The Oklahoma City Thunder are the overwhelming choice to capture a second consecutive championship, according to the NBA.com survey of all 30 front offices released Thursday.
Exactly 80% of general managers picked Oklahoma City to win the 2025-26 title. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets each received two votes, while the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks collected one apiece.
Conference forecasts
In the Western Conference, 87% of ballots placed the Thunder first and the remaining 10% slotted them second. Denver garnered 10% of first-place nods, and Houston logged the only other top vote. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs rounded out the West order.
Eastern Conference projections put Cleveland on top with 63% of first-place support, followed by New York (30%). The Orlando Magic received 7% of first-place selections and were the consensus pick for third. The Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics completed the East’s top nine.
Individual honors
Three-time winner Nikola Jokic led the Most Valuable Player predictions with 67% of the vote. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama remained the premier franchise cornerstone for a second straight year, appearing on 83% of ballots in that category.
Rockets forward Amen Thompson drew 30% of support as the player most likely to enjoy a breakout season, aligning with his status as the betting favorite for Most Improved Player.
Best at each position
General managers named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (point guard), Anthony Edwards (shooting guard), Luka Doncic (small forward), Giannis Antetokounmpo (power forward) and Jokic (center) as the league’s top players at their respective spots. Small forward was the tightest race, with Doncic receiving 40% of the vote ahead of Jayson Tatum (20%) and Kevin Durant (17%).
Offseason assessments
The Hawks were judged to have executed the league’s best offseason (53%), trailed by the Rockets (27%) and Nuggets (10%). Houston’s trade for Kevin Durant was viewed as the most impactful move. Orlando was labeled both the most improved team (47%) and the club that made the most underrated transaction by acquiring Desmond Bane. Oklahoma City was the clear choice as the NBA’s best defensive team (83%).
Rookie projections
Dallas Mavericks No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg dominated the rookie categories, projected to win Rookie of the Year and to be the best player from the 2025 class in five years. Miami Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis was selected as the draft’s biggest steal.
Additional superlatives
• Best defensive player: Wembanyama (80%)
• Best coach: Erik Spoelstra (52%) — sixth consecutive year
• Best passer / highest basketball IQ: Jokic (80%)
• Most versatile player: Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama (30% each)
• Player you want taking the last shot: Stephen Curry (47%)
Survey respondents were barred from voting for their own organizations or players, capping any single candidate’s maximum share at 97%.
Source: ESPN
