When CBS Sports released its 2025‑26 NBA power rankings on October 6, 2025, the league’s hierarchy looked startlingly lopsided. The list placed the Portland Trail Blazers at 23rd, the Chicago Bulls at 24th and the Sacramento Kings at 25th out of 30 teams – a trio of clubs staring at the bottom of the playoff picture before the season even tipped off. The rankings arrived the day after the NBA’s regular season opened on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, and they immediately set the narrative for a year where developmental pipelines may matter more than marquee signings.
Preseason Context and Draft Overview
All eyes were on the 2025 NBA DraftBarclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (June 25‑26) for the talent infusion that could reshape struggling rosters. The draft’s 59 selections featured a showdown between high‑school phenom Cooper Flagg and a deep guard class led by Dylan Harper and Tre Johnson. While the top picks went to teams with ample cap space, franchises like Portland, Chicago and Sacramento hoped their existing young cores could absorb the new blood.
Key Power Ranking Insights
According to CBS Sports analyst Jason Barzun, “defense wins games, but you still need to score.” The Blazers earned a surprising 4th‑ranked post‑All‑Star defense, yet their offensive output lagged, ranking 28th last season. The Bulls were praised for a revamped backcourt after trading Josh Giddey for veteran Alex Caruso, a move championed by Arturas Karnišovas, Chicago’s executive vice president of basketball operations. Sacramento, meanwhile, was penalized for the injuries to Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray, leaving the Kings with a ‘contact‑lens‑in‑the‑wrong‑eye’ offense, as Barzun quipped.
Team‑by‑Team Spotlight
Portland Trail Blazers (23rd) – The Blazers’ front office, led by Joe Cronin, doubled down on veteran leadership by adding Jrue Holiday. Holiday’s mentorship is expected to accelerate the growth of Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and the returning Scoot Henderson. “Holiday brings a championship mindset,” Cronin told reporters at the Moda Center on October 5.
Chicago Bulls (24th) – After the Caruso‑Giddey swap, the Bulls’ roster now blends youthful energy with seasoned poise. Karnišovas highlighted 19‑year‑old Matas Buzelis as the “legitimate cause for excitement,” noting his breakout at the Summer League. “Buzelis can be a two‑way weapon,” the executive said outside the United Center on October 3.
Sacramento Kings (25th) – Owner Vivek Ranadivé faced a harsh reality check when Sabonis and Murray were sidelined with lingering injuries. Coach Mike Brown, speaking from the Golden 1 Center on October 2, admitted the lineup “looks messy, but it forces us to develop other pieces.” The Kings hope depth players can fill the void until the All‑Stars.
Developmental Pipelines and Young Talent
Independent analyst group Swish Theory released a complementary ranking of NBA farm systems on October 1. Their analysis crowned the Utah Jazz as the seventh‑best pipeline, thanks to prospects such as 19‑year‑old Ace Bailey, a 16th‑overall pick from IMG Academy, and 20‑year‑old Kyle Filipowski, a former Duke big man whose offensive toolbox “cannot be ignored.” The Jazz’s head coach Will Hardy described Bailey as “strictly an off‑ball player in our system, but his athleticism and size give us flexibility.” Ben Sheppard, a 22‑year‑old Pacers rookie, also earned a mention for his “steady growth” despite a rough first season.
Meanwhile, The Ringer published its 2025 Draft Guide on June 26, spotlighting the depth of the class and the new “Comp Cloud” analytics platform. According to analysts J. Kyle Mann and Danny Chau, the draft featured “athletic anomalies, tough‑shot artists, and genius‑level processors,” a mix that could tilt the balance for teams with weak scouting departments.
What This Means for the Early Season
The convergence of these three hot‑takes—CBS Sports’ rankings, Swish Theory’s farm‑system list, and The Ringer’s draft deep‑dive—creates a clear storyline: teams that can blend veteran savvy with teenage upside will likely climb the ladder faster than those relying solely on big‑name free agents.
Portland’s gamble on Holiday’s leadership, Chicago’s fresh‑face Caruso‑Buzelis combo, and Sacramento’s forced reliance on bench depth will be tested in the first 15 games. Early‑season projections from ESPN’s Basketball Power Index still place all three clubs outside the top‑10 Eastern or Western conference spots, but the margin between 23rd and 15th is thin when injuries subside and rookies find footing.
By the All‑Star break in February 2026, analysts anticipate that Utah’s developmental surge could catapult the Jazz into a mid‑playoff seed, while the Blazers hope Scoot Henderson’s return will push them past the 20‑team mark. The Bulls’ trajectory hinges on whether Buzelis can translate Summer League hype into consistent production.
Future Outlook and Potential Moves
Should the bottom‑ranked teams fail to improve, trade speculation will heat up. Sources close to the league whisper that Portland may consider packaging future first‑round picks for a proven scorer, while Chicago could explore a waiver claim on a seasoned wing to bolster its defense. Sacramento, with its cap space intact, might look to the free‑agent market for a stretch‑four to alleviate the Sabonis‑Murray void.
In short, the power rankings are less a final verdict and more a snapshot of a league in flux. The 2025‑26 season has only just begun, but the early data already tells a story of teams wrestling with the balance between youth development and immediate competitiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do the rankings affect the Portland Trail Blazers' playoff chances?
Being placed 23rd means the Blazers start the season with a low seed, so they must win a high percentage of early games and rely on Jrue Holiday’s leadership to boost the offense. If Sharpe, Avdija and Henderson can each increase scoring by at least 5 points per game, the team could climb into the 10‑seed range by mid‑season.
What makes the Utah Jazz's farm system stand out?
Swish Theory ranks the Jazz seventh because they have eight high‑potential players, including Ace Bailey and Kyle Filipowski, who combine size, athleticism and a skill set that translates quickly to the NBA. Their coaching staff, led by Will Hardy, emphasizes off‑ball movement and development of two‑way players.
Why is the Bulls' trade for Alex Caruso significant?
The Caruso‑Giddey swap gives Chicago veteran defensive grit and playmaking at a modest salary, freeing cap space for future moves. Arturas Karnišovas believes Caruso’s experience will mentor young players like Matas Buzelis and help the Bulls stay competitive in a tough Eastern Conference.
What are the Kings' biggest challenges early in the season?
With Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray sidelined, Sacramento lacks interior scoring and rebounding. Coach Mike Brown has turned to bench players, but the lack of an established frontcourt forces the Kings to rely on perimeter shooting and defensive intensity to stay afloat.
How might the 2025 NBA draft class influence team depth charts?
The draft added 59 highly athletic prospects, with Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper highlighted as potential franchise cornerstones. Teams with high draft picks, like the Blazers and Bulls, can plug immediate gaps in scoring and defense, while clubs with deeper scouting, such as the Jazz, can extract hidden value from later rounds.
Sumit Raj Patni
Wow, those rankings really set the stage for a wild ride this year. The Blazers getting stuck at 23rd feels like a slap on the wrist after they poured cash on Holiday. Bulls at 24th? Trading Giddey for Caruso was a bold move, but the real test is whether those young guns can translate summer league hype into regular‑season production. Kings at the very bottom look like a perfect storm of injuries and a thin bench-Mike Brown’s “messy” lineup might actually be a crucible for hidden talent. If any of these squads can blend veteran savvy with the fresh draft class, we could see a shake‑up before the All‑Star break.