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The champagne from the New York Knicks’ championship celebration has barely dried, but the NBA has already been completely reshaped.

LeBron James is now a Philadelphia 76er. Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing for the Miami Heat. Ja Morant is headed to Portland. Jaylen Brown and Paul George essentially swapped places. LaMelo Ball is now Anthony Edwards’ teammate in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Knicks are attempting to defend their first championship since 1973.

These rankings are not a prediction of the final regular-season standings. They are based strictly on each team’s chances of winning the 2027 NBA championship. Star power, playoff experience, roster construction, health, depth and the difficulty of each team’s path to the Finals all matter more than whether a team might win 48 or 52 games.

The betting market currently has Oklahoma City and San Antonio as the two clear favorites, while Philadelphia’s odds surged to around +900 after the addition of LeBron. That feels like a reasonable place to start—but this is the NBA, and reasonable predictions rarely survive until Christmas.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder remain the safest championship pick in the league.

Oklahoma City won an NBA-best 64 games last season and came within one Game 7 loss of returning to the Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the two-time reigning MVP, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren remain young enough to improve. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace give the Thunder even more high-level defenders around their stars.

Losing Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins hurts the depth, but Oklahoma City has spent years preparing for that exact problem. The Thunder still have the best combination of superstar talent, youth, defensive versatility and organizational stability in basketball.

2. San Antonio Spurs

The terrifying part about San Antonio reaching the Finals is that it may have happened a year or two earlier than expected.

Victor Wembanyama is already an All-NBA First Team player and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. The Spurs also have De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper forming one of the most talented young backcourts in the league. They won 62 games, eliminated Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals and now return with actual championship experience.

Adding Tobias Harris is not going to break the internet, but it gives San Antonio another experienced scorer who can play in important postseason minutes. If Wembanyama takes another step forward, the rest of the league may already be in trouble.

3. New York Knicks

It feels slightly disrespectful to rank the defending champions third, but that says more about Oklahoma City and San Antonio than it does about New York.

The Knicks did not simply survive their way to a championship. They won 13 consecutive playoff games at one point, swept Philadelphia and Cleveland, and defeated San Antonio in five games in the Finals. Jalen Brunson averaged 32.6 points in the Finals and proved that he can unquestionably be the best offensive player on a championship team.

New York lost Mitchell Robinson but added Andre Drummond while retaining the rest of its championship core. Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart should once again make the Knicks one of the deepest and toughest teams in basketball.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

No team has a larger gap between its best-case and worst-case scenarios.

Philadelphia can potentially start Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Anfernee Simons gives the Sixers another explosive scorer off the bench or in smaller lineups. On paper, this may be the most talented collection of players in the Eastern Conference.

The questions are obvious. Embiid has to remain healthy. LeBron will turn 42 during the season. Brown, Maxey, Simons and Edgecombe all need touches, and Nick Nurse somehow has to establish a hierarchy without wasting what makes each player special.

Still, Philadelphia won a road Game 7 in Boston last postseason after falling behind 3–1. Now the Sixers have added Brown and LeBron to that group. Even if the fit is occasionally awkward, there is simply too much talent to place them any lower.

5. Miami Heat

Of course Giannis ended up in Miami.

The Heat sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. Miami now has two of the most physically dominant defenders in basketball with Giannis and Bam Adebayo, while Andrew Wiggins provides another long, athletic wing.

The concern is perimeter creation. Miami gave up a large portion of its offense to complete the deal, and the Giannis-Bam pairing could create spacing issues against certain playoff opponents.

Then again, Erik Spoelstra has spent his career turning unusual rosters into functional playoff teams. Giving him Giannis and Bam feels like handing a world-class chef a kitchen full of premium ingredients and asking whether he can figure something out.

6. Boston Celtics

Boston lost Jaylen Brown but did a respectable job of preventing the roster from falling apart.

The Celtics added Paul George and Mitchell Robinson while retaining Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. Boston won 56 games last season and allowed the fewest points per game in the NBA.

The problem is that George is 36 and has struggled to stay healthy. Replacing Brown with him could look brilliant for two months and disastrous by April.

As long as Tatum is healthy, Boston still has a legitimate championship foundation. White remains one of the league’s best complementary guards, and Robinson gives the Celtics a much-needed presence around the rim. Boston may no longer be overwhelming, but nobody should be eager to see this team in a seven-game series.

7. Denver Nuggets

At some point, having Nikola Jokić has to be enough to keep a team near the top of this list.

Denver won 54 games last season, and Jokić was once again named to the All-NBA First Team. The Nuggets did not make a major offseason addition, but they retained Tyus Jones and still have a championship-tested core surrounding the best passing center in NBA history.

The depth remains questionable, and Denver has now watched younger Western Conference teams pass it in the standings. But playoff basketball becomes a half-court problem-solving contest, and no player solves more problems than Jokić.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland came within four victories of reaching the Finals before being swept by the eventual champions.

Donovan Mitchell remains the centerpiece after agreeing to a four-year extension. The Cavaliers did lose Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr. and Keon Ellis, so their depth and defensive flexibility have taken a hit.

The postseason concerns surrounding Cleveland will remain until the Cavaliers finally break through. Still, a team with Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland has too much talent to ignore. They may not be the favorite in the East, but they are absolutely capable of beating the favorite.

9. Detroit Pistons

Detroit’s 60-win season was not a cute rebuilding story. The Pistons were legitimately excellent.

They finished first in the Eastern Conference and allowed the third-fewest points per game in the NBA. Cade Cunningham has developed into an All-NBA player, while Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson give Detroit two athletic young building blocks around him.

The Pistons also added Isaiah Joe, John Collins, Gary Harris and Taurean Prince. Joe’s shooting could be especially important for a roster that occasionally struggled to create space around Cunningham.

Detroit is still short on deep playoff experience, but it would be foolish to dismiss a 60-win team simply because its best players are young.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota traded some of its frontcourt stability for offensive upside.

The Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball to play alongside Anthony Edwards, creating one of the league’s most entertaining backcourts. They also acquired Josh Green while moving on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid.

The Edwards-Ball combination could be impossible to defend in transition. It could also become chaotic if neither player consistently commits to moving the ball or defending.

Minnesota has reached at least the second round in three consecutive seasons, and Edwards already has plenty of playoff experience for a 24-year-old. The ceiling is championship-level. The floor may be much lower than Timberwolves fans would like to admit.

11. Houston Rockets

Houston continues to look like a team that should be better in the playoffs than it has actually been.

The Rockets won 52 games last season and possess the size, athleticism and defensive personnel necessary to bother almost anyone. They added Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović, giving them another experienced defender and another capable shooter.

The question is whether Houston has enough reliable half-court offense when playoff games slow down. Until the Rockets prove that they do, it is difficult to place them alongside the true favorites.

12. Los Angeles Lakers

The LeBron era is over, but the Lakers are not rebuilding.

Los Angeles still has Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and the front office aggressively reshaped the roster around them. Walker Kessler gives the Lakers a legitimate rim protector, while Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili provide depth and lineup flexibility.

The Lakers won 53 games last season before being swept by Oklahoma City in the second round. Losing LeBron obviously lowers their ceiling, but building an entire offense around Luka is not exactly a hopeless situation.

13. Indiana Pacers

Indiana is the hardest team to rank.

The Pacers went from reaching the 2025 NBA Finals to missing the 2026 playoffs during an injury-plagued season without Tyrese Haliburton. Now they are trying to reenter an Eastern Conference that has become significantly stronger.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. are useful additions, but everything comes down to Haliburton. If he returns as the same player who led Indiana to the Finals, the Pacers are being underrated. If he needs another year to regain his explosiveness, this ranking may be too generous.

14. Orlando Magic

Orlando nearly eliminated the 60-win Pistons after taking a 3–1 series lead, which should tell us how dangerous this team can be.

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner give the Magic two big creators who can attack mismatches. Nikola Vučević also returns to Orlando, providing a more dependable offensive option at center.

The Magic still need consistent outside shooting and late-game guard play. Their defense gives them a chance against almost anyone, but the offense remains too unreliable to call them a true contender.

15. Golden State Warriors

As long as Stephen Curry is on the roster, there is going to be a small part of me that refuses to completely eliminate Golden State.

The Warriors missed the playoffs last season and now enter another year with an aging roster. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are also expected to begin the season dealing with injuries. Golden State retained Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, but it did not land the major offseason addition it needed.

Curry could still win a playoff series almost by himself. Winning four of them against younger and deeper teams is much more difficult to imagine.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is officially done waiting.

The Trail Blazers made the playoffs last season and then acquired Ja Morant from Memphis. A core built around Morant, Deni Avdija and Portland’s collection of young players should be fast, aggressive and extremely entertaining.

Morant also introduces significant uncertainty. Portland is betting that a change of scenery will allow him to rediscover the form that once made him one of the league’s brightest young stars.

The Blazers could win 50 games. They could also spend the season searching for an identity. Both outcomes feel believable.

17. Toronto Raptors

Toronto’s ranking comes with a giant asterisk.

The Raptors have a reported deal in place to acquire Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers, but the transaction was still on hold as of July 28. If it is completed and Kawhi is healthy, Toronto immediately becomes one of the most interesting teams in the East.

The Raptors won 46 games and pushed Cleveland to seven games last season. Scottie Barnes gives them a legitimate franchise centerpiece, but their championship ceiling depends heavily on which version of Kawhi they receive—and whether the trade is finalized at all.

18. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta made several good moves without landing the kind of star who completely changes a championship projection.

The Hawks acquired Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter and Ryan Nembhard. Dort and Wiggins come from Oklahoma City’s winning system and should immediately improve Atlanta’s perimeter defense and depth. The cost, however, included former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.

The Hawks won 46 games last season, but the gap between being a solid playoff team and a championship team remains significant.

19. Phoenix Suns

Phoenix is attempting to build something sustainable around Devin Booker after years of chasing immediate results.

The Suns retained Mark Williams and added Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard. They also moved Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to Charlotte.

Phoenix won 45 games but was swept by Oklahoma City in the first round. Booker gives the Suns a star capable of carrying an offense, but the roster still lacks the two-way depth required to survive four playoff rounds.

20. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers appear to be beginning another major transition.

A proposed trade would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto while bringing Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Los Angeles, although that deal remained on hold. Rui Hachimura has also joined the Clippers.

Ingram is younger and more available than Kawhi has been, but he does not provide the same postseason ceiling. Until the roster is settled, the Clippers are almost impossible to evaluate.

21. Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte deserves credit for finally choosing a direction.

The Hornets moved LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges but added Coby White, Naz Reid, Dorian Finney-Smith, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. That is a deep collection of competent NBA players around Charlotte’s younger talent.

The Hornets won 44 games and reached the play-in last season. They could finally end the league’s longest active playoff drought, but championship contention still feels several moves away.

22. Washington Wizards

Washington may be the league’s strangest team.

The Wizards now have Trae Young, Anthony Davis and top prospect AJ Dybantsa, while Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton were also added this summer. There is enough name recognition here to make Washington interesting, but plenty of questions about health, defense, timeline and roster fit remain.

A healthy Young-Davis combination could push Washington into the playoffs. Asking that group to win four playoff series is another matter.

23. Dallas Mavericks

Dallas remains stuck between competing and rebuilding.

The Mavericks added Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama to a young core led by Cooper Flagg, but their projected win total sits at only 35.5 after a 26-win season. That suggests even the betting market views 2026–27 as a transitional year.

The long-term future could be bright. The immediate championship chances are not.

24. Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee received an impressive collection of players for Giannis, but there is no replacing Giannis.

Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis give the Bucks several young pieces who can either develop or become part of future trades. Caris LeVert also provides additional scoring.

This may be one of the league’s more entertaining rebuilding teams, but it is still a rebuilding team.

25. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls actually added two very good veterans in Nic Claxton and Norman Powell.

The problem is that Chicago also lost Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton, leaving the roster without a clear championship-level centerpiece.

Chicago could be respectable. Respectable does not move a team very far in rankings based entirely on championship chances.

26. Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn added Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Moritz Wagner while losing Nic Claxton.

Randle should make the Nets more competitive, but this still feels like a roster designed to collect assets and remain flexible rather than chase the 2027 championship.

Brooklyn may be annoying to play. It is difficult to imagine the Nets being the last team standing.

27. Memphis Grizzlies

Trading Ja Morant officially closed one version of the Grizzlies.

Memphis received Jerami Grant and Kris Murray from Portland while also adding D’Angelo Russell, Isaiah Stewart and AJ Johnson. Those are legitimate NBA players, but none provides Morant’s star-level offensive ceiling.

Memphis could remain competitive around Jaren Jackson Jr., but championship contention is no longer the immediate goal.

28. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans continue to feel stuck.

New Orleans did not make a significant addition this summer and lost Kevon Looney to the Lakers. The roster still contains talent, but depending on health and internal improvement has not exactly worked out well for this organization.

The Pelicans’ best-case scenario is probably fighting for a play-in spot. Their worst-case scenario could lead to another complete roster overhaul.

29. Utah Jazz

Utah lost Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers and responded by adding Jaxson Hayes and Josh Okogie.

Neither move dramatically changes the Jazz’s direction. Utah remains focused on younger players, future flexibility and eventually finding the centerpiece of its next serious contender.

For now, the Jazz are much closer to the top of the draft than the top of the Western Conference.

30. Sacramento Kings

Somebody has to be last.

Sacramento made no significant addition and traded Devin Carter to Atlanta. The Kings already entered the offseason without a convincing championship path, and nothing they have done has created one.

There are worse collections of individual players around the league, but no team currently feels more directionless. Until Sacramento commits to rebuilding or somehow lands another star, it belongs at the bottom.

Final Thoughts

The NBA currently has three clear groups.

Oklahoma City, San Antonio and New York have already proven that their rosters can survive deep playoff runs. Philadelphia, Miami and Boston have enough star power to join that group, but each carries serious age, health or chemistry concerns. After that, there are roughly ten teams capable of making a conference finals run if the bracket and injury luck break correctly.

The biggest takeaway is that there is no unbeatable team.

Oklahoma City lost important depth. San Antonio is still incredibly young. New York needed several historic comebacks during its championship run. Philadelphia may have too many players who need the ball. Miami may not have enough shooting. Boston is relying heavily on a 36-year-old Paul George.

That uncertainty is exactly why these rankings will probably look ridiculous within a few months.

But as of July 28, the Thunder are still the team everyone else is chasing.