GMs Doubt Knicks Will Repeat as NBA Champions

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 16, 2026

NBA general managers largely doubt the New York Knicks will repeat as champions in the 2026-27 season, with only one out of 29 GMs predicting a title defense while favoring the Spurs and Thunder as frontrunners. Despite skepticism, the Knicks are still seen as the leading team in the Eastern Conference and retain most of their championship roster, underscoring a challenging but hopeful outlook.

NBA general managers expressed skepticism about the New York Knicks’ prospects of repeating as NBA champions in the upcoming 2026-27 season, according to the league’s annual GM survey released Thursday. Of the 29 general managers surveyed—excluding voting for their own team—only one chose the Knicks to win the title.

The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder emerged as the clear favorites, receiving 50% and 43% of the votes, respectively. This translates to 15 votes for the Spurs and 13 for the Thunder. The remaining two votes were split between the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers, with one vote each. The survey’s results align with current Las Vegas betting odds, which list the Spurs and Thunder as joint favorites at +270, with the Knicks and 76ers trailing significantly at +900.

This marked a notable shift from last year’s survey, where 80% of GMs saw the Thunder repeating as champions. The Knicks secured their first championship last season by defeating the Spurs in five games during the NBA Finals.

Despite doubts about their chances to repeat, the Knicks remain favored to win the Eastern Conference, capturing 60% of first-place votes in the conference rankings. The 76ers received 23%, while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics each garnered 7%, and the Detroit Pistons received 3%.

The Knicks return most of their championship roster, including all five starters. The only significant offseason change came with the departure of backup center Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics. New York signed veteran center Andre Drummond to fill that role. Notably, no NBA team has successfully defended a championship since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.

Knicks guard Josh Hart reflected on the challenge at recent media day, emphasizing that past success does not guarantee future results. “We write our own history,” Hart said. “The past has no precedent on what the future is going to hold. For us, we’re not really worried about it. We’re worried about etching our own stories and our own legacies.”

General managers were more optimistic about individual performances within the Knicks organization. Jalen Brunson received 53% of votes as the NBA’s best leader, with Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors finishing second at 20%. Brunson also placed second for the best point guard, earning 20% of votes behind Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led with 67%.

In other categories, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault topped the list for best head coach, with Cleveland’s Mike Brown finishing third at 10%. Meanwhile, Toronto’s OG Anunoby captured 10% of the vote for the NBA’s most versatile defender, tying for fourth place. Anunoby also received votes for best perimeter defender and most versatile player.

The survey provides a snapshot of league-wide expectations heading into the new season, highlighting a competitive landscape with the Spurs and Thunder poised as leading contenders, while the defending champion Knicks look to defy expectations.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.