On June 13, Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in San Antonio, and the Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years. Four months later, I have the team he beat ranked ahead of his. Here's why and where all 30 teams land in our 2026-27 NBA power rankings before the season tips off on October 20.
Rankings are current as of September 28, 2026, and we'll update them after opening week.
Contents
- The Situation
- The Rankings, by Tiers
- Counter-Argument: The
- The Broader Picture
- Verdict & Bold Predictions
- People also search for
The Situation
The NBA has gotten noisier this summer. It didn't make the league top better. The teams that have changed the most, the 76ers, the Heat, and the Raptors, have the most questions. The teams that stuck together, Spurs, Thunder, and Knicks, are still the ones to beat.
This is the whole point of these 2026-27 NBA power rankings: continuity beats headlines. Brunson's Finals-clinching night came in a 94-90 win, and ESPN's recap shows just how thin the margin was. The Spurs pushed the champions to the edge and returned their entire Finals core. I’m putting them before anything.
The Rankings, by Tiers
I’m listing the top eight in order and lumping everyone else together because the gaps below the top tier are smaller than any 1-to-30 list pretends.
| Rating | squad | Greatest strength | Biggest danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio Spur’s | Victor Wembanyama and continuity | Depth and late-game composure |
| 2 | OKC | Elite defense: Shai Gilgeous-Alexande | Injury, support cast thinner |
| 3 | New York Knicks | Brunson and a playoff-tested core | Regression sans Mitchell Robinson |
| 4 | Detroit Pistons 1. | East’s top seed a year ago, Cade Cunningham | Jalen Duren's contract and shooting |
| 5 | Celtics (Boston) | Tatum’s back, and deep and disciplined | Tatum's Achilles: Age |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers | Most star power in league | Fitness, health & defense |
| 7 | Rockets (Hou) | Athleticism and Length. | Injury history: |
| 8 | Denver Nugs | Nikola Jokic | A murky off-season |
Tier 1: Contenders (1-3)
1. Spurs. They beat the Thunder in seven games in the West finals to reach the Finals with a young core of Wembanyama (22), De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. They could be disappointed for why. They blew a 29-point lead in Game 4 of the Finals, the biggest comeback in Finals history. Young teams don’t always learn a hard lesson to become a title team.
2. Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander is now a two-time MVP, and Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are locked in on extensions as the core of the team. Why they could disappoint: Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe are gone, the payroll is headed to second-apron territory, and Williams has to stay healthy.
3. Cleveland. The champs swept the Cavaliers in the East finals and beat the Spurs 4-1. Why they could disappoint you: Mitchell Robinson went to Boston, Andre Drummond came in as the replacement, and some of the playoff run was luck. The opposition went 4-for-19 on clutch threes against them in the playoffs, according to NBA.com's Finals breakdown. That's not something that you do over 82 games.
Tier 2: Serious contenders with serious questions (4-8)
4. Pistons. Detroit added John Collins and ended up the No. 1 seed in the East, but Duren's contract status was still up in the air at last check. They need enough shooting to compete with the big three.
5. Boston Celtics. According to the NBA.com Celtics preview, Boston won 56 games even with Tatum missing the first 62. Jaylen Brown was then traded to Philadelphia for Paul George and picks. George is 36, so this is Tatum’s Achilles and a very deep bench.
6. 76ers LeBron James (41), Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe have never played together. The ceiling is the highest in the league. The floor is a chemistry/injury problem, which is why I'm not ranking them higher.
7. Rockets. The Rockets have size and edge with Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, but they have been bitten by the injury bug and were missing key players when it counted.
8. Nuggets. Jokic is in a Nugget uniform; Denver is a contender. If there’s more to come, it will come down to Aaron Gordon’s health and a strange offseason.
Tier 3: Playoff teams with a major question (9-15)
- Lakers: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves lead offense, now with new veteran help. LeBron’s return to L.A. on Christmas Day is already set.
- Raptors: Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto, traded for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and picks. The question is of his health.
- Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell keeps them a top-half team, but the ceiling was shown by getting swept by the Knicks.
- Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards has a new running mate after the LaMelo Ball trade, but plenty of old toughness remains
- Hawks: With Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, and the new addition Lu Dort, they’re a real threat if they stay healthy.
- Heat: Bam Adebayo heads to Giannis Antetokounmpo after Miami shipped out Tyler Herro and three first-round picks. The defense should be great. That spacing is the problem.
- Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton is returning from his Achilles injury, and no team has a wider range of outcomes.
Tier 4: The play-in bubble (16-22)
- Magic: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane Need a Real Offense
- Suns: Devin Booker and Jalen Green busted last season, and regression is the enemy.
- Jazz: Lauri Markkanen and rookie Darryn Peterson provide intriguing upside.
- Mavericks: Cooper Flagg’s second season alone makes it worth your time
- Warriors: Steph Curry’s team is old, and health is everything.
- Hornets: LaMelo Ball is gone, but Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel can shoot.
- Pelicans: Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray need to be on the floor.
Tier 5: Rebuild and reset (23–30)
- Trail Blazers: Ja Morant changes the outlook.
- Clippers: No Kawhi. Darius Garland and Ingram are leading the rebuild.
- Grizzlies: Ja Morant’s tenure ends; rookie Cameron Boozer takes over.
- Nets: Michael Porter Jr. is the best player on a young roster.
- Bulls: Matas Buzelis and rookie Caleb Wilson point to a reset.
- Washington Wizards: The No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa, has a lot of veterans on his team.
- Bucks: Milwaukee is in full-on post-Giannis rebuild mode.
- Kings: Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine headline a cast that doesn’t fit
All the big moves are in ESPN's free agency breakdown, and you can see the opening night slate in ESPN's schedule guide.
Counterargument: The
The obvious question: The Knicks are the champs, so why are they No. 3? They had the best defense in the playoffs, Brunson was unstoppable in the 4th quarter, and nobody actually beat them.
That’s a fair point and why I still have them in the top tier. But that’s the issue, NBA.com: There’s been a new champion every season for the last eight years. Repetition is hard. The Knicks lost a key rotation big in Robinson, and their playoff run depended on bounces that rarely repeat. A peak is not a baseline.”
The Spurs and Thunder also have a better case on paper. Spurs are younger and getting better. The Thunder have the best player in the NBA. They both looked at last spring and either got better or stayed the same.
The Broader Picture
This offseason isn’t about one team. It's how fast stars move now. Giannis, Kawhi, Brown, Paul George, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant all switched teams. LeBron changed conferences. Front offices trade stars when contracts and salary aprons make it tough to pay them.
That means the league is up for grabs. Eight different champions in eight seasons, and the safest bet in the NBA is that nothing is safe. That's why continuity is the rarest commodity in the sport, and that's the main thing I'm rewarding here.
See our related coverage for more on how one star can remake a roster:
Verdict & Bold Predictions
The Spurs are my #1 pick to win the 2027 title. The continuity, Wembanyama, and a gut-wrenching Finals loss make them the team I trust the most.
Three more calls I’ll stand behind:
- The Thunder finish with the best regular season record in the league and get beat by the Spurs again in the West.
- The Knicks don't repeat as champs.
- The 76ers fail to finish in the top three in the East. Talent is not the same as fit.
Come back after opening weekend. We’ll update these rankings as the season progresses.
People also search for
Who’s the favorite to win the 2027 NBA championship?
ESPN’s odds report had the Thunder and Spurs as co-favorites at sportsbooks, with the defending champion Knicks and the 76ers next. Odds change throughout the season, so check a current sportsbook before quoting a price.
When does the NBA 2026-27 season start?
The regular season opens Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with a three-game opening night including the Celtics at the Pistons, the 76ers at the Knicks (banner night), and a Thunder-Spurs rematch of the West Finals.
Who won the NBA championship in 2026?
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1, clinching with a 94-90 Game 5 win. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP with 45 points in the clincher.
LeBron James signed with where?
In July, LeBron James joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year contract, joining forces with Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to the Miami Heat