Ranking NBA teams by tiers for 2018-19 season

Heading into the 2018-19 NBA season, it’s time to group all 30 teams into their appropriate tiers, from bottom-feeders to true title contenders.

There are surprises and disappointments every season, but for the most part, it’s pretty easy to map out the NBA landscape before opening night tipoff. From the bottom-feeders in the cellar of each conference to the legitimate title contenders at the top, each team fits into a tier of some sort.

Heading into the 2018-19 campaign, those tiers are just as relevant as ever, even during an offseason that saw so much star player movement. LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets picked up an unwanted Carmelo Anthony and Kawhi Leonard joined the Toronto Raptors for at least a year, and those are just a few notable examples.

The question is, after yet another summer of tantalizing rookies joining the league, superstars changing hands via trade, and free agency shaking up every team’s roster, what does that league hierarchy look like now?

In order to figure it all out, we’ll be sorting all 30 teams into various tiers for the upcoming season. From bottom-feeders to fringe playoff teams to dark horses to championship favorites, here’s a look at the lay of the land for the NBA’s 2018-19 campaign.