NBA GM Survey: Thunder Tabbed as Favorite to Repeat in 2025-26
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Eight out of 10 NBA general managers expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to win a second consecutive title in the 2025-26 season, according to the 24th annual survey conducted by John Schuhmann of NBA.com.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets were a distant joint second, each drawing 7% of the championship vote, while the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks were the only other teams to receive support.
If Oklahoma City claims another trophy, it would mark the league’s first back-to-back championship since the Golden State Warriors accomplished the feat in 2018. The survey’s history shows that consensus offers no guarantees; a year ago, 83% of executives picked the Boston Celtics to repeat before Boston exited in the second round.
Individual Honors
Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, already a three-time MVP, was favored by 67% of GMs to win a fourth award. He was also rated the league’s best center (97%), best international player (93%), best passer (80%), the player with the highest basketball IQ (80%), and the one who forces opposing coaches to adjust the most (57%).
Houston’s Amen Thompson topped two categories, earning 58% of the vote as the NBA’s most athletic player and 18% as its most versatile defender.
San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama remained the preferred cornerstone for a franchise, collecting 83% of the vote. He was also selected as the NBA’s best defender (80%) and tied with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the most versatile player (30%).
Rookie Outlook
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg dominated his class in the poll, receiving 97% of the ballots for Rookie of the Year and 93% as the first-year player expected to be the best in five seasons.
Front-Office Grades
The Atlanta Hawks drew 53% of votes for having the best offseason, while 47% picked the Orlando Magic as the league’s most improved team. Executives labeled the Milwaukee Bucks’ summer as the most surprising, highlighting the decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard (43%) and the free-agent signing of Myles Turner (30%).
The survey polls decision-makers from all 30 franchises each year, offering a snapshot of leaguewide expectations as training camps approach.
Source: Hoops Wire
