The votes from the NBA's annual GM survey are in, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the polls in MVP and a few different categories. Head coach Mark Daigneault has plenty to be excited about heading into 2024-25. Many believe the Thunder made the best overall moves during the offseason, including the GMs who responded to 50 different questions about the best coaches, teams, and players, including the Most Valuable Player, where Gilgeous-Alexander received the majority of the votes, per NBA.com.

Gilgeous-Alexander led by 40%, while Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic finished a close second with 30% of the votes. The Thunder earned the top seed in the West with the second-best odds behind the champion Boston Celtics of winning the 2025 NBA Finals (13%).

While earning the franchise with the best offseason moves, Oklahoma City also earned the team with the most promising core by a whopping 60% of the votes and the most underrated player acquisition for its trade with the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished close behind, with the Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein signing and the Phoenix Suns' Tyus Jones signing tied for third place.

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder finished in second for starting a franchise today and could only sign one player in the NBA; who would it be? And the biggest steal at where he was selected in the 2024 NBA Draft. San Antonio Spurs' Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama finished first by a mile with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in MVP voting last season, and the league's MVP Nikola Jokic, tied for second with 10% of the votes. Thunder's 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, finished in a six-way tie for the biggest steal in this year's draft with the Washington Wizards' 14th overall pick, Bub Carrington.

The Sacramento Kings' 13th overall pick, Devin Carter, the Los Angeles Lakers' 17th overall pick, Dalton Knecht, the Minnesota Timberwolves' late first-round pick, Terrence Shelton Jr., and the Indiana Pacers' second-round pick, Johnny Furphy, were all tied with 10% of the votes. Voters who participated in the GM survey could not vote for their respective players, coaches, or teams.

Thunder beat Spurs in preseason opener

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault signals to players during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

With Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Lu Dort ruled out, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 112-107 in their preseason opener on Monday. Rookie Ajay Mitchell led with a team-high 19 points, Jalen Williams finished with 18 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, while the Thunder's other rookie, Dillon Jones, finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

The Thunder will host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.