at age 38; hope that Amen Thompson makes The Leap; hope that Steven Adams’s return shores up the defense; and hope that Fred VanVleet’s return cleans up the crunch-time offense.

Tier 4: The Kaleidoscope Tier

Colorful and compelling, but a bit unsettled.

Boston Celtics (⬇️1)
Dallas Mavericks  (↔)
Denver Nuggets (⬇️3)
Golden State Warriors (⬇️2)
Orlando Magic (⬇️3)
Phoenix Suns (⬆️1)

You can rationalize the Nuggets’ decision to sign-and-trade Watson given their cap concerns, and you can even credit them for the return (an unprotected 2031 first-round pick). But it’s still another step backwards for a team that has lost talent every year since Nikola Jokic delivered their first championship in 2023. When do they start, you know, actually trying to win another one?

A similar principle applies to the Celtics, who offloaded Jaylen Brown largely because of his salary (and future salary demands), and to preserve their flexibility in the years ahead. But swapping him for an aging Paul George undeniably sets them back in the immediate quest for another title.

The Magic earned a three-tier tumble due to their sheer, maddening lack of urgency. Other than replacing their coach (Jamahl Mosley out, Sean Sweeney in), the Magic basically did nothing to improve a team that annually wins 40-something games and loses in the first round. They are the epitome of the adage, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”

The near term looks a bit bleak for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who are basically just waiting for A) Jimmy Butler to get healthy; and B) next summer to arrive, when they can chase another (presumably younger) star with all their cap room. In the meantime, they’re in an uncomfortable holding pattern.

Give the Suns credit for this much: They might not have a coherent plan to build a contender, but they do have a consistent agenda—i.e. acquire any available shoot-first scorer and figure out the rest later. This time, it’s Miles Bridges, who will compete for usage rate with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks.

It’s hard to know what to make of the Mavericks at this stage. Masai Ujiri just arrived as the new lead decision maker, inheriting one of the game’s brightest young stars in Cooper Flagg and the leftovers of the team that made the 2024 Finals. Will he keep Kyrie Irving around as a mentor and secondary playmaker, or flip him for draft assets (and/or younger talent)? Are P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford here to stay? Is this a potential play-in team or a potential yard sale?

Tier 5: The Stained Glass Tier

Attractive at a glance, headache-inducing if you stare too long.

Brooklyn Nets (⬇️3)
Chicago Bulls (⬆️1)
Sacramento Kings (⬆️1)
Washington Wizards (⬇️4)

A basic, brutal truth of the NBA: It’s generally much easier to tear down (“We’re rebuilding!”) than it is to construct something better. Which brings us to the Nets and Wizards. We had high praise for both teams when we introduced this Index two years ago, crediting them with a clear vision (i.e., tanking) and rewarding them with a spot in the prestigious Ever-Clear Tier. My, how quickly things change.

The Wizards—perhaps fearful of the impending new lottery odds, or just tired of all the losing—made two impulse buys last season, swinging trades for high-priced vets Trae Young and Anthony Davis. It was a strange pivot, further exacerbated by the decision to extend Young’s contract. Whatever promise this team has rests with 2026 no. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and 2024 no. 2 pick Alex Sarr, but for now that pair has to compete for touches with two past-their-prime, ball-dominant stars. 

And the Nets? They never tanked hard enough, leaving them with a lot of middling first-round picks and no foundational players to build around. So they went out and got Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, in the apparent hope of providing a little more stability and, perhaps, to save coach Jordi Fernandez’s sanity. And the Nets are still no closer to making the playoffs.

The Bulls have a new GM (Bryson Graham), a new head coach (Tiago Splitter), a new presumed savior (rookie Caleb Wilson) and at least some semblance of a promising young core, with Wilson joining Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. Chicago’s previous front office stuck with the old group way too long, but the new group seems to have a vision.

Why are the Kings here, instead of swimming in the muck of the Clarity basement? Well, we’re giving them a little grace while the new front office, led by Scott Perry, sorts out the wreckage of the previous administration. It’s not that Sacramento didn’t try to dump DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine last season; it’s just a lot harder these days to offload bloated contracts. They had to waive DeRozan in July. They’ll have to wait for LaVine’s deal to expire next summer.

Tier 6: The Fun-House Mirror Tier

Confusing, freaky, but occasionally entertaining. 

L.A. Clippers (⬇️2)
Milwaukee Bucks (⬇️4)
New Orleans Pelicans (↔)
Portland Trail Blazers (⬇️1)

The Clippers’ presence here needs little explanation. They were just dealt the harshest penalty in NBA history for cap circumvention, costing them most of their draft capital and nearly all of their credibility. Then they traded Kawhi Leonard, the guy at the center of the scandal and their most productive player. Are they really building around Darius Garland? Is Keaton Wagler the future? Is Lawrence Frank still team president when his suspension is over? And how much longer will Ty Lue be willing to put up with this mess?

The Bucks waited way too long to rebuild around Giannis, then waited too long to trade him and ultimately got a very ho-hum package in return. Are Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware really the future here, or just hanging out until the Bucks can flip them for picks?

Finally, we have the Pelicans, who after failing to reach 30 wins in back-to-back seasons, with a talented but ill-fitting roster, did … well … absolutely nothing of note. They’re just running it back with Zion and Co. Again. 

But hey, we can at least take solace in this much: The Pelicans—and every other flawed, deficient, or wayward NBA franchise—will at least try to win games this season. The new lottery odds make it almost pointless to lose intentionally. No more fake injuries. No more season-ending nose surgeries. No more suspect lineup manipulation. Just 30 teams earnestly competing each night, for the sake of competition. How’s that for clarity?