The Oklahoma City Thunder is heavily favored to win the 2026 NBA Finals in the association's annual GM survey of all 30 teams. While analysts make bold predictions about the 2025-26 Thunder, including a 70-win regular season, Oklahoma City is picked to become the first repeat champions since 2017 ahead of the Golden State Warriors' 2017-18 championship season.
The Thunder earned 80% of NBA GMs' votes predicting a back-to-back champion. The Cleveland Cavs and the Denver Nuggets were tied for second with 7% of the votes. Out of 49 questions, a few of the defending champions' names ranked high in polls, including MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was voted the best point guard in the NBA with 73% of the votes, beating out Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (17%) and Warriors' Stephen Curry (7%).
Gilgeous-Alexander also finished third to repeat as the association's MVP. With 8% of the votes, SGA trailed Doncic (10%) and Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (67%).
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso came in second for the league's best on-ball defender with 24% of the votes, trailing Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (31%). Lu Dort finished fourth (14%) behind Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson, who earned 22% of the votes.
The Thunder also finished first for the NBA's most promising core with 50% of the votes.
Thunder's Mark Daigneault ranked among best coaches in GM poll
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault prioritizes improvement to defend a championship. As the NBA evolves, Daigneault knows his team must do the same, a theme that has always been ongoing. Winning a title doesn't change that, while it has seemingly shifted the way the rest of the league perceives the Thunder head coach.
The strides the Thunder made that catapulted Daigneault to winning Coach of the Year in 2024, followed by a championship run, put the NBA on notice of one of the league's brightest coaches. Daigneault, trailing Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra (52%) with 32%, finished second for best head coach in the NBA's GM poll.
However, Daigneault finished first among head coaches for best defensive schemes, with 37% of the votes. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (23%) finished second. Daigneault also finished second in best in-game adjustments with 23% of the votes behind Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue (40%).
