2026-27 NBA Teams Ranked: Who's Actually a Contender?
The season's underway and the gap between "real contender" and "nice story" is already showing. We've ranked all 29 teams here based on where fans, bettors and league-watchers actually have them: from the Thunder-Spurs two-man show at the top to the teams that are basically playing out the string already.
This isn't a power ranking of who'd win tonight. It's about who has a real shot at the title this June. Think we've got someone too high or too low? That's half the fun, tell us where you'd move them.
The tier list
The community’s tier list fills in as members vote. It appears once 5 members have ranked or voted on these.
Think you can rank them better?
Make your own tier listFree account. Your ranking stays private unless you share it, and it counts toward the community tier list.Vote
SS Tier: The Two-Horse Race
Oklahoma City Thunder
The favorite, full stop. Coming off a Western Conference Finals run and sitting around +270 to +280 on the title odds, nobody's seriously arguing they don't belong at number one. The Thunder-Spurs rematch storyline is basically the plot of the whole season.
About Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an NBA team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, playing in the Western Conference. Their jerseys primarily use a palette of blue, orange, yellow, and navy, reflecting the state's sunset and thunderstorm imagery.
- Current apparel maker
- Nike
- Home arena
- Paycom Center
- Franchise relocation
- Moved from Seattle (SuperSonics) to Oklahoma City in 2008
San Antonio Spurs
Right there with Oklahoma City, and plenty of lists have them flipped at number one. They made the West finals too, and the betting market treats this as a genuine two-team race at the top, with everyone else from the West picking up scraps behind them.
About San Antonio Spurs
NBA franchise based in San Antonio, Texas, known for a sustained run of success and a low-key brand identity.
- Colors
- Silver and black
- Conference
- Western
AA Tier: Real Contenders
Philadelphia 76ers
The offseason's biggest shake-up. Adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown turned a fringe team into a legitimate +900 contender almost overnight. Nobody had them this high in the preseason conversation, which tells you how fast this league moves.
About Philadelphia 76ers
NBA franchise based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a patriotic-themed color scheme tied to the city's history.
- Colors
- Red, white and blue
- Conference
- Eastern
New York Knicks
The defending champs, but the respect isn't quite matching the ring. Odds sitting around +800 to +900 suggest real skepticism about a repeat, and some rankings even had them sliding after a rough opening stretch. Still, you don't bet against a team that already proved it in June.
About New York Knicks
NBA franchise based in New York City, one of the league's original franchises with a long-standing fan base.
- Colors
- Orange and blue
- Conference
- Eastern
Detroit Pistons
Best record in the East a year ago at 61-21, and there's a real argument they grab the top seed again. The debate is whether that record was more schedule than substance, but you can't just wave away 60 wins.
About Detroit Pistons
NBA franchise based in Detroit, Michigan, historically associated with its physical "Bad Boys" teams.
- Colors
- Red, white and blue
- Conference
- Eastern
Cleveland Cavaliers
Grouped with Detroit and Boston in that next-tier-down conversation, and for good reason. Solid, well-built, not flashy enough to crack the very top but dangerous enough that nobody wants to face them in May.
About Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio, with a wine and gold identity that's shifted through several versions.
- Colors
- Wine and gold
- Conference
- Eastern
Boston Celtics
The most debated team in this tier after trading away Jaylen Brown. Some fans think they're still good enough to hang with the East's best, others think that trade quietly ended their contention window. We've got them here, but it's shaky ground.
About Boston Celtics
NBA franchise based in Boston, Massachusetts, historically one of the winningest teams in league history.
- Colors
- Green and white
- Conference
- Eastern
BB Tier: Flawed But Dangerous
Denver Nuggets
The textbook "flawed contender worth watching." Good enough to make noise in a loaded West, but rarely the pick to actually cut down nets when people talk it through.
About Denver Nuggets
NBA franchise based in Denver, Colorado, known for reviving its colorful 1980s throwback uniform as a fan favorite.
- Colors
- Navy and yellow
- Conference
- Western
Houston Rockets
Some outliers have them finishing third in the West on the strength of Jabari Smith Jr.'s development, and that optimism isn't crazy. Most people still see them a tier below the true contenders, though.
About Houston Rockets
NBA franchise based in Houston, Texas, which has gone through several uniform redesigns over the decades.
- Colors
- Red and white
- Conference
- Western
Minneapolis Timberwolves
Lumped in with Denver and Houston as West teams that are good, not great. They've got the talent to steal a series or two but the consensus doesn't have them going deep.
About Minneapolis Timberwolves
Note: the NBA franchise is officially named the Minnesota Timberwolves, not the Minneapolis Timberwolves, though it is based in and plays its home games in Minneapolis. Entering the 2026-27 season, the Timberwolves are built around a young core looking to build on recent deep playoff runs in the Western Conference.
- Official name
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Home arena
- Target Center, Minneapolis
- Founded
- 1989
Los Angeles Lakers
One of the most argued-about teams on this whole list. Some books have them as a dark horse around +4000, while most rankings barely mention them as contenders at all. We split the difference and put them in the "could surprise you" bucket.
About Los Angeles Lakers
NBA franchise based in Los Angeles, California, one of the league's most decorated teams with multiple championships across different eras.
- Colors
- Purple and gold
- Conference
- Western
Atlanta Hawks
Quietly one of the deepest rosters in the league now, with seven or eight guys who can score in double figures on a given night. Still, "deep" and "dangerous" aren't the same thing, and most people see this as an if-everything-clicks team.
About Atlanta Hawks
NBA franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, known for its bold volt green alternate jerseys as well as its classic red and white set.
- Colors
- Red, white and volt green
- Conference
- Eastern
CC Tier: Needs Everything to Break Right
Indiana Pacers
The classic dark horse pick. Some believe if the roster clicks they could legitimately crash the contender conversation, others don't think they belong anywhere near it. They show up in dark-horse tiers constantly but almost never in actual top-five predictions.
About Indiana Pacers
NBA franchise based in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a long history tied to its blue and gold pinstripe look.
- Colors
- Blue and gold
- Conference
- Eastern
Miami Heat
Not a team anyone's picking to win it all, but not a team you write off either. Falls into the long list of solid, middling squads that will make the regular season watchable without threatening June.
About Miami Heat
NBA franchise based in Miami, Florida, known for its distinct culture and alternate jersey lines.
- Colors
- Red, black and white
- Conference
- Eastern
Memphis Grizzlies
Ty Jerome's absurd opening stretch, with 45, 28, and 31 points in his first three games, has people buzzing, but that's a small-sample story more than a contender one. The team around him hasn't generated real title buzz yet.
About Memphis Grizzlies
NBA franchise based in Memphis, Tennessee, known for leaning into local music and culture in its branding.
- Colors
- Teal and navy
- Conference
- Western
Golden State Warriors
Strangely quiet in this year's conversation given their history. No strong consensus ranking has emerged either way, which for a franchise this storied is its own kind of statement.
About Golden State Warriors
NBA franchise based in San Francisco, California, known in recent years for championship runs and its distinct Bay Area branding.
- Colors
- Blue and gold
- Conference
- Western
Toronto Raptors
Landing Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers is a massive swing for a team that wasn't in the contender conversation before. It's too early to know if it moves the needle, but it's the single biggest reason to watch them this year.
About Toronto Raptors
NBA franchise based in Toronto, Canada, the league's only team outside the United States.
- Colors
- Red and black
- Conference
- Eastern
Dallas Mavericks
Not featured prominently in the top-tier debates one way or the other, which usually means a team sitting in the league's wide middle. Nothing in the research suggests anyone's picking them to contend.
About Dallas Mavericks
NBA franchise based in Dallas, Texas, which shifted its branding toward navy and silver in recent years.
- Colors
- Navy and silver
- Conference
- Western
DD Tier: Play-In at Best
Phoenix Suns
Absent from the contender talk almost entirely this year. When a roster this talented on paper doesn't even come up in the debates, that says plenty about where expectations have landed.
About Phoenix Suns
NBA franchise based in Phoenix, Arizona, known for its sunburst-themed uniforms of the 1990s.
- Colors
- Purple and orange
- Conference
- Western
New Orleans Pelicans
Another team that just isn't part of the contender conversation right now. No real buzz, good or bad, just a team expected to scrap for a play-in spot at best.
About New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an NBA team based in New Orleans, Louisiana, playing in the Western Conference. Their jerseys feature a color scheme of navy blue, red, gold, and white, with a pelican and fleur-de-lis imagery tied to the city's culture.
- Current apparel maker
- Nike
- Home arena
- Smoothie King Center
- Franchise rename
- Changed from New Orleans Hornets to Pelicans in 2013
Utah Jazz
Firmly in rebuild mode with nothing in the current discussion suggesting otherwise. Not a team fans are debating, just one they're waiting on.
About Utah Jazz
NBA franchise based in Salt Lake City, Utah, known for its beloved mountain gradient throwback jersey.
- Colors
- Navy, yellow and green
- Conference
- Western
Charlotte Hornets
Same story as several of the East's middle-of-the-pack teams: no contender buzz, no dark-horse mentions, just a season of development and hoping for lottery luck if it doesn't click.
About Charlotte Hornets
NBA franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina, which brought back its original teal Hornets branding after the name returned to the city.
- Colors
- Teal and purple
- Conference
- Eastern
Portland Trail Blazers
Nowhere in the contender or dark-horse conversation this season. A team more focused on its young core than on playoff seeding.
About Portland Trail Blazers
NBA franchise based in Portland, Oregon, known for a simple, long-running red and black identity.
- Colors
- Red and black
- Conference
- Western
Vancouver Grizzlies
Not part of any contender conversation this year regardless of branding.
About Vancouver Grizzlies
Note: there is no NBA franchise currently called the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Grizzlies franchise played in Vancouver from 1995 to 2001 before relocating to Memphis, where it remains today as the Memphis Grizzlies. For the 2026-27 season, this team would compete as the Memphis Grizzlies, not under a Vancouver name.
- Original city
- Vancouver, 1995-2001
- Current name
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Relocated
- 2001
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls remain stuck in the league's most predictable purgatory, good enough to avoid real tanking, not good enough to threaten anybody in a playoff series. Josh Giddey and the rotating cast of guards give them a fun, fast style that wins them nights in February and means nothing in April. Until Chicago actually commits to a direction, up or down, they stay parked in the middle with this group.
About Chicago Bulls
NBA franchise based in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its championship run in the 1990s.
- Colors
- Red, black and white
- Conference
- Eastern
FF Tier: Tanking, Rebuilding, or Both
Washington Wizards
Not in a single contender discussion found anywhere in the research. This is a team playing for the future, not for this spring.
About Washington Wizards
NBA franchise based in Washington, D.C.
- Colors
- Red, white and blue
- Conference
- Eastern
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo's departure essentially erased this team from title contention overnight. Strong consensus now places them at the bottom of the league, a brutal fall for a franchise that was a perennial contender.
About Milwaukee Bucks
NBA franchise based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which found renewed national attention during its recent championship era.
- Colors
- Green and cream
- Conference
- Eastern
Sacramento Kings
Ranked dead last, 30th, across basically every preseason list out there. When the consensus is this unanimous, there isn't much of a counter-argument to make.
About Sacramento Kings
NBA franchise based in Sacramento, California, known for its purple color scheme and various lighter purple city editions.
- Colors
- Purple and black
- Conference
- Western
Los Angeles Clippers
The single biggest collapse in the league's outlook this year. Losing Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, getting hit with draft-pick penalties over the salary cap situation, and trading away James Harden and Zubac turned a borderline contender into a team some are picking for under 30 wins.
About Los Angeles Clippers
NBA franchise based in Los Angeles, California, which has gone through multiple rebrands trying to establish its own identity.
- Colors
- Red and blue
- Conference
- Western
How we ranked them
We leaned on consensus: betting odds, major outlet tier lists, and what fans are actually arguing about on forums right now. Teams that show up near the top of nearly every list land in S or A. Teams stuck in "if everything breaks right" conversations land in the middle. Teams that lost their best player or their draft capital land where the record says they should. Where the discourse is split, like the Lakers or the Hawks, we picked a side and explain why.
Think we got it wrong?
Drag all 29 2026-27 nba teams ranked contenders into your own tier list, then download the image or share a link.
Rank these yourselfFAQ
Who are the favorites to win the 2026-27 NBA title?
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are the clear co-favorites, both coming off Western Conference Finals runs last season with odds hovering around +270 to +280.
Are the Knicks still contenders after winning it all?
Yes, but with real skepticism. As defending champions their odds sit around +800-+900, lower than you'd expect for a title team, and some rankings even had them dipping early in the season.
What happened to the Los Angeles Clippers?
A string of bad news gutted their outlook: Kawhi Leonard left for Toronto, they lost draft picks over a salary cap issue, and they traded away James Harden and Zubac. They've gone from borderline contender to a team some predict will win under 30 games.
Why did the Philadelphia 76ers jump so high in the rankings?
They added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the offseason, instantly turning a fringe team into a real contender at around +900 odds.
Are the Milwaukee Bucks still contenders?
No. Giannis Antetokounmpo's departure dropped them to the bottom tier of the league in most current rankings.
Which team is the biggest dark horse this season?
The Indiana Pacers get mentioned most often as a dark horse, though opinions are split on whether that's realistic. The Lakers also show up in some longer-odds dark horse conversations.
More rankings
Image credits
- Oklahoma City ThunderPhoto: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- San Antonio SpursPhoto: Frenchieinportland, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Philadelphia 76ersPhoto: Smiley28019, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- New York KnicksPhoto: James Trosh from London, UK, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Detroit PistonsPhoto: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Cleveland CavaliersPhoto: Marcia Fudge, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Boston CelticsPhoto: The White House, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Denver NuggetsPhoto: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Houston RocketsPhoto: Pkantz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Minneapolis TimberwolvesLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Los Angeles LakersPhoto: TheVoicelessWriter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Atlanta HawksPhoto: Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Indiana PacersPhoto: Amin Eshaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Miami HeatPhoto: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Memphis GrizzliesPhoto: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Golden State WarriorsPhoto: Mike D, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Dallas MavericksPhoto: ctsnow, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Phoenix SunsPhoto: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- New Orleans PelicansLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Utah JazzPhoto: Stephanie Young Merzel, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Charlotte HornetsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Portland Trail BlazersPhoto: Portland Trail Blazers, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Washington WizardsPhoto: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Milwaukee BucksPhoto: Jamaal Magliore defends Tim Duncan in a 2005 game.jpg: Jeramey Jannene derivative work: Lpdrew, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Sacramento KingsPhoto: MavsFan28, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Los Angeles ClippersPhoto: LWY, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Chicago BullsPhoto: United Press International, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source