NBA power rankings: Wolves' stunning KAT trade shifts the Western Conference hierarchy

The Western Conference was an absolute bloodbath last season. Since then, DeMar DeRozan went to the Kings, Golden State reshaped its second unit, the Mavs added Klay Thompson, Phoneix found a way to add Tyus Jones on a minimum contract, and OKC pulled off back-to-back heists for Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. And that's only scratching the surface.

Now the power balance in the West is shifting once again, as the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks late Friday night. It was a move nobody saw coming. The idea of KAT to New York has been floating around for years, but Minnesota was in the conference finals a few months ago. On the surface, there was no motivation to trade the former No. 1 pick.

Minnesota gets back Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, two excellent players who can absolutely sustain a winner. The Wolves are trying to thread a very fine needle, increasing financial flexibility long term without taking their foot off the gas pedal in the short term. KAT was by far the best player involved in the trade, though, so it's unclear how successfully Minnesota threaded that needle.

The Wolves' new-look core — Randle, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert — is going to take some time to mesh. Randle is a very unique offensive player who demands a lot of airspace. He can generate advantages and punish mismatches about as well as any power forward in the West, but how efficiently does he do it? The answer to that question could determine how well the Wolves do this season.

Minnesota still has all the infrasturcuture of a contender, but the West is an unforgiving landscape with more than eight teams vying for those precious postseason slots. A few months of getting up to speed could prove catastrophic for the Wolves. Ant ensures you a long title window in theory, but in truth, these opportunities are always more fleeting than you think. The Wolves took a sure thing and pivoted. Now, how does the West hierarchy shape up?

NBA Western Conference power rankings after Wolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo

Portland has... a long way to go. Last season was a struggle across the board, with No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson looking especially ill-prepared for the duties thrust upon him at the NBA level. One would be wise to cling tightly to their Scoot stock — he's due for a sophomore leap, point guard is a hard position — but Portland is going to stick. The defense is a mess, the backcourt hierarchy hasn't been fleshed out yet, and Cooper Flagg is within view. Portland is still in a transitional period, not quite sure who or what to build around.

After re-signing Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz will look to pair him with Cooper Flagg in due time. The Jazz just aren't built to contend this season. Markkanen is a completely absurd scorer, and Will Hardy is a great up-and-coming coach, but Utah has made its plans more or less known. Even if we get leaps from Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, and Keyonte George, this is a Jazz team doomed to the basement of a rough-and-tumble Western Conference.

This could age poorly, as Victor Wembanyama is well on his way to top-10 player status. He may be too good for the Spurs to truly stink, but it's unclear how San Antonio can otherwise overcome the depth of talent out West. Chris Paul should help Wemby's development quite a bit, but a 39-year-old point guard probably doesn't transform San Antonio into a contender. Harrison Barnes is a nice pickup, but yeah, the Spurs are still taking it slow around their prized big man.

It probably sounds silly to rank LeBron James and Anthony Davis 12th, but again, the West is loaded. We have no idea what to expect from JJ Redick as the head coach. Rob Pelinka is basically running it back with last season's roster, only slightly worse. Dalton Knecht could be a smash hit out of the gate, but that is far from a guarantee. Los Angeles needed to pursure meaningful upgrades this summer and decided not to. Instead, they're a year older with a conference that is only getting stronger on the fringes.

Again, the West is just stupid good right now. The Kings added DeMar DeRozan, who rocks in a vacuum, but fits somewhat awkwardly alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. DeRozan has become a better shooter and passer in recent years, but his game is still oriented around creating in the mid-range and dominating possessions. Domas was basically the Kings' primary playmaking fulcrum last season, while Fox tends to command his share of ball-handling reps. Does DeRozan, who is a pretty lousy defender at this point, really fit as the No. 3 in Sactown?

I am extremely bullish on this Rockets team. Perhaps with a bit of good luck, it's easy to imagine the Rockets sneaking into the playoffs. Ime Udoka is one heck of a coach and there just aren't many teams who can match the Rockets' depth of talent at full strength. Reed Sheppard should be an immediate impact presence as a rookie, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore are due for sophomore leaps, and Alperen Sengun is back to remind us of how dominant he was before the injury a season ago.

Call me old-fashioned, but I am inclined to put stock into a competently built roster that is centered on Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The Klay Thompson departure stings for sentimental reasons, but it also removes palpable baggage from the Golden State locker room. It also clears up more minutes for Brandin Podziemski and newcomer De'Anthony Melton, who are both more productive, well-rounded contributors than Thompson at this point. The Warriors made serious upgrades to the second unit and still have a top-10 player in Steph. This team should win plenty of games, and the front office is clearly on the lookout for impact additions.

The Pelicans don't really have a center, the Brandon Ingram contract dilemma continues to hang over the franchise, and we can never count on Zion Williamson's health. We shouldn't be too confident in Dejounte Murray's offensive fit either. All that said, the Pels are a deep and talent-rich team with a proper superstar when Zion is operating at full speed. Few players can get to the rim so effortlessly. Murray was a disaster in Atlanta, but perhaps we see more vintage defensive stops in New Orleans, where he will be flanked by Herb Jones. Ingram's departure is a matter of time. That probably means a more balanced starting five and more Trey Murphy, both positives.

Ooooookay. Kawhi Leonard still hasn't recovered from his latest knee ailment, so there's no telling how the Clippers will hold up without Paul George. James Harden is probably better than he gets credit for these days, however, and Ty Lue is as good as any coach when it comes to maximizing disparate parts. If Kawhi can put together even a semi-healthy campaign, the Clips should still win a bunch of games and look competitive. That said, LA could easily be the "contender" that falls out and opens the door for Houston or another team looking to break in.

Tyus Jones should have a pronounced impact on the functionality of Phoenix's offense. Meanwhile, Mike Budenholzer is one of the best coaches in the sport. He has his share of postseason woes, but he's also a champion and one of the most successful regular season coaches of the last decade. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal is still an exceptionally talented trio, and Phoenix's bench looks much better than it did a year ago.

Memphis needs to reestablish itself after a rocky, injury-plagued campaign, but a healthy Grizzlies squad is a totally viable title bet. Ja Morant is better than you remember, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are perfect co-stars, and Memphis has a nice depth chart. Zach Edey is my Rookie of the Year pick and he should work wonders in the Steven Adams role, setting monster screens for Morant and finishing everything around the cup.

So, yeah. The Wolves are still excellent. Rudy Gobert essentially guarantees a top-five defense, Anthony Edwards should take another leap, and the infrastucture remains solid. Mike Conley is the steady-handed point guard Minnesota needs. Julius Randle, for all his warts, is that second shot creator the Wolves lacked during the postseason. He's going to generate advantages, create for teammates, and punish mismatches at every level. DiVincenzo instantly becomes a Sixth Man of the Year candidate right alongside Naz Reid, providing whirlwind defense, elite 3-point shooting, and sharp connective playmaking to a variety of personnel groups. The Wolves are still very good, if not quite as stable as last season.

Dallas deserves credit as the reigning conference champs, although so much of that was matchup-dependent (Clippers hurt, OKC too small, Minny too slow). Luka Doncic is a stone-cold killer. Kyrie Irving is still one of the best second-banana scorers in the league. We are probably overrating Klay Thompson these days, but he's an elite shooter who demands constant respect from the defense. That is tough for defenses to game plan for when Luka and Kyrie are out there penetrating and creating. Is the defense a concern? Absolutely, but who knows what sort of year-two leap we'll get from Derrick Lively.

The Nuggets deserve legitimate criticism for their handling of the last two offseasons. Rather than doubling down on a contender, Denver has cheaply let both Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk. GM Calvin Booth is putting faith in completely unproven young talent like Julian Strawther and Hunter Tyson. Depth is a concern. Russell Westbrook probably isn't suddenly good again. And sorry, but Dario Saric is not the missing piece for a contender. All that said, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon demand a certain level of confidence. So long as he's healthy, Jokic is the best player in the world and he gives Denver a good shot in a conference that, despite all its talent, is plagued by question marks and uncertainty.

Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed last season but ran into issues related to size and physicality in the postseason. So, Sam Presti went out and added two immediate veteran contributors in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. Suddenly, OKC's rebounding issues feel like a distant memory. Caruso is a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate and one of the best guard defenders in the NBA, joining a rotation that already includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. OKC has the star-power, the defensive backbone, and the depth to match up with just about any team. Their youth should be an asset, too. Fresh legs typically come in handy.