The San Antonio Spurs enter the upcoming campaign as both the team of the present and the future, claiming the top spot as the most popular pick to win the championship in the 25th annual NBA GM Survey. General managers across the league responded to 48 questions covering the best teams, players, coaches, and offseason moves, with strict rules prohibiting executives from voting for their own personnel.
Victor Wembanyama anchors this optimism for San Antonio alongside teammates Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, who stand at 22, 21, and 20 years old, respectively. Wembanyama secured the most votes for the Kia MVP award and the title of the player executives would most like to build a franchise around, setting historical records in both categories for the highest percentage of votes in the poll’s quarter-century history. In total, the young center captured the top position across eight distinct categories.
Championship Predictions and Conference Standings
When asked which franchise will secure the 2027 NBA Finals, 50% of participating general managers selected the San Antonio Spurs. The Oklahoma City Thunder followed closely as the runner-up with 43% of the vote, while the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers also received consideration. This marks a sharp shift from the previous year, when the Thunder commanded 80% of the championship predictions.
In the Eastern Conference projections, the New York Knicks claimed the top position, capturing 60% of first-place votes and 32% of total points. The Philadelphia 76ers placed second with 19% of total points, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics at 15% apiece, the Detroit Pistons at 12%, and the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers rounding out the upper tier.
The annual NBA GM Survey was just published and the league's top managers see the Spurs as the premier powerhouse in the Western Conference.Compiled by John Schuhmann of https://t.co/wxiuxMeyJF the list shows that San Antonio and Victor Wembanyama swept key categories. pic.twitter.com/MklQAqg9LG
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the conference points total, with the Minnesota Timberwolves taking third place at 12% of total points, followed by the Denver Nuggets at 10% and the Houston Rockets.
Player Accolades and Tactical Impact
Wembanyama dominated individual player polling, receiving 77% of the vote to win the 2026-27 Kia MVP, ahead of Denver’s Nikola Jokić at 10% and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards at 7%. When asked to select a single player to start a new franchise, 93% of executives chose Wembanyama, outpacing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cooper Flagg.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson and GM Brian Wright sit down with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald to reveal the story of how Victor Wembanyama was discovered, how long San Antonio had known about him, and how he ultimately ended up with the Spurs. 🏀🔥 pic.twitter.com/u7mAMZWhh0
Tactically, Wembanyama also forces the most adjustments from opposing coaches at 47%, edging out Jokić at 33%. Positionally, league executives selected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the best point guard (67%), Anthony Edwards as the best shooting guard (73%), Luka Dončić as the best small forward (37%), Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best power forward (70%), and Nikola Jokić as the best center (63%). Meanwhile, Dylan Harper led breakout candidate predictions at 27%.
Offseason Additions and Defensive Rankings
Front offices evaluated summer transactions by naming the Philadelphia 76ers as the team that made the best overall offseason moves, capturing 73% of the vote. Executives pointed to Giannis Antetokounmpo—now with the Miami Heat—as the acquisition expected to make the biggest single-player impact at 53%, while Tobias Harris’s move to San Antonio was voted the most underrated acquisition at 20%.
San Antonio Spurs GM Brian Wright on De’Aaron Fox: “The confidence level is very high.” Wright went on to get into Fox not making excuses before saying, “We have the ultimate faith in De’Aaron and who he is as a player, what he’s been for us, and what he means to this team. And… pic.twitter.com/JbW3FpbBaG”
Defensively, Wembanyama swept individual honors, taking 97% of the vote for best defensive player, best interior defender, and receiving 30% for most versatile defender.
Coaching Leadership
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra was voted the best head coach in the NBA with 43% of the vote, closely followed by Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault at 37%. Executives also recognized Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers as the coach who runs the best offense (47%) and makes the best in-game adjustments (30%), while Daigneault earned the top mark for defensive schemes at 67%.
NBA GM'leri 2026-27 sezonunda şampiyonluk favorilerini seçti.1⃣ San Antonio Spurs – %502⃣ Oklahoma City Thunder – %43 pic.twitter.com/W9WZt793dG
