NBA Teams List Alphabetical Order: All 30 NBA Teams

NBA Team	Location	Conference	Founded
Atlanta Hawks	Atlanta, GA	Eastern	1946 (1)
Boston Celtics	Boston, MA	Eastern	1946
Brooklyn Nets	New York, NY	Eastern	1967 (2)
Charlotte Hornets	Charlotte, NC	Eastern	2004 (3)
Chicago Bulls	Chicago, IL	Eastern	1966
Cleveland Cavaliers	Cleveland, OH	Eastern	1970
Dallas Mavericks	Dallas, TX	Western	1980
Denver Nuggets	Denver, CO	Western	1967 (4)
Detroit Pistons	Detroit, MI	Eastern	1937 (5)
Golden State Warriors	San Francisco, CA	Western	1946 (6)
Houston Rockets	Houston, TX	Western	1967 (7)
Indiana Pacers	Indianapolis, IN	Eastern	1967 (8)
Los Angeles Clippers	Inglewood, CA	Western	1970 (9)
Los Angeles Lakers	Los Angeles, CA	Western	1946 (10)
Memphis Grizzlies	Memphis, TN	Western	1995 (11)
Miami Heat	Miami, FL	Eastern	1988
Milwaukee Bucks	Milwaukee, WI	Eastern	1968
Minnesota Timberwolves	Minneapolis, MN	Western	1989
New Orleans Pelicans	New Orleans, LA	Western	2002/2007 (12)
New York Knicks	New York, NY	Eastern	1946
Oklahoma City Thunder	Oklahoma City, OK	Western	1967 (13)
Orlando Magic	Orlando, FL	Eastern	1989
Philadelphia 76ers	Philadelphia, PA	Eastern	1947 (14)
Phoenix Suns	Phoenix, AZ	Western	1968
Portland Trail Blazers	Portland, OR	Western	1970
Sacramento Kings	Sacramento, CA	Western	1923 (15)
San Antonio Spurs	San Antonio, TX	Western	1967/71 (16)
Toronto Raptors	Toronto, Canada	Eastern	1995
Utah Jazz	Salt Lake City, UT	Western	1974 (17)
Washington Wizards	Washington, D.C.	Eastern	1961 (18)

1. 1946 (NBL, Buffalo Bison) 1946 (NBL, Tri-City Blackhawks) 1949 (Joined NBA) 1951 (NBA, Milwaukee Hawks) 1955 (NBA, St. Louis Hawks) 1968 (NBA, Atlanta Hawks)
2. 1967 (ABA, New Jersey Americans) 1968 (ABA, New York Nets) 1976 (Joined NBA) 1977 (NBA, New Jersey Nets) 2012 (NBA, Brooklyn Nets)
3. 2004 (Charlotte Bobcats) 2014 (Charlotte Hornets)
4. 1967 (ABA, Denver Rockets) 1974 (ABA, Denver Nuggets) 1976 (Joined NBA)
5. 1937 (Semi-Pro, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) 1941 (Joined NBL) 1948 (Joined BAA/NBA) Fort Wayne Pistons) 1957 (Detroit Pistons)
6. 1946 (Philadelphia Warriors) 1962 (San Francisco Warriors) 1971 (Golden State Warriors)
7. 1967 (San Diego Rockets) 1971 (Houston Rockets)
8. 1967 (Joined ABA) 1976 (Joined NBA)
9. 1970 (Buffalo Braves) 1978 (San Diego Clippers) 1984 (Los Angeles Clippers)
10. 1946 (NBL, Detroit Gems) 1947 (NBL, Minneapolis Lakers) 1948 (Joined NBA) 1960 (NBA, Los Angeles Lakers)
11. 1995 (Vancouver Grizzlies) 2001 (Memphis Grizzlies)
12. 2002/2007 (New Orleans Hornets) 2005 (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) 2013 (New Orleans Pelicans)
13. 1967 (Seattle Supersonics) 2008 (Oklahoma City Thunder)
14. 1947 (NBL, Syracuse Nationals) 1949 (Joined NBA) 1963 (NBA, Philadelphia 76ers)
15. 1923 (Rochester Seagrams) 1942 (Rochester Eber Seagrams) 1943 (Rochester Pros) 1945 (NBL, Rochester Royals) 1948 (Joined NBA) 1957 (NBA, Cincinnati Royals) 1975
16. 1967/71 (ABA, Dallas Chaparrals) 1970 (Texas Chaparrals) 1973 (ABA, San Antonio Spurs) 1976 (Joined NBA)
17. 1974 (New Orleans Jazz) 1979 (Utah Jazz)
18. 1961 (Chicago Packers) 1962 (Chicago Zephyrs) 1963 (Baltimore Bullets) 1973 (Capital Bullets) 1974 (Washington Bullets) 1997 (Washington Wizards)

The NBA at a Glance 👓

Number of Active Teams	30
Number of Canadian Teams	1 (Toronto Raptors)
Number of Conferences	2
Number of Teams per Conference	15
Number of Divisions	6
Number of Teams per Division	5
Number of Teams that Make the NBA Playoffs	16 (Top 8 from each Conference)

All NBA Teams List by Division

More NBA Betting Resources

• NBA Odds
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• WNBA Betting

All NBA Teams: Quick Facts About Each Team

Keep scrolling to learn more about each squad competing in the NBA this season, including who the best players are and the championship prospects of each team.

Atlanta Hawks 

Hoping to crack their way back into the NBA playoffs since 2023, the Atlanta Hawks are sporting a new-look roster that many basketball pundits are drooling over.

Making a splash in the offseason, the Hawks went out and snagged former NBA All-Star Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics, along with top-notch role players in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard.

Pairing these solid rotational pieces with All-Star point guard Trae Young, 2025’s Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, as well as a budding star in forward Jalen Johnson, the Hawks are set for a competitive finish in this year’s regular season.

Boston Celtics 

It wasn’t long ago that we saw the Boston Celtics hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and now their championship core has essentially been torn down to the studs.

After losing superstar forward Jayson Tatum for the year due to a torn Achilles suffered in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics parted ways with point guard Jrue Holiday and big men Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. This move was made to avoid suffering the wrath of the second apron in a season they didn’t believe they could be competitive in.

While they still have former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and the elite two-way talent of Derrick White, this team is currently a shell of their former selves.

Brooklyn Nets

Don’t expect to see many wins this season for the Brooklyn Nets, as they sport a young roster that is going through trial by fire throughout the 2025 season.

After trading away coveted forward Cameron Johnson in exchange for Michael Porter Jr., the Nets have completely embraced their rebuild. After shocking use of each of their first five round draft picks in 2025, the Nets’ rookie class of Ben Saraf, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Danny Wolf, and Drake Powell all hope to make their impact felt on this team as they search for a new franchise player.

Charlotte Hornets

Desperate to make their return to the NBA Playoffs, the Charlotte Hornets are looking to finally take a step in the right direction. Built around All-Star guard LaMelo Ball, the Hornets paired the young star with one of the best up-and-coming stars from last season in Brandon Miller to make a dynamic scoring backcourt in Charlotte.

Having failed to make the postseason in nine straight seasons, the Hornets will be hungry to finally string together a competitive campaign in the 2025-2026 season.

While expectations are low on this young team, don’t sleep on the upside of the Hornets as they could be on the verge of breaking out if they can remain healthy and focused on winning this season.

Chicago Bulls 

The Chicago Bulls still have plenty of question marks circling around them.

With Nikola Vucevic essentially on borrowed time with the franchise, they’re still hoping to see a breakout campaign from one of their top young players, such as Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, or Coby White, to vault their way back into playoff consideration.

Their season could go any number of ways, but someone is going to need to cement themselves as a true alpha on this squad in order to live up to their full potential.

Cleveland Cavaliers 

Coming off of their best regular season since the days of LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2024-25 season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

This all came to a grinding halt in last year’s playoffs, however, as they took a devastating series loss to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, capping off a promising season in disappointment.

Returning much of their standout roster from a year ago, including Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, the Cavs expect to once again be among the best teams in the NBA, only this time, making a deep run in the postseason as they search for their first title since 2016.

Dallas Mavericks 

In what’s been an absolute rollercoaster ride for the past year, the future appears bright, albeit confusing, for the Dallas Mavericks.

After shocking the sports world by trading away superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, the Mavericks struck gold as they won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, landing them highly-touted prospect Cooper Flagg in the process.

With a new franchise cornerstone set to play alongside a team that is already built to compete in the playoffs, this Mavs team may shock some people in 2026.

Denver Nuggets 

After pushing the eventual NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink of defeat in a seven-game series in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets have gotten better over the offseason and appear poised to challenge for an NBA Championship in 2026.

With arguably the best basketball player in the world, Nikola Jokic, still in his prime, the Nuggets are always among the best teams in the West. Adding Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas in the offseason patched up some of the biggest holes in their roster and added amazing depth in the process.

As they appear primed for a deep postseason run, the Nuggets are in a fantastic position to claim their second NBA Championship in this decade.

Detroit Pistons 

One of the biggest surprises of the 2024-25 NBA season was the emergence of Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. With Cunningham living up to the potential he entered the league with, alongside a competent supporting cast, the Pistons became dark horse contenders in the East last year.

With sensational chemistry and talent up and down their roster, the Pistons are hopeful that they can maintain this momentum and make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2008-2009.

Golden State Warriors 

After swinging for the fences and acquiring All-Star forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat last season, the Warriors were able to score a first-round victory in the NBA Playoffs, only to be defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the following round.

With an offseason to adjust to their new core, the Warriors are a deep, motivated, and experienced squad that has championship potential if they can remain healthy. While their top players in Stephen Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green aren’t getting any younger, they’re all still All-Star-level talents.

While the Western Conference continues to be an all-out war in the regular season, no team will want to face the Warriors in the NBA Playoffs once it rolls around.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets made a statement last year as they managed to clinch the second seed amidst a loaded Western Conference.

Wanting to go all-in on their rising rate of success, the Rockets went out and made a massive move by acquiring former NBA MVP Kevin Durant to join this already stacked lineup. Pairing KD with young stars like Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun has created a bona fide title contender out West.

Indiana Pacers 

In what was one of the most heartbreaking finishes to an NBA season ever, the Indiana Pacers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games during the 2025 NBA Finals. After nobody believed in them to make it that far, the high-octane Pacers never wavered.

In a magical postseason run full of comebacks, buzzer beaters, and intense finishes, had point guard Tyrese Haliburton not been injured early in Game 7, who knows who’d have claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy?

With Haliburton sidelined throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, the Pacers will look to rely on Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin to shoulder the load as they hope to extend their current playoff streak to three years.

Los Angeles Clippers

Even amidst the heat of controversy, the Los Angeles Clippers have found a way to compile a star-studded roster that may have a chance at competing for a title in 2026.

Adding aging All-Stars in Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and Bradley Beal to a team already loaded with talent like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, this team sports fantastic depth and experience.

While injury concerns are absolutely going to play a factor this season, at their best, there aren’t many teams that can go toe-to-toe with the Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers 

When you’ve got LeBron James and Luka Doncic on your roster, two of the league’s most dominant players sharing the court, the Los Angeles Lakers can never be counted out.

Alongside their superstar tandem, the Lakers brought in former first overall pick DeAndre Ayton to pair alongside them, as well as top-tier third option, Austin Reaves.

With a solidly constructed roster, the Lakers will once again be among the contenders for the NBA Championship. As the clock continues to tick on James’ career, this may be his last-ditch effort to win title #5 in the NBA.

Memphis Grizzlies 

While the Memphis Grizzlies did make the postseason in 2025, it was a pretty rough go from start to finish, as they got manhandled over the course of a four-game sweep against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This season, things aren’t going to get much better for the Grizzlies as they moved on from one of their top players in Desmond Bane, in a trade with the Orlando Magic. Still rostering Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., all is not lost on the Grizzlies’ future, but they’ll need to show signs of improvement if they want to continue building on their current core.

Miami Heat 

Having finally moved on from the Jimmy Butler saga in South Beach, the Miami Heat are in a unique position this season. While they do roster standout talents such as Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Norman Powell, the overall upside of this team is questionable.

As a middle-of-the-pack squad, the Heat may need to go all-in on contending or rebuilding by the trade deadline this season to properly make the most of this year.

Milwaukee Bucks 

Currently in a downward spiral, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a bad way entering the 2025-26 season. After being forced to move on from point guard Damian Lillard after he suffered an Achilles tear in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Bucks are now left with Giannis Antetokounmpo and a gaggle of role players.

With Giannis being forced to carry the Bucks to every win, this could be a daunting task even in the mediocre Eastern Conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Coming up short in the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row, the Minnesota Timberwolves are hopeful that the third time may be the charm when it comes to making the NBA Finals.

Running back the same team from a season prior, the T-Wolves have a great, cohesive squad that knows how to get the job done. As Anthony Edwards continues to develop as a generational talent, the T-Wolves will once again be among the best in the West in 2026.

New Orleans Pelicans

Always a drama-filled team, the New Orleans Pelicans are hoping to make headlines for the right reasons in 2026.

In the offseason, the Pelicans brought in Jordan Poole to serve as their new leading ball-handler, as well as the return of Zion Williamson to their lineup. Without the first-round pick this season after using it to trade up and select Derik Queen in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Pelicans will need to have a strong season, or they could suffer well into the future as a result.

New York Knicks

Last year, the New York Knicks were tantalizingly close to reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in over two decades, but once again it wasn’t meant to be.

With a new coach at the helm in Mike Brown, the Knicks hope to punch their ticket to the Finals and win their first NBA Championship since 1973. With their core five of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart ready to lead the way once again, MSG is must-see basketball in 2026.

Oklahoma City Thunder 

2025 was a historic year for the Thunder as they experienced nothing but success. Winning the franchise’s first NBA Championship since moving to Oklahoma City, the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games.

Along the way, the Thunder won a whopping 68 games in the regular season, as well as seeing superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have one of the most successful seasons of all-time as he won MVP, the NBA scoring title, and Finals MVP in the same season, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Shaquille O’Neal.

With the Thunder only set to get better, we may be looking at the next NBA dynasty in the making.

Orlando Magic 

Continuing to move in the right direction despite losing out in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the second year in a row, the Orlando Magic appear ready to go for a deep postseason run in 2026.

The Magic are a well-rounded squad with star power generated from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as the newly acquired Desmond Bane.

With their superb defence still intact, but their stagnant offence finally in line to improve, the Magic have made all the right moves to move towards contention in the East this season.

Philadelphia 76ers 

Last season went anything but well for the Philadelphia 76ers. With former MVP Joel Embiid injured for the bulk of the season, coupled with the absolute collapse in production from Paul George, the 76ers struggled mightily to produce wins.

After landing a favourable spot in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Sixers added VJ Edgecombe to their lineup, a player who may help become a building block for this team in the future.

Ultimately, the ceiling of this team will depend on the health of Embiid; without him, they will struggle to get back to the postseason, let alone title contention.

Phoenix Suns

Yikes. After yet another tumultuous regular season, the Phoenix Suns decided to finally blow it up as they traded away both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason. While this would typically be a good thing, the Suns got back minimal assets in return.

With the future outlook of this team looking bleak, the 2025-26 season is set to be just as dark. While they still have Devin Booker, his prime is seemingly being wasted on a team with no direction or competent management.

Portland Trail Blazers 

Starting off the season hot, the Portland Trail Blazers had their Head Coach, Chauncey Billups, arrested by the FBI. Check that one off your bingo cards.

With new Head Coach Tiago Splitter looking to get the most out of his young team, the Blazers are ready to put forth a competitive effort amidst a heated Western Conference playoff race, led by star player Deni Avdija.

While this may not be the season that the Trail Blazers get back into the NBA Playoffs, it is sure to be a building block toward the future as their young core gains valuable experience.

Sacramento Kings 

It only took two seasons for the Sacramento Kings to absolutely tank their franchise once again. Honestly, it’s almost impressive.

After making the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years in 2023, the Kings’ management decided to go scorched earth on their roster, including trading away star point guard De’Aaron Fox. Additionally, the Kings decided to trade for Zach LaVine to their lineup, pairing him with DeMar DeRozan, a tandem we’ve already seen fail in the NBA.

With no direction, poor floor spacing, and an unevenly balanced roster, the Kings’ management has really screwed the pooch on their future as far as returning to the postseason is concerned.

San Antonio Spurs 

We may be in store for a changing of the guard in the NBA this season as Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are in a position to take the league by storm. With the 7’4 alien with freakish skills already one of the best players in the league, the Spurs were also lucky enough to add Dylan Harper with the second pick in the draft last season.

With Wemby, Harper, and the reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle, to go along with all-star guard De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs lineup is stacked and ready to compete.

The future is incredibly bright in San Antonio, and this year may be the time for them to make their return to the postseason.

Toronto Raptors

Aiming at competing for a top spot in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors are hungry to play winning basketball once again. With the debut of Brandon Ingram into their lineup going off without a hitch, the development of his tandem alongside Scottie Barnes will dictate much of the Raptors’ future success.

Sporting solid depth throughout their roster, the Raptors have a legit team that can hang with even some of the top teams in the NBA. While they may not be title contenders, this Raptors team may be ready to punch their ticket back into the postseason.

Utah Jazz 

Continuing to find their way through a seemingly never-ending rebuild, the Utah Jazz are back and ready to lose again in 2025-26.

With All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen still unlikely to be here for the long haul, expect to see him on the move at some point this season as they attempt to add draft capital/young talent to their roster. With standout years from talents like Keyontae George and Isaiah Collier during the last season, the Jazz are moving in the right direction, albeit at a snail’s pace.

Washington Wizards

Same old Washington Wizards.

While this year’s version of this team at least looks the part of a rebuilding roster, it unfortunately does mean that Wizards fans will be stuck watching losing basketball again this year.

With budding stars in Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson all beginning to cement themselves as NBA talents, the Wizards are certainly trending upward, just not toward the playoffs in 2026.

Most Successful NBA Teams 🏆

Team Name	Championships	NBA Finals Appearances
Boston Celtics	18	23
Los Angeles Lakers	17	32
Golden State Warriors	7	12
Chicago Bulls	6	6
San Antonio Spurs	5	6

Defunct NBA Teams 💀

• Anderson Packers
• Baltimore Bullets
• Buffalo Braves
• Capital Bullets
• Chicago Stags
• Chicago Zephyrs
• Cleveland Rebels
• Denver Nuggets
• Detroit Falcons
• Indianapolis Jets
• Indianapolis Olympians
• Philadelphia Warriors
• Pittsburgh Ironmen
• Providence Steamrollers
• San Francisco Warriors
• Sheboygan Red Skins
• St. Louis Bombers
• Toronto Huskies
• Washington Capitals
• Waterloo Hawks

Old NBA Teams That Changed Teams 🧓

• Charlotte Hornets became the New Orleans Hornets
• Cincinnati Royals became the Sacramento Kings
• Fort Wayne Pistons became the Detroit Pistons
• Kansas City Kings became the Sacramento Kings
• Kansas City-Omaha Kings became the Sacramento Kings
• Milwaukee Hawks became the Atlanta Hawks
• Minneapolis Lakers became the Los Angeles Lakers
• New Orleans Jazz became the Utah Jazz
• Rochester Royals became the Sacramento Kings
• San Diego Clippers became the Los Angeles Clippers
• San Diego Rockets became the Houston Rockets
• Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder
• St. Louis Hawks became the Atlanta Hawks
• Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers
• Tri-Cities Blackhawks became the Atlanta Hawks
• Vancouver Grizzlies became the Memphis Grizzlies

Recap: Bet on NBA Teams

One of the best ways to take the excitement of watching the NBA to the next level is by betting on it! There are a variety of ways to bet on the NBA, all of which come with their own unique winning criteria and value.

Make sure you open an account with a good NBA sportsbook. For daily NBA bets, you can place wagers on any game taking place. Along with traditional game lines on the daily action, NBA bettors can also look toward the end of the season with NBA futures bets.

If you’re new to sports betting and want to learn more about how you can win while wagering on the latest NBA odds, check out our NBA news page to get daily picks, predictions, and expert analysis to help you boost your bankroll while betting on the NBA 2025-26 season.