The San Antonio Spurs and generational phenom Victor Wembanyama enter the 2026-27 NBA season as the overwhelming favorites to capture the championship, according to the annual NBA General Manager survey released by NBA.com and compiled by John Schuhmann. General managers picked the Spurs as title favorites with 50 percent of the vote, edging out the Oklahoma City Thunder at 43 percent.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- MVP Value: Victor Wembanyama commands 77 percent of the GM vote for the 2026-27 MVP, making him the definitive consensus pick for fantasy managers and futures bettors alike.
- Title Odds Shifting: With San Antonio capturing 50% of the championship projections and Oklahoma City trailing closely at 43%, the annual GM survey highlights the top contenders.
- Rookie Draft Capital: Cameron Boozer leads the Rookie of the Year projections at 50% in the annual GM survey.
The survey results paint a picture of a league bracing for a seismic shift in power. Behind San Antonio and Oklahoma City’s 43 percent share, the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers picked up just one vote each. But the true story of the front-office poll is the singular dominance of Wembanyama across nearly every major individual category.
Wembanyama pulled in 97 percent of the vote for best defensive player in the league, with the lone dissenting ballot presumably coming from the Spurs. He also topped the charts for the player who forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments, drawing 47 percent of the ballots to outpace Nikola Jokic at 33 percent and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 7 percent.
On the rookie front, Cameron Boozer took 50 percent of the Rookie of the Year projections, followed by Caleb Wilson at 20 percent, AJ Dybantsa at 17 percent, and Darryn Peterson at 13 percent. Interestingly, when GMs looked five years down the road to identify the best player from this draft class, Dybantsa and Wilson deadlocked at 33 percent apiece.
Front offices were equally decisive regarding offseason personnel moves. Philadelphia staked claim to the best overall offseason with 73 percent of the vote, bolstered by the acquisition of Jaylen Brown, who drew 20 percent of the vote for impact player additions. Meanwhile, Miami Heat acquisition Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled in 53 percent of the vote for the player acquisition expected to have the single biggest impact.
| Survey Category | Top Selection | Share |
|---|---|---|
| NBA Championship Favorites | San Antonio Spurs | 50% |
| 2026-27 MVP | Victor Wembanyama | 77% |
| Best Defensive Player | Victor Wembanyama | 97% |
| Rookie of the Year | Cameron Boozer | 50% |
| Best Overall Offseason | Philadelphia 76ers | 73% |
Team trajectory metrics also highlighted shifting landscapes across the conferences. The Indiana Pacers emerged as the most improved team pick at 43 percent, comfortably ahead of the Washington Wizards at 23 percent and the Utah Jazz at 13 percent. In the coaching ranks, Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat secured 43 percent of the vote, closely shadowed by Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City at 37 percent.
History suggests that league executives are far from infallible with these preseason projections. Last season’s survey saw 80 percent of GMs pick the Thunder to repeat as champions, predicted Nikola Jokic at 67 percent to claim MVP honors, and tabbed Kevin Durant as the biggest impact acquisition at 73 percent.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
