The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as the overwhelming favorites to win the 2026-27 NBA championship, according to the league’s 25th annual General Manager Survey.
A combined 93% of NBA executives selected one of the two Western Conference teams to capture the title.
San Antonio received 50% of the votes, narrowly ahead of Oklahoma City at 43%. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers were the only other teams to receive championship votes.
General managers were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
The results represent a significant shift from last season, when 80% of executives predicted the Thunder would win the championship.
However, Oklahoma City was eliminated by San Antonio in seven games during the Western Conference Finals, while the Spurs eventually lost to the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
The two Western Conference contenders also finished extremely close in predictions for the conference standings.
San Antonio received 53% of first-place votes compared to Oklahoma City’s 47%, with both teams collecting 34% of the total points.
Last season, 87% of general managers had selected the Thunder to finish first in the West.
Despite the Spurs leading the championship predictions, betting markets currently give Oklahoma City a slight advantage.
The Thunder have +250 odds to win the NBA title, while San Antonio follows at +280.
The survey’s history also demonstrates that preseason expectations do not always translate into championships. Oklahoma City was heavily favored last season, but New York ultimately won the title.
