To recap what happened this past summer, ESPN's panel of NBA writers conducted a post-free agency power rankings. The Thunder enter at No. 1 as they spent more time celebrating their title than they did shuffling their roster.

ESPN's newly released 2025–26 NBA Power Rankings have sparked plenty of debate across the league, with the Oklahoma City Thunder expectedly taking the top spot after their dominant championship run. However, the real shocker isn’t at the top, it’s how far the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen.

(Last season 49-33) They have been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and Anthony Edwards is still improving — do not sleep on this team. The Timberwolves locked up Julius Randle and Naz Reid, but losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker is going to sting. A lot.