The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz. The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions, and is geographically similar to the Northwest Division in the National Hockey League which predated the NBA's by six years before it was dissolved in .
The division was created at the start of the 2004–05 season, when the league expanded from 29 to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats. In doing so, the league realigned itself from two divisions in each conference to three divisions in each conference. The Northwest Division began with five inaugural members: the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers, the SuperSonics and the Jazz. The Trail Blazers and SuperSonics joined from the Pacific Division, while the Nuggets, the Timberwolves and Jazz joined from the now-defunct Midwest Division. The SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City prior to the 2008–09 season and became the Thunder, but remained in the Northwest Division. Other than this franchise re-location, the division's membership has remained unchanged since its creation.
The most recent division champions are the Oklahoma City Thunder, having won an eighth division championship in the 2024–25 NBA season. The SuperSonics-Thunder franchise has won the most Northwest Division titles with eight, while the Nuggets have won six, the Jazz have won five, the Trail Blazers have won two, and the Timberwolves have never won the Northwest Division title. In the 2009–10 season, all four teams that qualified for the playoffs each had more than 50 wins, and in 2018–19 all four teams that qualified for the playoffs had at least 49 wins.
Since the 2021–22 season, the Northwest Division champion has received the Sam Jones Trophy, named after Hall of Famer Sam Jones, who notably spent his career playing for the Boston Celtics and did not play for a team currently in the division, though he was assistant coach for the Jazz during their first NBA season in 1974–75 when they were based in New Orleans.
2025–26 standings
Notes z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs y – Clinched division title x – Clinched playoff spot pi – Clinched play-in spot
Teams Team City Year From Joined Denver Nuggets Denver, Colorado Midwest Division Minnesota Timberwolves Minneapolis, Minnesota Midwest Division Oklahoma City Thunder (–present)Seattle SuperSonics (–) Oklahoma City, OklahomaSeattle, Washington Pacific Division Portland Trail Blazers Portland, Oregon Pacific Division Utah Jazz Salt Lake City, Utah Midwest Division
Sam Jones Trophy Beginning with the 2021–22 season, the Northwest Division champion has received the Sam Jones Trophy. As with the other division championship trophies, it is named after one of the African American pioneers from NBA history. During his playing career from 1957 to 1969, Sam Jones was an integral part of a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 10 NBA championships during that span. The Jones Trophy consists of a crystal ball.
Division champions ^ Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season Season Team Record Playoffs result Seattle SuperSonics 52–30 (.634) Lost conference semifinals Denver Nuggets 44–38 (.537) Lost First round Utah Jazz 51–31 (.622) Lost conference finals Utah Jazz 54–28 (.659) Lost conference semifinals Denver Nuggets 54–28 (.659) Lost conference finals Denver Nuggets 53–29 (.646) Lost First round Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 (.671) Lost conference finals Oklahoma City Thunder 47–19 (.712) Lost NBA Finals Oklahoma City Thunder 60–22 (.732) Lost conference semifinals Oklahoma City Thunder 59–23 (.720) Lost conference finals Portland Trail Blazers 51–31 (.622) Lost First round Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 (.671) Lost conference finals Utah Jazz 51–31 (.622) Lost conference semifinals Portland Trail Blazers 49–33 (.598) Lost First round Denver Nuggets 54–28 (.659) Lost conference semifinals Denver Nuggets 46–27 (.630) Lost conference finals Utah Jazz^ 52–20 (.722) Lost conference semifinals Utah Jazz 49–33 (.598) Lost First round Denver Nuggets 53–29 (.646) Won NBA Finals Oklahoma City Thunder 57–25 (.695) Lost conference semifinals Oklahoma City Thunder^ 68–14 (.829) Won NBA Finals Oklahoma City Thunder^ 64–18 (.780) Lost conference finals
Titles by team Team Titles Season(s) won Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 9 , , , , , , , , Denver Nuggets 6 , , , , , Utah Jazz 5 , , , , Portland Trail Blazers 2 , Minnesota Timberwolves 0
Season results ^ Denotes team that won the NBA championship + Denotes team that won the Conference finals, but lost the NBA Finals * Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs × Denotes team that qualified for the NBA play-in tournament † Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart Season Team (record) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 2004: The Northwest Division was formed with five inaugural members. The Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics joined from the Pacific Division, while the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz joined from the Midwest Division. Seattle* (52–30) Denver* (49–33) Minnesota (44–38) Portland (27–55) Utah (26–56) Denver* (44–38) Utah (41–41) Seattle (35–47) Minnesota (33–49) Portland (21–61) Utah* (51–31) Denver* (45–37) Portland (32–50) Minnesota (32–50) Seattle (31–51) Utah* (54–28) Denver* (50–32) Portland (41–41) Minnesota (22–60) Seattle (20–62) 2008: The Seattle SuperSonics relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver* (54–28) Portland* (54–28) Utah* (48–34) Minnesota (24–58) Oklahoma City (23–59) Denver* (53–29) Utah* (53–29) Portland* (50–32) Oklahoma City* (50–32) Minnesota (15–67) Oklahoma City* (55–27) Denver* (50–32) Portland* (48–34) Utah (39–43) Minnesota (17–65) Oklahoma City+ (47–19) Denver* (38–28) Utah* (36–30) Portland (28–38) Minnesota (26–40) Oklahoma City* (60–22) Denver* (57–25) Utah (43–39) Portland (33–49) Minnesota (31–51) Oklahoma City* (59–23) Portland* (54–28) Minnesota (40–42) Denver (36–46) Utah (25–57) Portland* (51–31) Oklahoma City (45–37) Utah (38–44) Denver (30–52) Minnesota (16–66) Oklahoma City* (55–27) Portland* (44–38) Utah (40–42) Denver (33–49) Minnesota (29–53) Utah* (51–31) Oklahoma City* (47–35) Portland* (41–41) Denver (40–42) Minnesota (31–51) Portland* (49–33) Oklahoma City* (48–34) Utah* (48–34) Minnesota* (47–35) Denver (46–36) Denver* (54–28) Portland* (53–29) Utah* (50–32) Oklahoma City* (49–33) Minnesota (36–46) Denver* (46–27) Oklahoma City* (44–28) Utah* (44–28) Portland* (35–39) Minnesota† (19–45) Utah* (52–20) Denver* (47–25) Portland* (42–30) Minnesota (23–49) Oklahoma City (22–50) Utah* (49–33) Denver* (48–34) Minnesota* (46–36) Portland (27–55) Oklahoma City (24–58) Denver^ (53–29) Minnesota* (42–40) Oklahoma City× (40–42) Utah (37–45) Portland (33–49) Oklahoma City* (57–25) Denver* (57–25) Minnesota* (56–26) Utah (31–51) Portland (21–61) Oklahoma City^ (68–14) Denver* (50–32) Minnesota* (49–33) Portland (36–46) Utah (17–65) Oklahoma City* (64–18) Denver* (54–28) Minnesota* (49–33) Portland* (42–40) Utah (22–60)
Notes Because of a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 82-game regular season schedule was suspended on March 11, 2020. The season was restarted on July 30 under an eight-game seeding format in the 2020 NBA Bubble to conclude the regular season and determine playoff berths. Games were played inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season did not start until December 22, 2020, and all 30 teams played a shortened 72-game regular season schedule.
References Specific
General
External links NBA.com Team Index