There’s a new meaning to going all in in the NBA. Since we introduced our All In-dex just two years ago to rank all 30 teams by how hard they’re pushing to win now, the league has introduced new, draconian penalties for big spenders via the “second apron,” and franchises have responded with different perspectives on longer-term financial planning.
Some teams remain heavily invested in sacrificing the future for a chance at a title right now; others are adapting to the new rules with a more conservative approach. So let’s quantify those efforts and rank them for the third year in a row.
For a more thorough explanation of how our rankings work, read our original story from 2022, or check in with last year’s rankings. But for a quick summary, All In-dex scores have two components: (1) draft score, accounting for all first-round picks and swaps between now and 2031, and (2) money score, based on a team’s total projected payments for this season and the next three. Averaging the two scores allows us to rank all 30 teams from most to least all in.
Positive numbers mean more all in and negative numbers mean less. Scores are normalized, so the average is zero. Here are the overall results; below the chart, we’ll go team by team to analyze the present and future outlooks for all 30 franchises.
1. Phoenix Suns
Draft rank: 5th
Money rank: 1st
Previous overall rank: 1st
Congratulations to the Suns! You might have lost in an embarrassing first-round sweep last season, but at least you repeated as All In-dex champs.
Because of owner Mat Ishbia’s disregard for financial limits, Phoenix’s current cap commitments are unparalleled. By Spotrac’s estimates, the Suns’ total roster bill this season, combining payroll plus tax, is more than $100 million higher than any other team’s. Or, put another way: Counting tax implications, the Suns’ roster is more expensive than the Nuggets’ and Mavericks’ combined.
On the draft front, meanwhile, the Suns don’t control their own first-round pick until 2031. They’re completely, irredeemably all in on the current roster—which means another early playoff loss would register as a complete, irredeemable disappointment.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
Draft rank: 2nd
Money rank: 3rd
Previous overall rank: 5th
Over the summer, Minnesota traded what little draft capital it had left after the Rudy Gobert blockbuster, sending a future first and swap rights to the Spurs in exchange for no. 8 pick Rob Dillingham. That move suggested that the Timberwolves were doubling down on their recent all-in approach.
But they tempered that philosophy later in the offseason. After trading Karl-Anthony Towns (who’s signed through 2026-27 with a player option after) for Julius Randle (who can become a free agent after this season) and Donte DiVincenzo (on a very cheap deal), the Timberwolves are “out of salary cap hell,” as The Athletic’s John Hollinger put it. They’re still mostly all in on the present, with a pricey roster and no control of six of their next seven first-round picks, but from their perspective, the Towns trade was more of a financial maneuver than a matter of on-court fit.
3. New York Knicks
Draft rank: 1st
Money rank: 5th
Previous overall rank: 19th
Compared with last season, the Knicks took by far the largest leap up these rankings. Every other team in the top eight this season also ranked in the top eight last season—except New York, which jumped from 19th all the way to third.
A year ago, the Knicks had extra picks in their stash and merely moderate financial commitments. Now, after trading everything for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns; taking on Towns’s hefty contract; and extending Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, they’re all-caps ALL IN on a smaller but more talented core. This change in tactics—designed to take advantage of Brunson’s ascension to superstardom—could pay off with the franchise’s first title in more than half a century, or it could lead to inescapable underperformance if a few things go wrong.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Draft rank: 4th
Money rank: 7th
Previous overall rank: 7th
Despite added pressure, Cleveland should be glad it ranks higher this year than last: The main reason is extensions for Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley that tie the Cavaliers’ two best players to the franchise for the long term. Cleveland can still veer somewhat by trading Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen due to their positional overlap with Mitchell and Mobley, respectively—but the Cavs have clearly identified and locked up their core. Now those stars just need to prove that they can coexist in a playoff setting to justify this level of investment.
5. Boston Celtics
Draft rank: 10th
Money rank: 2nd
Previous overall rank: 6th
With Kristaps Porzingis signed through 2025-26 and Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White all signed for even longer, the Celtics have the NBA’s highest projected salary figure next season, and the season after that, and the season after that, and the season after that. Tatum and Brown have the two largest contracts in the league (for now).
The Celtics’ punishing luxury tax bill is reportedly a reason behind their impending ownership sale, and it remains to be seen whether that behind-the-scenes drama will affect the reigning champs’ effort to repeat. Boston won the title, which is the whole point of going all in—but now the team will serve as an early test case of whether the new CBA’s penalties will head off potential dynasties at the pass.
The Ringer’s Top 100 Players in the NBA rankings are back! Check in throughout the 2024-25 season for updated analysis on the players who are making a splash.
6. Milwaukee Bucks
Draft rank: 3rd
Money rank: 8th
Previous overall rank: 2nd
Giannis Antetokounmpo signed another extension last year, but his top three costars, all now in their mid-30s, aren’t under contract for long. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez could both leave Milwaukee after this season, and Damian Lillard has a player option after next season. A lack of youth on the roster and lucrative picks in the cupboard means that the Bucks don’t have any real avenues to improve—and if things go south in Milwaukee, this franchise could look very different, very soon.
7. Denver Nuggets
Draft rank: 8th
Money rank: 4th
Previous overall rank: 4th
The Nuggets aren’t quite at Boston’s level in terms of future financial commitments, but they’re not that far behind after extending Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. In 2026-27, Gordon, Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr. will combine to earn about $182 million—and it’s not as if Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke is particularly fond of paying into the tax.
Planning for that uncomfortable financial future has already cost the Nuggets role players like Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And it’s an open question whether that sacrifice will cost the Nuggets a much greater prize: another Finals run with Jokic in his prime.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
Draft rank: 9th
Money rank: 9th
Previous overall rank: 8th
It’s somewhat surprising that the Lakers haven’t budged in this ranking, given last season’s relative disappointment, the team’s ability to trade future first-rounders, and the urgency to win now with LeBron James as he approaches his 40th birthday. But the Lakers stood pat over the summer; their biggest addition was coach JJ Redick rather than another sidekick for LeBron. However, with LeBron and Anthony Davis looking dominant in the early going—after a dominant Olympics from the duo—it would make sense for the Lakers to adopt a more all-in mindset at the trade deadline if they see an opportunity for another deep playoff run.
9. Los Angeles Clippers
Draft rank: 6th
Money rank: 19th
Previous overall rank: 10th
On the one hand, since the start of last season, the Clippers traded for James Harden, re-signed him, and extended Kawhi Leonard; on the other hand, they let Paul George walk in free agency, thereby receiving no compensation for the loss of their All-Star wing. Now in their new arena, with a middling roster and omnipresent injury questions surrounding their best player, the Clippers seem stuck in the middle.
And that could be a recipe for humiliation because the Clippers owe their next five unprotected first-round picks to the Thunder or 76ers (either outright or via swaps). In other words, if the Clippers aren’t good enough to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, the Thunder could win a no. 1 seed and land a juicy lottery pick—just as the Celtics did, thanks to the Nets, in the mid-2010s.
10. Philadelphia 76ers
Draft rank: 19th
Money rank: 6th
Previous overall rank: 15th
The 76ers ranked just 24th in money score last season but naturally shot up after signing Paul George and extending Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But even though they’ve constructed this star-studded, albeit injury-prone, Big Three, they’re still not as all in as many of their competitors.
That’s because Philadelphia has more draft picks available to trade than any other team in the All In-dex’s top 10. Trust Daryl Morey to figure out the optimal ways to use those picks and to take full advantage of his flexibility for in-season upgrades once he sees how the rest of the roster looks around his stars.
11. Indiana Pacers
Draft rank: 11th
Money rank: 10th
Previous overall rank: 21st
The Pascal Siakam trade is almost single-handedly responsible for Indiana’s 10-spot jump up the rankings. The Pacers shelled out multiple picks (including a top-four-protected first in 2026) for the All-NBA forward last January, then extended him with a four-year max in June. With Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton now under contract long term, Indiana’s core is solid; next up is a potential new deal with Myles Turner (a free agent after this season), plus hoped-for internal improvements from youngsters who can give the Pacers another pinch of star power.
12. Dallas Mavericks
Draft rank: 7th
Money rank: 22nd
Previous overall rank: 11th
Dallas’s roster is about to get a whole lot more expensive, as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and P.J. Washington, among others, all become extension eligible after this season. But for now, the Mavericks benefit from a roster full of perfectly reasonable contracts: Luka and Kyrie are the only players earning more than 11 percent of the cap, and Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II make less combined ($18.4 million this season, $19.6 million next season) than some inferior centers make by themselves. The main reason Dallas is in the running to return to the Finals is Luka’s brilliance, but a key secondary factor is the front office’s ability to add at the fringes of the roster.
13. Miami Heat
Draft rank: 12th
Money rank: 12th
Previous overall rank: 13th
When will the Heat make their move? Miami hasn’t added a new star in years, and time’s running out on the Jimmy Butler era; the six-time All-Star recently celebrated his 35th birthday and could exercise a player option to leave South Beach after this season.
No matter what happens next, don’t expect the Heat to remain 13th in these rankings next season. If they extend Butler and trade for another top-50-ish player to try to maximize their current window, they’ll catapult into the top 10; if they let Butler walk and decide to regroup around the younger Bam Adebayo, conversely, they’ll take a tumble toward the all-out side.
14. Atlanta Hawks
Draft rank: 17th
Money rank: 13th
Previous overall rank: 9th
Although the Hawks are still in considerable draft debt to the Spurs, because of the first Dejounte Murray trade, they recouped some picks via New Orleans in the second Murray deal. It makes sense that Atlanta is close to the middle of these rankings because Team Play-In is close to the middle of the standings as well: too talented to bottom out (and unwilling to do so, given the Spurs’ hold on their picks) yet too overmatched to compete for a higher perch in the East.
15. Golden State Warriors
Draft rank: 15th
Money rank: 16th
Previous overall rank: 3rd
The Warriors experienced the greatest fall in these rankings since last season, as the decision to let Klay Thompson and Chris Paul leave in free agency did wonders for their future cap sheet. That’s a fascinating development because the Warriors ranked second in our inaugural All In-dex rankings just two years ago—one spot behind the Clippers, who have also fallen fairly dramatically down this list.
The two California teams were such big spenders that they were a key motivating factor behind the introduction of the second apron, but they rather quickly moved on to a new phase of the NBA life cycle. Perhaps that shift would have happened anyway if owners Joe Lacob and Steve Ballmer didn’t want to pay so much for so little competitive return—the Warriors missed the playoffs last season, while the Clippers lost in the first round—but the new rules certainly helped.
This season, it’s unclear whether a younger, deeper roster will allow the Warriors to push back to the top of the West. But they have more maneuverability now than at any other point in recent years, and they’ve traded only one future first, with top-20 protections. After whiffing on Paul George and Lauri Markannen this offseason, Golden State is near the front of the line if a shiny star requests a trade soon.
16. Orlando Magic
Draft rank: 20th
Money rank: 11th
Previous overall rank: 26th
The Magic are still exciting young upstarts, but they’re going to get a lot more expensive soon. Next season, the combined salaries for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs will leap by nearly $60 million, and Paolo Banchero is sure to sign a max extension that will go into effect a year later. Declining year-over-year cap figures for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac, and Goga Bitadze should help somewhat, but the team’s window to make meaningful additions will remain open for only so long.
17. Sacramento Kings
Draft rank: 13th
Money rank: 20th
Previous overall rank: 14th
Sacramento pulled off a deft bit of business over the summer: The Kings re-signed Malik Monk and acquired DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade—and still managed to fall slightly in these rankings. They surrendered only a single future pick swap and no outright firsts in the DeRozan deal, leaving them with ample flexibility for future trades. (They also owe Atlanta a top-12-protected pick in 2025.)
18. Memphis Grizzlies
Draft rank: 18th
Money rank: 17th
Previous overall rank: 12th
The Grizzlies haven’t traded any of their future first-round picks, and other than complicated swaps with the Wizards, Suns, and Magic in 2026 and 2030, they haven’t traded for any future firsts, either. The whole world is their oyster. But after a couple of lost seasons, it’s probably smart for them to wait and see how their current core looks together before making any rash moves in either direction.
19. New Orleans Pelicans
Draft rank: 22nd
Money rank: 14th
Previous overall rank: 25th
Even after trading for Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans have plenty of draft capital thanks to the goodies still coming their way from the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Bucks. New Orleans is therefore among the teams most fervently hoping for a Bucks collapse, which could precipitate a Giannis trade. (“If we don’t win a championship, I might get traded,” the two-time MVP told The Athletic this month.)
But even if Giannis stays in Milwaukee and those Bucks picks remain in the 20s every year, they’ll still give New Orleans the ability to take big swings in the months and years to come. With Brandon Ingram still presumably on the market and the Pelicans lacking a strong center, things remain very unsettled in New Orleans.
20. Toronto Raptors
Draft rank: 21st
Money rank: 18th
Previous overall rank: 22nd
Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, whose new contracts pay a combined $90 million per year, are out; Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, whose deals average a shade under $60 million, are in, along with a few younger players on rookie deals. There’s potential here with the “BBQ” trio of Scottie Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley, but the Raptors’ rebuild means that they have no reason to seek any win-now moves for at least another couple of years.
21. Detroit Pistons
Draft rank: 14th
Money rank: 28th
Previous overall rank: 24th
Here’s what I wrote about the Pistons in this exercise last season:
Somehow, despite not having a winning season since 2015-16, the Pistons have less future draft capital than they would have if they’d never made any trades. They owe a protected pick from a draft-day deal for Isaiah Stewart back in 2020 and don’t have any extra selections from other teams to compensate. … Maybe that’ll change this season if the Pistons send Bojan Bogdanovic to a contender, but while they have a squeaky-clean cap sheet going forward, their draft cupboard is shockingly bare relative to other cellar dwellers.
And guess what—even though Bogdanovic was traded last season, all of the above is still true! (Though the cap sheet might not seem as clean if it included the $65 million Detroit still owes the recently fired Monty Williams.) The best thing to say about the Pistons is that they almost certainly won’t lose 28 games in a row again this season; the worst is that it’s still unclear whether the franchise has a direction, 17 seasons after its last playoff win.
22. Chicago Bulls
Draft rank: 16th
Money rank: 27th
Previous overall rank: 16th
Even with Zach LaVine’s $138 million still on the books and Patrick Williams’s $90 million extension raising eyebrows, the Bulls have one of the league’s cleanest cap sheets. A potential extension for Josh Giddey—a restricted free agent next summer—could eat into some of their future space, but the Bulls seem to have finally picked a direction. They ranked 16th in the All In-dex last season and 17th the year prior, but at long last, they’ve moved away from the dreaded middle.
23. Houston Rockets
Draft rank: 26th
Money rank: 15th
Previous overall rank: 20th
Compared with last year, the Rockets moved up the money rankings, as their giant collection of youngsters started signing extensions (in this case, Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green for a combined $291 million). But they fell on the draft side after effectively swapping their hold on the Nets’ future for one on the Suns’ future instead. That gamble could pay off if another Kevin Durant team implodes—and it opens up the possibility that the Rockets could pounce if the Suns blow it up by giving Phoenix its picks back in exchange for a superstar.
24. Charlotte Hornets
Draft rank: 23rd
Money rank: 23rd
Previous overall rank: 17th
Before last season, the Hornets had a future draft pick deficit—an unfathomable situation for a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016. But the team finally saw the light and added future protected firsts from Miami (for Terry Rozier) and Dallas (for P.J. Washington); then, after a front office shake-up, it spent the summer gobbling up future seconds in exchange for taking on bad contracts. Expect the Hornets to linger in the bottom half of these rankings for a while as they continue in this new, logical direction.
25. Portland Trail Blazers
Draft rank: 24th
Money rank: 24th
Previous overall rank: 23rd
Like the teams sandwiching them on this list, the Trail Blazers will spend this season aiming to add to their draft stock. And Portland has plenty of quality veterans whose trades could move the West’s worst team into even more of an all-out orientation. Could a contender in need of a big man be interested in Deandre Ayton or a healthy Robert Williams III? Would a wannabe playoff threat take on Jerami Grant’s contract? Is Anfernee Simons destined to leave to make way for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe?
26. Washington Wizards
Draft rank: 25th
Money rank: 25th
Previous overall rank: 18th
Good for the Wizards for rebuilding; bad for the Wizards for not managing to score a single unprotected future first in the process. All the picks headed their way are either swaps—and who knows when Washington will be able to take advantage of those—or heavily protected, and the Wizards’ current roster isn’t exactly filled with the sorts of players who fetch unprotected firsts. Expect Washington to explore trading Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and Jonas Valanciunas this season, but don’t expect blockbuster returns.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft rank: 28th
Money rank: 21st
Previous overall rank: 29th
As you might expect, there’s a strong correlation (0.62 on a scale from minus-1 to 1) between a team’s All In-dex score and its over/under win total for this season, per FanDuel. Naturally, teams go all in to win more games in the present, while the all-out teams at the bottom of these rankings are racing to capture the Flagg in the 2025 draft.
But not the Thunder. If we make a simple formula to estimate teams’ expected over/under totals based on All In-dex scores and compare them to their actual over/unders, then the Thunder look like the largest overperformer by a laughable margin.
Biggest Gaps Between All In-dex Ranking and Projected 2023-24 Success
It’s impossible to overstate how absurd this is. The Thunder are one of the NBA’s best teams—a favorite to win the West and reach the Finals!—yet they have too many draft picks to use, and they had enough money available to steal Isaiah Hartenstein from the Knicks in free agency. Until Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren sign their inevitable mega-extensions, the Thunder will remain young, cheap, flexible, and extraordinarily talented. Their title window is open now, and for as far into the future as the eyes can see.
28. San Antonio Spurs
Draft rank: 27th
Money rank: 29th
Previous overall rank: 28th
San Antonio is already planning ahead to when Victor Wembanyama is in his prime. Dating back to last summer, the Spurs have added far-off future pick swaps from Dallas (in 2030), Minnesota (in 2030), and Sacramento (in 2031) to add to the nearer-term swaps they already held via Atlanta (in 2026, sandwiched by two unprotected Hawks firsts) and Boston (in 2028). The Spurs know that if Wemby stays healthy, they won’t be picking in the lottery very often in his mid-20s—but now they’ll still be able to flank him with young talent at that point of his career.
29. Utah Jazz
Draft rank: 30th
Money rank: 26th
Previous overall rank: 30th
The Jazz ranked 29th in the first edition of the All In-dex, fell to 30th last season, and moved back to 29th in this latest edition. With extra equity headed their way in each of the next five drafts, they might as well get comfy down here because they could keep bringing up the rear for a while longer.
30. Brooklyn Nets
Draft rank: 29th
Money rank: 30th
Previous overall rank: 27th
The Nets ranked sixth in the first season we conducted this exercise, but it took only two years for them to plummet all the way to the bottom. Such is the result—and goal—of trading Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Mikal Bridges (who was initially acquired in the Durant deal) in short succession. Brooklyn even spent the summer reacquiring the picks it had previously traded to Houston to facilitate a tank this season and next. There’s no more all-out move than that.
