Thunder Tipped to Repeat, Jokic Favored for MVP in Annual NBA GM Survey

Thunder Set the Standard

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2025–26 NBA season with huge momentum. In the annual NBA.com general manager survey, 80% of executives predicted that Oklahoma City will repeat as champions. If they do, it would be the first repeat title since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets each received a few votes, while Houston and New York earned one apiece. Oklahoma City also dominated the Western Conference predictions, collecting 87% of first-place votes and 10% of second-place votes. Denver and Houston followed in the rankings, showing how much respect the Thunder command across the league.

Cleveland Leads the East

In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers emerged as clear favorites. They earned 63% of first-place selections, ahead of the New York Knicks with 30%. The Orlando Magic received 7% and were projected to finish third. Behind those three came Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Boston.

Jokic the MVP Favorite Once Again

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic remains the top pick for MVP. He claimed 67% of the votes, reflecting strong confidence in his consistency. Jokic has finished first or second in MVP voting for five straight seasons. Meanwhile, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama earned 83% of votes as the player GMs would build around, winning that category for the second consecutive year.

Houston’s Amen Thompson drew attention as well. He received 30% of votes for “most likely to have a breakout season,” a sign that many expect him to compete for Most Improved Player.

League’s Top Players and Highlights

Executives largely agreed on the best players by position: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. However, the small forward race was tight, with Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard also earning recognition.

Additionally, the Atlanta Hawks were praised for having the best offseason (53%), followed by the Rockets (27%). The Magic were labeled the most improved team, while the Thunder (83%) earned the title of best defensive squad.

Finally, Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Erik Spoelstra was named best coach, and Stephen Curry remained the player most trusted to take the final shot.