Believe it or not, the 2026-27 NBA season is here. In just a couple of weeks, all 30 teams will be practicing together and preparing for the preseason, as Opening Night in the NBA is just about a month away.
It wasn't too long ago that the New York Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought and hoisted the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy into the air after taking down Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. However, that is in the past now, and everyone is entering the new season on the same level at 0-0.
Until they are defeated in the postseason, the Knicks are still the defending champions and find themselves at the top of the league. But which teams are closing in on them with their own championship aspirations?
Jaylen Brown and LeBron James have joined forces with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on the Philadelphia 76ers. Giannis Antetokounmpo is with Bam Adebayo on the Miami Heat. Kawhi Leonard is back with the Toronto Raptors.
There are so many other storylines across the league, including whether the Oklahoma City Thunder were one-and-done with their title in 2025 or whether they can get back to the NBA Finals.
The best way to preview the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season is by breaking all 30 teams up into seven tiers, from those at the very top of the hierarchy of power in the championship mix all the way down to those at the bottom, which includes a select few teams who very well may end up being the first to succumb to Adam Silver's new NBA Draft âÂÂrelegation zone.âÂÂ
Let's start at the top of the list with the defending champions and the other three teams in Tier 1 â The clear title favorites entering the 2026-27 season.
NOTE: All teams in each tier were listed in alphabetical order.
Jump Ahead
- TIER 1: The Clear Title Favorites
- TIER 2: Threats in the West
- TIER 3: The Dark Horses
- TIER 4: If All Goes Rightâ¦
- TIER 5: See You In The Play-In!
- TIER 6: Good, But Not Good Enough
- TIER 7: Relegation Zone Renegades
TIER 1: The Clear Title Favorites
New York Knicks
Losing Mitchell Robinson hurts the defending champions slightly, but they kept Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Jordan Clarkson on team-friendly contracts despite interest from other teams around the league. Not to mention, Robinson was replaced by Andre Drummond, who can do just as good of a job as a secondary rebounding threat off the bench.
The only difference between Drummond and Robinson is that the Knicks' new center can actually make more than 40% of his free throws.
As long as Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges are all healthy entering the postseason, the Knicks have everything they need to reign as one of the top teams in what has suddenly become a star-studded Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It will be interesting to see what the Oklahoma City Thunder look like on the wing after losing Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins as a result of cost-saving trades. Cason Wallace will step into a much larger role for the Thunder, but this team as a whole simply wants to have everyone healthy entering the postseason.
Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were both banged up and not themselves in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, which certainly played a part in Oklahoma City's downfall in the seven-game series. At full strength, this is still the best team with the most depth.
What makes the Thunder even scarier than they are with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the back-to-back NBA MVP, is that they now have a massive chip on their shoulder entering the 2026-27 season.
Philadelphia 76ers
LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. Add Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and other bench contributors to the mix, and all of a sudden, you have a roster that can dethrone the Knicks in the East.
The only question surrounding the 76ers is whether they will have enough in the tank to make it the full 82-game season and be ready for the playoffs. Embiid has not played in more than 39 games each of the last three years, and James will be 42 years old in December as he enters his 24th season.
On paper, this is the best starting group in the NBA, and if you simulate the 2026-27 season on NBA 2K about 100 times, the Sixers will probably finish inside the top five of teams that win a championship. However, reality may not be as kind to them as the simulations, especially with injury history and age being a factor for this team.
San Antonio Spurs
After finishing third in the MVP voting and coming up just short of winning it all against the Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama will enter the 2026-27 season ready to win everything he can. This will be the best season we've ever seen from Wemby, and it wouldn't come as a shock whatsoever if he claims his first MVP trophy this season.
Fresh off making the Finals, the Spurs have the same roster, and they added key veteran leadership and scoring at the forward position in Tobias Harris. Dylan Harper will take another massive step forward, De'Aaron Fox should be healthy, and the other young pieces in San Antonio will step into bigger roles.
This team will remain in Tier 1 for at least the next decade.
TIER 2: Threats in the West
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is arguably the best basketball player on the planet, but can the Denver Nuggets be trusted right now? Christian Braun is coming off a rough season following his five-year, $125 million contract extension, Peyton Watson is now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and nobody really knows what to expect from DeMar DeRozan, a non-perimeter-shooting threat, coming off the bench.
While Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Cam Johnson will once again be key offensive weapons next to Jokic, the Nuggets have virtually no reliable depth outside of DeRozan. It will be interesting to see if Jokic and Murray can once again carry this team, one that has even less depth than a year ago.
Houston Rockets
Other than Kevin Durant, the Houston Rockets did not have much veteran leadership last season due to Fred VanVleet's ACL injury and Steven Adams' ankle injury. Not only are these two back, but the Rockets brought in more veteran voices in Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Still, the Rockets will rely on Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason to step up into larger roles, plus third-year guard Reed Sheppard to be a key sixth man off the bench. If these guys are knocking down shots, look out for Houston in the West.
Los Angeles Lakers
This is a completely new roster for the Los Angeles Lakers next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Lakers finally have a real two-way center in Walker Kessler, and they have plenty of dynamic depth who can each score off the dribble.
However, when evaluating this roster, there are still two glaring problems existing. Aside from not having a clear-cut third option next to Doncic and Reaves, which is needed to win in the West against Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the Lakers do not project to be all that great defensively. Maybe Los Angeles can score over 120 points every night, but they surrender just as many points defensively.
Nonetheless, this is still a top-five-looking roster in the West.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Will moving Julius Randle and Naz Reid in favor of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga actually make the Minnesota Timberwolves better? For years, the Wolves have surrounded Anthony Edwards with veteran players and stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley, and Randle. Now, he is the veteran star on the roster as a 25-year-old, and Minnesota is all-in on winning right now.
Keep an eye on Jaden McDaniels emerging as one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA this season and possibly earning All-Star honors. A lot of talent left the West this offseason, and McDaniels could pick up right where he left off as an elite scorer in the playoffs.
The Wolves will be good, but whether Ball and Kuminga can push them over the edge is perhaps the biggest question in the Western Conference this year.
TIER 3: The Dark Horses
Dallas Mavericks
Perhaps I am higher on the Dallas Mavericks than many others entering the new season, but hear me out on this one.
We have yet to see Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg play together, and this may just end up being a top-five duo in the league due to Irving's playmaking abilities. Santi Aldama is a very underrated addition the Mavs made at virtually no cost, Zaccharie Risacher still has a lot of two-way potential on the wing, and Naji Marshall turned into a really solid two-way wing last season.
PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford are also all still on the roster as well. Maybe it won't happen, but this is a team that could wind up surprising many and find themselves above the play-in region in the West come time for the holidays in December. That would obviously change a lot in terms of the thought process for Masai Ujiri and new GM Mike Schmitz.
Detroit Pistons
A dark cloud continues to hang over the Detroit Pistons in the form of Jalen Duren. It is quite obvious that he feels disrespected by the Pistons with how his contract negotiations have gone, so much so to the point where he wanted a sign-and-trade multiple times this summer.
Duren was a first-time All-Star and first-time All-NBA performer this past year, but his playoff failures cannot be overlooked. As good as Duren can be, locking him in for the next four to five years at $40 million annually or more is certainly a risk for the Pistons, which is why these sides have been at odds.
Regardless of what happens with Duren, the Pistons will still be near the top of the East this upcoming year with a good amount of depth, headlined by the additions of Isaiah Joe and John Collins.
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles injury, and the word surrounding the Indiana Pacers is that he looks better than ever. With Haliburton back on the court alongside practically the same team that made it to the 2025 NBA Finals, plus the additions of Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre Jr., there is a lot to like about the Pacers.
All that stands between Indiana and another deep postseason run is health, as Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Aaron Nesmith all dealt with a ton of injuries last season. Obviously, the Pacers threw in the towel on the 2025-26 season before it even began, and the goal was to tank, but availability was their biggest issue.
With everyone back and motivated, the Pacers are the ultimate dark-horse contender in the NBA.
Miami Heat
Is it fair to call the Miami Heat a dark horse in the Eastern Conference after adding Giannis Antetokounmpo? Well, this team certainly isn't in the same tier as the Knicks or 76ers, and they have a lot of prove. As good as Giannis and Bam Adebayo can be on both ends of the court, the biggest question surrounding the Heat is whether they have enough shooting depth around their star.
Can Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins once again shoot close to 40% from 3-point range? Can 36-year-old Klay Thompson and 34-year-old Tim Hardaway Jr. continue making an impact from the perimeter? Miami will be a work in progress during the first few months of the season and will need a new name to step up off the bench for them to be successful.
If everything comes together for them, this team can be a top-four group in the East.
Toronto Raptors
To be honest, Kawhi Leonard should've never left the Toronto Raptors after their 2019 championship run. If he had stayed, Siakam and VanVleet likely would have remained in Toronto, and the Raptors may be multi-time champions at this point.
We can play the what-if game all day, and we will in these tier rankings shortly, but the reality is that the Raptors enter the 2026-27 season looking to replicate their success from several years back.
Leonard is back in Toronto and will be paired with Scottie Barnes on a young, defensive-minded Raptors team that will look to wear down its opponents. The main reason the Raptors are a dark horse and not a solid contender is due to questions about Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
The Raptors are paying these two over $60 million for the 2026-27 season, and they must be able to help lead the team offensively if they are to make noise in the East this season. Even so, it still feels like Toronto is one piece away from being a true title contender, whether that's an upgrade on the wing next to Kawhi or adding a different big man in the paint.
TIER 4: If All Goes Rightâ¦
Atlanta Hawks
Lu Dort is a clear upgrade over Zaccharie Risacher. Aaron Wiggins is a clear upgrade over Jonathan Kuminga. Zuby Ejiofor is a clear upgrade over Tony Bradley.
The Atlanta Hawks got better overall this offseason, they are a much deeper team, and they have seven, possibly even eight players, who can all score in double figures on any given night. Led by All-NBA forward Jalen Johnson, the Hawks are a very well-balanced team who can realistically finish top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating this year.
IFÃÂ Dyson Daniels and Dort can make solid two-way contributions on the wing and not just defensively, then the Hawks can move up a tier into the dark-horse contenders category. No team will want to face Atlanta at full strength in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics
Without Jaylen Brown next to Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics look a lot different. Maybe this is still a team that can rattle off a ton of wins during the regular season, especially with Joe Mazzulla calling the shots, but the reality is that the Celtics' offense is a major question mark.
Can Derrick White bounce back to not only shoot better but also be a playmaker off the dribble as a No. 2 or No. 3 option next to Tatum? Will the Celtics adapt to running more pick-and-rolls with Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson since they don't have a stretch big man? And most importantly, what will Paul George look like in Boston?
First-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. could wind up being the piece who shocks many and flips Boston's fortunes, but there are too many what-ifsÃÂ that exist with the Celtics right now to feel confident about their chances of being what they've been over the last decade in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers
It seems like the Cleveland Cavaliers have been aÃÂ what-if storyline for the last several years. This team always enters the year looking like one of the better teams in the league, yet they continuously fail to meet expectations in the postseason and seem to play down to the level of their opponents instead of asserting their dominance.
Will a full year of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell together change any of that? The key to the Cavs unlocking that next level certainly lies with Peyton Watson, as he's the dynamic and athletic wing Cleveland has been seeking over the last few seasons.
The Cavaliers definitely took a step forward this offseason. Whether or not it's enough to surpass the Knicks and others is the big question in a loaded Eastern Conference.
Golden State Warriors
Article Continues BelowWe can always play theÃÂ what-if game with the Golden State Warriors simply because of how great Stephen Curry is. Nobody ever wants to see the Warriors in the playoffs because of Steph, and they certainly won't want to face this team at full strength in a seven-game series this year because experience matters in the postseason.
It may seem like a cop-out answer, but the 2026-27 season for the Warriors simply comes down to Curry, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and others remaining healthy, as well as Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody returning to the court.
Anything can really happen with the Warriors this season, including the possibility of them tearing down everything around Steph and hitting the reset button at the trade deadline. If you ask anyone within the organization, they feel like they have the depth and skill that matches their 2021-22 team, which surprised many and went on to take down Boston in the NBA Finals.
Never say never with the Warriors, especially if they are healthy entering April.
Orlando Magic
Sean Sweeney is the new head coach of the Orlando Magic after helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals. He inherits a very talented roster headlined by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane that simply hasn't been able to get over the hump in recent years.
Maybe coaching will play a huge role here, and Sweeney is the right guy for Orlando. On the other side of things, the Magic simply haven't had a whole lot of luck lately. When Banchero has been healthy, Wagner has been out, and vice versa. Not to mention, Jalen Suggs has also struggled to remain on the court.
There is no doubt that the Magic have players on their roster who can turn this organization into what the Detroit Pistons became over the last couple of years. The problems that exist are whether they are all willing to buy into Sweeney's philosophy and actually give it their all in games instead of letting the Pistons go on a 26-1 run and being outscored 55-19 in the second half of a close-out playoff game.
TIER 5: See You In The Play-In!
LA Clippers
Despite all the negativity surrounding the LA Clippers right now pertaining to Kawhi and the salary cap circumvention findings that resulted in the loss of draft picks and multiple suspensions for Steve Ballmer and executive Lawrence Frank, this team isn't all that bad on paper.
Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram are two former All-Stars entering the year with something to prove, and Rui Hachimura is coming off arguably the most efficient season of his career with the Lakers. Add key contributors like Max Strus, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and rookie Keaton Wagler into the mix, and all of a sudden, the Clippers don't look all that bad.
The big glaring problem with LA is that their frontcourt depth is atrocious, and they will be abused on the interior against some of the bigger, lengthier teams in the West.
Phoenix Suns
Miles Bridges is certainly an upgrade over Royce O'Neale, but losing Mark Williams indefinitely to a labrum injury puts a lot of pressure on second-year center Khaman Maluach to step up. It also adds pressure to Devin Booker and the guards in Phoenix to create space for themselves since the pick-and-roll game will obviously be impacted without Williams.
Assuming Jalen Green and Booker can remain on the court, the Suns have a solid amount of depth and 3-point shooters to keep up with their opponents offensively. Phoenix will need to replicate its defensive success from last season if the Suns are to be anything more than play-in threats.
Portland Trail Blazers
It's guards galore for the Portland Trail Blazers! Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson â what could possibly go wrong? Well, Holiday definitely isn't going to be happy being the odd-man-out and changing his role to come off the bench, especially if Portland struggles early in the year. The other big problem is that Shaedon Sharpe is out indefinitely with a meniscus tear.
Add the fact that Tom Dundon continues to make questionable decisions as the owner of the team, including the growing possibility of pulling the team out of Portland due to arena disputes with the city. The Blazers snuck into the playoffs as a play-in team last season, and it's hard to imagine they can be any better this time around.
Utah Jazz
Not having Walker Kessler is a bigger deal than many are making it for the Utah Jazz. Having him alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen would've created headaches for a lot of teams, but instead the Jazz will lean on Jusuf Nurkic to fill the void in the frontcourt.
Expect the Jazz to take a step forward this season, especially with the backcourt duo of Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson, which could wind up being a top-five backcourt pairing by the end of the 2026-27 season. Utah will find a lot of success creating shots through Peterson, who could end up leading the team in scoring.
Washington Wizards
Much like how the Jazz will play through their rookie in Peterson, the Washington Wizards will play through No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa this upcoming year. The only difference is that the Wizards have two All-Star talents to ease Dybantsa into action, with Trae Young and Anthony Davis being the veteran leaders of the team.
Washington has not won more than 18 games in a season over the last three years. That changes during the 2026-27 season, as the Wizards have a solid blend of youth and veteran leadership that can get them into the play-in region of the East standings with no problem.
TIER 6: Good, But Not Good Enough
Charlotte Hornets
Look, the Charlotte Hornets had a fantastic offseason in terms of trading used goods for great future value. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges each played a part in helping the Hornets have a magical second-half run and win a play-in game, but that was the ceiling for this team.
Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the clear pillars of the franchise moving forward, and the Hornets were able to secure their future by leveraging Bridges and Ball for Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Dennis Schroder, Royce O'Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, two first-round picks, three first-round swaps, and seven second-round picks.
The Hornets now own the rights to 12 first-round picks and 21 second-round picks through 2033, giving this organization flexibility and plenty of options to continue building a long-term, successful team. Buy stock in the Hornets' future now while it's low.
Memphis Grizzlies
Contrary to popular belief, I tend to believe the Memphis Grizzlies will actually be pretty decent during the 2026-27 season. This probably isn't a team that will go on a magical run and make the playoffs, but there is enough talent and depth on this roster to possibly cross the 30-win threshold and come close to claiming the 10-seed in the West.
Aside from Cameron Boozer being a primary catalyst, the Grizzlies have other young, rising pieces who will take a step forward like Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, and GG Jackson II. The Grizzlies also have really solid veteran options like Jerami Grant, Ty Jerome, and Isaiah Stewart to help guide the ship.
On any night, this will be a team that gives it their all and will be tough to beat at times, especially with their ability to get up and down the court.
New Orleans Pelicans
Out of all the teams to say, âÂÂWe should run things back,â nobody thought it would be the New Orleans Pelicans. To this team's credit, they truly believe they can be better than before and simply need everyone healthy and on the court to make sound decisions about the future.
Okay⦠but we've seen this same group play together for about two years now, and nothing has changed. Trey Murphy III is a great player stuck in a bad situation, Herb Jones could be an All-Defensive player on a real playoff team, and Zion Williamson himself is maybe the biggest what-if in the NBA since being drafted No. 1 in 2019.
The arrival of Bennedict Mathurin is a sneaky addition for the Pelicans, but this team isn't anything of note in the West.
TIER 7: Relegation Zone Renegades
Brooklyn Nets
If there is one team in the NBA that looks like someone just threw a bunch of players that don't fit together on a roster for no reason whatsoever, it's the Brooklyn Nets. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. trying to play off one another is not a recipe for success, and the Nets are still putting a lot of faith in their recent first-round picks to pan out.
Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. offer small bright spots for Brooklyn, but the vast majority of this roster won't make it past February's trade deadline. The Nets had bad luck in the 2026 draft lottery, and they may have bad luck once again if they find themselves in that bottom-three relegation zone.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls should be slightly better than the Nets, but not too much better.
Nic Claxton and Norman Powell are two veterans who will undoubtedly help the Bulls in their quest to try and stay out of the bottom three in the standings. Still, the goal in Chicago this upcoming year is to continue developing the youthful pieces on the roster in Matas Buzelis and rookie Caleb Wilson.
If anything, the Bulls will be wanting to win as many games during the first half of the year as they can before shutting down players for the final several weeks of the season and possibly even trading some of their veterans at the deadline for future draft compensation.
Milwaukee Bucks
Any team that loses Giannis Antetokounmpo would find themselves at the bottom of the totem pole, and that' precisely where the Milwaukee Bucks are. Half of the Bucks' roster is made up of former Heat players, highlighted by Tyler Herro, and the other half contains players like Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma, who the organization couldn't find a trade partner for over the last year.
Expect to see Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, Kel'el Ware, and Ryan Rollins spend a lot of time on the court this season, as they represent the future and potential of this franchise.
Sacramento Kings
Darius Acuff Jr. has been handed the keys to the Sacramento Kings, and the organization will lean on him to be their young leader. The good news for Acuff is that he still has former All-Stars by his side during his rookie year in Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. Ben Simmons also signed a one-year deal with the team and will be a good vet for Acuff to learn from.
The Kings are in wait-and-see mode, as the first few months of the season will dictate what they do. Could Sabonis be traded? Will LaVine eventually be bought out? What about Malik Monk and De'Andre Hunter? All of these experienced options will contribute early on, but their fates are currently murky until closer to the trade deadline.