The 2026-27 NBA season is poised to be significantly different than any other. Beyond all the superstar talent in new places, like LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Miami Heat, talent across the league is at an all-time high. More importantly, the NBA's new draft lottery rules have added incentive to win for every team, making predictions almost impossible.
There is no more tanking due to the bottom three teams in the standings when all is said and done, being penalized in terms of their odds to land the No. 1 pick. The bottom tier of the NBA will be competitive, and the top features plenty of notable contenders, including the defending champion New York Knicks.
Doesn't that still sound a little weird to say? For years… decades, honestly, the Knicks were viewed as one of the jokes of the league. Well, the joke is now on everyone else, as Jalen Brunson and Co. have their eyes set on defending their title, which may be the toughest year in the history of the NBA to do so.
At least six different teams in the Eastern Conference all have a legitimate case to be made for being real championship contenders, and we can't forget the young faces of the league in the Western Conference in the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs with MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.
These two aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and after both teams came up short of winning it all a year ago, extra motivation now exists for the Thunder and Spurs to get the job done.
So many storylines exist across the league outside of the championship mix and plenty of stars beginning new chapters of their respective careers with new teams, including the early projections for each award race.
Can Gilgeous-Alexander make it three straight years winning the MVP award, joining Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever do so in league history? What about the Rookie of the Year race with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson?
And of course, we have to discuss the 2027 NBA Finals, which will take place roughly eight months from now.
The 2026-27 NBA season begins on Tuesday, so let's dive right into my predictions for the upcoming year regarding each award race and the championship equation.
Most Valuable Player
PREDICTION: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Last season, Wembayama put together a very compelling case in the MVP race against Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
To me, the MVP award has seemed to lose its touch in recent years. This is not to disrespect any of the recent winners, as Gilgeous-Alexander put together back-to-back historic years and definitely deserved his recognition, but most valuable player has to mean more than just winning games.
Sure, that's a big part of it, and recent voters have favored winning at the top metric in this award race. Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the best players in the league on the team with the best record at the end of the regular season each of the last two years, and if you look at the history of the MVP award, you will find a similar trend in terms of winning mattering more than other metrics.
However, a player's impact on both ends of the court and how they perform against the top teams in the league also has to matter, which is what Wembanyama said while attempting to push his resume in the MVP race late in the 2025-26 season.
Wembanyama is not only the best two-way player in the NBA entering the new season, but he has extra motivation coming off the Spurs' disappointing 2026 NBA Finals performance against the Knicks. This is going to fuel him and be the focus of his attention all year.
That is why he has to be the favorite for MVP entering the year. With a chance to finish with the best record in the league over Oklahoma City and make the impact he does on the court, Wembanyama may finally break through and ascend to becoming the best player in the NBA.
Voter fatigue is a real thing. Even though Gilgeous-Alexander is probably going to have another incredible year with the same historic efficiency, I'd anticipate voters choosing someone new.
Between Jokic, who has won the MVP award three times, Luka Doncic, and Wembanyama, the Spurs' star definitely has the attention of everyone entering the new regular season.
Rookie of the Year
PREDICTION: AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards)
This will be the award race of all award races during the 2026-27 season. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are all elite-level prospects, which is why their teams picking in the top four had a hard time deciding between them.
Whereas Peterson will have a lead opportunity next to Keyonte George in the Utah Jazz backcourt, Boozer will see plenty of opportunities as a “do-it-all” guy for a rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies team.
Wilson will be one of the Chicago Bulls' leading scorers this year, probably taking over 14 shots per game, and Dybantsa will be a primary scoring option next to Trae Young and Anthony Davis on a Washington Wizards team expected to take a major step toward playoff contention.
Out of these four rookies, Dybantsa stands out not just because of how talented of a one-on-one scorer he is, but because of the supporting cast around him. Young and Davis will each take significant pressure off the rookie to always make plays on offense, which will allow Dybantsa to take advantage of lesser-skilled defenders and attack the gaps in our nation's capital.
In the preseason, Dybantsa averaged 12.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor. These numbers are only going to go up as the regular season begins, and out of all the rookies in this class, Dybantsa is the one I trust the most to handle the spotlight on him every night.
He is a generational scorer on the wing, and it would come as a surprise if he doesn't lead all rookies in scoring during the 2026-27 season, assuming he remains healthy all year.
Most Improved Player
PREDICTION: Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets)
The Most Improved Player award has usually gone to someone who becomes a first-time All-Star. This has been true for seven of the last ten winners, but not the two most recent in Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Funny enough, the last two recipients of this award have come from the Atlanta Hawks.
Maybe there will be another breakout star on the Hawks this upcoming year, but Brandon Miller stands out for a variety of reasons.
Regardless of what happens with his contract situation before Monday's extension deadline, Miller will have something to prove. If the Hornets do agree to a new long-term deal with the former No. 2 pick, he will need to step up and prove he is the face of the franchise. If he doesn't get a new deal, well… he will be a restricted free agent next offseason and will want to maximize his potential raise.
Overall, Miller's opportunities will be the highest of his career on offense this year since LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges were both traded in the offseason. Coming off back-to-back years averaging over 20 points per game, Miller stands out as a potential first-time All-Star from the Eastern Conference and the leader of an interesting-looking Hornets team.
Although some would look at Cooper Flagg as potentially fitting this criteria, this award has only been given to one player who was drafted No. 1 overall. That was Pervis Ellison in 1992.
Along with Miller, keep an eye on Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler being in the running for the Most Improved Player award. Aside from being on the receiving end of passes from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Kessler is one of the league's best defensive big men.
Sixth Man of the Year
PREDICTION: Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
Will Mitch Johnson actually bring Dylan Harper off the bench this season? De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle are both starting for the Spurs entering the 2026-27 season, which creates an interesting dilemma with Harper in San Antonio.
During the 2026 NBA Finals, Harper emerged as the Robin to Wembanyama's Batman for the Spurs, and he is destined to take a major leap forward entering Year 2 in the league. This could result in him being in the running for Most Improved Player, but if he's coming off the bench, Harper will be viewed as the best bench player in the NBA.
The Spurs have extra motivation coming off their loss to the Knicks in June's championship series, and all their youth will continue to grow. Harper has the tools to become an All-Star, and his production coming off the bench will be essential to the Spurs' chances of potentially winning the Western Conference again.
Two other players that caught my attention for early Sixth Man predictions were Ajay Mitchell and DeMar DeRozan.
Last season, Mitchell emerged as a key secondary scorer for the Thunder alongside Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt. However, he only played in 57 games due to injury, resulting in him not getting the attention he deserved.
As for DeRozan, he's a former six-time All-Star who will be playing alongside Jokic in Denver this year. DeRozan can still score at a high level, and the Nuggets will lean on his bench production in their second unit.
Coach of the Year
PREDICTION: Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks)
Picking who could potentially win the Coach of the Year award in the preseason is essentially forecasting which team will outperform expectations and earn a higher seed in the playoffs than many anticipate.
The Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz are all teams that come to mind here, as well as the Atlanta Hawks. That is why I went with Quin Snyder for my pick.
Last season, the Hawks won 46 games, their most in nearly a decade, and Atlanta was the 6-seed in the East as a result. In their first-round series, the Hawks were actually up 2-1 on the Knicks before the eventual champions pulled things together and outscored Atlanta 380-284 in the final three games of the series.
Jalen Johnson emerged as an All-Star last season, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker continue to improve as essential parts of Atlanta's core, CJ McCollum is back to lead the backcourt, and the Hawks made several key additions this offseason. Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins were traded to the Hawks this summer, and they also added veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith for added depth.
The Eastern Conference is extremely crowded with several contending teams, which makes this Hawks team, which has a ton of athletes and depth, a major playoff sleeper.
After ranking 14th in offensive rating and ninth in defensive rating last year, the Hawks are only set to improve in Snyder's fourth full season with the franchise. Keep an eye on the Hawks taking a Detroit Pistons-like step during the 2026-27 season.
Defensive Player of the Year
PREDICTION: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Look, Wembanyama is going to win the Defensive Player of the Year award every single season moving forward as long as he plays in 65 games. I personally think it's more interesting to think about who will be next to Wemby on the All-Defensive First Team rather than who could potentially compete with him for this award simply because there is no competing.
Some may argue that Wembanyama is just freakishly tall, and that's why he blocks all the shots he does. They would be correct, and his historic block numbers definitely matter for his defensive resume.
Then again, for a 7'5″ guy or whatever the Spurs want to list him at, Wembanyama moves exceptionally well on the perimeter. Unlike other big men who have been given this award through the years and have been exposed on the perimeter, Wemby can literally guard any position and lock them up.
Not to mention, Wemby alters every single possession his opponents have due to his presence in the paint. Teams that like to attack the paint downhill become jump-shooting teams against the Spurs, and that usually leads to Wemby's freakish wingspan getting in the way of their shots anyway.
This award is not up for discussion and will be going to Wembanyama yet again as long as he plays 65 games.
First-Time All-Star
PREDICTION: Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
Cooper Flagg is the obvious choice to be a first-time All-Star this season.
The 2025 first-overall pick averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as a rookie while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 29.5 percent from 3-point range. As a result, he became the 2nd-youngest player in NBA history to garner Rookie of the Year honors behind only LeBron James.
That is pretty good company to be with, right?
Entering Year 2, Flagg will be surrounded by an improved Dallas Mavericks roster, headlined by nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who is returning from his ACL injury that sidelined him for all of the 2025-26 season.
When you ask those around Flagg how he's looked over the summer and in the preseason, they can't rave about his skills enough.
“I haven’t put a measuring tape next to him, so I can’t confirm or deny if he’s grown in height,” NBA trainer Matt MacKenzie said of Flagg. “All I can say is he’s had one hell of an offseason. And no matter if he’s 6-9, 6-10, or 6-11, he’s going to be a problem.”
Jaden McDaniels and Austin Reaves are two other interesting choices many think could be first-time All-Stars, along with Miller in the Eastern Conference, but to me, Flagg is the obvious choice here.
Worst Regular Season Record
PREDICTION: Brooklyn Nets
Three teams stand out as the worst in the league entering the 2026-27 season: the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Sacramento Kings. All three franchises find themselves in the midst of a rebuild, and while they will each be competitive at times this year, it's hard to imagine them being anything noteworthy.
Out of these three teams, the Nets are easily the worst because there is no clear sense of direction and it's simply a team full of basketball players with no continuity.
The way Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle play clashes, and nobody really knows what to expect from this pairing. Honestly, one (or both) could be moved before February's trade deadline. Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. has shown flashes of his full potential, but he is entering the year with a lingering injury, and a lot of pressure resides on the Nets' five first-round picks from 2025.
Although Egor Demin is definitely primed to take a step forward this year, can we really say the same about Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, and Drake Powell?
Only four players on the Nets' roster averaged more than 10 points per game last season, and it's not hard to imagine that Brooklyn will rank last in the NBA in scoring this upcoming year.
One of the Nets, Bucks, and Kings will finish with the worst record in the NBA, and entering the 2026-27 season, Brooklyn is my pick.
Best Regular Season Record
PREDICTION: San Antonio Spurs
The Eastern Conference will be a bloodbath this year with everyone beating up on one another. Several teams will finish with 50-plus wins, but it's hard to look at the East and definitively say that one team stands out over the others.
Over in the West, two teams stand out over the rest of the NBA, and those teams finished with the two best records a season ago: Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
The Thunder have finished the regular season with the league's best record for two straight years. That streak will snap during the 2026-27 season, as it's Wembanyama's time to lead his team to the top.
San Antonio finished 62-20 during the 2025-26 season, just two games behind Oklahoma City for the best record. Aside from the fact that the Spurs beat the Thunder in four out of five regular-season matchups, as well as in the Western Conference Finals, the same group returns.
Wembanyama, Harper, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox headline this highly-talented young team, and the Spurs got better this offseason with the addition of Tobias Harris.
It is going to be close, but the Spurs have extra motivation coming off their Finals loss to the Knicks and certainly have the firepower on both sides of the court to win 60-plus games once again. Maybe the Spurs will make a little bit of history and flirt with 68-plus wins, which has only been done by seven different teams in NBA history.
Eastern Conference Winner
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PREDICTION: Philadelphia 76ers
Write all the names of the teams who have a chance to compete in the Eastern Conference on a piece of paper, put them all into a hat, and choose one. That is what it feels like trying to pick the winner of the East before the season even begins.
Several months from now, the storylines surrounding contenders like the Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Cavs, Raptors, Pacers, and others will be completely different, and injury questions will loom large. Whichever team is healthy and playing at a high level entering April will win the Eastern Conference.
As cliché as that sounds, it's the truth.
However, we can't predict who will be healthy and which teams will outperform expectations, so we have to go with what we know.
The Knicks will be a very tough team to beat in a seven-game series at full strength, as will the Pistons and Pacers. Overall, when you look at every team on paper in the Eastern Conference, it's just hard to overlook the 76ers.
Look, I know what you are thinking — “But Brett, Joel Embiid can't stay healthy to save his life, and LeBron is going to be 42. There's no way they can stay healthy!”
I would tend to agree with this notion, but on paper, Philadelphia has the best starting five in the NBA. With Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and others on the bench, the Sixers have everything they need to potentially win their first conference title since Allen Iverson led the franchise to the 2001 NBA Finals.
We are strictly basing this prediction off which teams look the best, and it's hard to overlook what Philly has built this summer.
Western Conference Winner
PREDICTION: San Antonio Spurs
It seems like we've been talking about the Spurs a lot, and that's because they're going to be a very impressive team.
We have already seen San Antonio make the NBA Finals well ahead of schedule, and at 22 years old, Wembanyama has already proven that he's ready to ascend to being the face of the league. With plenty of depth and young, rising pieces around him, the Spurs are only going to get better as time goes on.
This will be the year that the Spurs take that next step following their first Finals appearance since 2014, and quite honestly, they should be favored to get back to the Finals again.
The Spurs will build off their 2025-26 success, improving from 62 wins to 66 wins during the 2026-27 regular season, claiming the best record in the NBA and going on to win the Western Conference for the second straight year.
2027 NBA Finals Winner
PREDICTION: Philadelphia 76ers
Wouldn't this be a dream 2027 Finals matchup?
LeBron, who has been the face of the NBA since entering the league in 2003, versus Wemby, who is ready to take the torch from James and the future Hall of Famers. Tyrese Maxey vs. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, three of the best guards in the league under 25 years old.
The amount of firepower and offensive talent that would exist in this series is enough to get you excited about the prospect of what could be.
If we do get a 76ers-Spurs Finals series, two main components will matter more than anything else: experience and Joel Embiid.
Several months ago, one of the main reasons why the Spurs fell short against the Knicks was their lack of playoff experience. This extended to head coach Mitch Johnson, who seemed frozen at times with his decision-making against New York.
The Spurs simply got outplayed by the Knicks, which resulted in various collapses and San Antonio watching Jalen Brunson snatch the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
LeBron is a four-time champion. Jaylen Brown is a former champion and Finals MVP. Nick Nurse has been through a championship run before, taking down the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors while coaching the Toronto Raptors.
This team has the championship experience and playoff pedigree to outlast a young, emerging team with star power like the Spurs, which is why experience favors the Sixers.
Perhaps the most important factor for the 76ers and their championship chances is Embiid. In order for the 76ers to go on a deep run and actually make it to the 2027 NBA Finals, Embiid will need to be healthy. If Embiid is healthy, the 76ers will be the best team in the NBA simply because of how different they currently look and will look with him on the court.
The former 2022-23 MVP is the Sixers' most important player on their roster, and his presence in a potential series against Wembanyama would be critical. As good as the Spurs will be all year, I'm taking the 76ers to beat them at full strength.
Buckle up because the 2026-27 season is about to be a crazy ride!