The 2025-26 NBA season is officially over. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an exciting five-game series, and the fresh blood in the NBA Finals has to have some other teams feeling hopeful. We now have quite some time before the 2026-27 season begins, but we don’t have to wait to bet on next year’s champion. Below, I’m going to list out the first 16 teams that appear on the board. Then, I’m going to pick out a few teams that are worth fliers right now. While we don’t exactly know what these teams will look like, we have a decent idea. We also know that certain teams will be going star hunting this summer, which is why I believe there’s a ton of value in spreading some money out — even with next season being four months away. Let’s get into it.
2026-27 NBA Championship Odds
- San Antonio Spurs (+250)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+250)
- Boston Celtics (+550)
- New York Knicks (+700)
- Indiana Pacers (28-1)
- Denver Nuggets (28-1)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (30-1)
- Los Angeles Lakers (30-1)
- Detroit Pistons (30-1)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (30-1)
- Miami Heat (40-1)
- Golden State Warriors (45-1)
- Philadelphia 76ers (55-1)
- Houston Rockets (60-1)
- Los Angeles Clippers (75-1)
- Orlando Magic (80-1)
For the rest of the 2026-27 NBA Championship Odds, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook!
Early 2026-27 NBA Championship Value Plays
Embed from Getty ImagesIndiana Pacers (28-1)
After the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard came out and apologized for Indiana’s trade with Los Angeles resulting in the loss of the team’s first-round pick. However, while that deal might not have worked out very well for the Pacers’ long-term prospects, it did net Indiana one of the best centers in the NBA. The Pacers acquired Ivica Zubac in that deal with the Clippers, and that should make Indiana a force next year.
Zubac wasn’t great in the 25-26 season. Injuries derailed his season in a big way, plus he wasn’t his usual self when he did play. But he was a two-way monster in 2024-25. The Croatian finished in the NBA’s 98th percentile in Estimated Plus-Minus (+4.1), according to Dunks & Threes. And a lot of that had to do with him finishing in the 98th percentile in Defensive EPM (+2.4).
When the Pacers lost to the Thunder in the 2024-25 NBA Finals, Myles Turner had become highly exploitable on both ends of the floor. That’s why Pritchard allowed the big man to head to the Bucks, and he took his time in searching for a replacement. Now, if Tyrese Haliburton has successfully recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of that series with Oklahoma City, this Indiana team is scary.
The Pacers still have Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith, who were all instrumental in Indiana coming close to winning a title. But adding Zubac to the mix should really take things to another level. Zubac gives the Pacers a center that can actually anchor a defense, and he also gives the team another look on offense. Turner was a one-note floor-spacing big. Sure, he was a good three-point shooter, but he offered very little else. He was also a little streakier than you’d like. Zubac is a completely different player. He plays with force, serving as an awesome play-finisher and a decent back-to-the-basket option. He also makes good decisions as a passer, and he’s an elite offensive rebounder.
It’d just be foolish to think we’ve heard the last from this Indiana team. The Pacers should actually be better now than they were when they made that run to the Finals.
Denver Nuggets (28-1)
The way Denver lost to Minnesota in the opening round of the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs was disappointing. However, I’m not ready to pronounce this era of Nuggets basketball as dead. With some better luck in the health department last year, we might have seen Denver going up against New York in the NBA Finals.
Getting Aaron Gordon’s hamstring right is the No. 1 goal for this team. Of all of the non-Nikola Jokic players on the roster, Gordon is the most important. The high-level defense he plays across multiple spots makes up for so many of Denver’s weaknesses on that end of the floor, and the team desperately missed having him at 100% in the playoffs.
If Gordon is healthy, I’d still take my chances with him, Jokic, and Jamal Murray, and that’s especially true at the current pricing. Also, while this front office does seem pretty intent on cutting costs this summer, I also imagine they’ll work to continue building this thing out. Last offseason, the Nuggets did a good job of adding on the fringes. There’s no reason they can’t do it again.
If Denver adds another rotation-worthy defender, this price should look silly come December or January.
Minnesota Timberwolves (30-1)
Once again, the Timberwolves went a bit further than expected in the playoffs. Sure, Minnesota missed out on the Western Conference Finals for the first time in three years, but not many people had Anthony Edwards and Co. upsetting Jokic and the Nuggets in the first round. And maybe the Wolves would have found a way to take out the Spurs if they were a little healthier. Either way, Minnesota continues to be a major player in the Western Conference, and getting bounced in the second round will only fuel Tim Connelly, one of the NBA’s best team-builders, to be aggressive in the offseason.
It’s not yet clear what moves Minnesota will look to make, but this team has been linked to Kyrie Irving. Chris Finch noted recently that he can use another on-ball option to take pressure off Edwards, and Irving can be that — plus a whole lot more. You’d also have to think he’s gettable right now, as Dallas is looking to get younger around Cooper Flagg.
Even if it’s not Irving, Connelly isn’t going to sit around and do nothing. He made a great move to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at last year’s deadline, and he’ll definitely look to see what else is out there. That said, you can count on Minnesota being a bit better, and this is already a team that is highly talented, well coached, and physical. They’ll be very good again next year.
Charlotte Hornets (90-1)
The Hornets didn’t make the playoffs this year. After months of being gassed up on VSiN airwaves, Charlotte ended up losing in the Play-In Tournament. However, the numbers still speak for themselves. From January 1 to the end of the regular season, Charlotte went 33-16 with a +11.2 Efficiency Differential. In that span, the Hornets were the best team in basketball offensively, scoring 122.4 points per 100 possessions. They were also the fifth-best team in the NBA defensively, allowing only 111.2 points per 100 possessions.
Charlotte should be able to build on what was done in the second half of last year, and that’s true whether the team makes a big move or not. However, the Hornets have been linked to Domantas Sabonis. If Charlotte can add a big like that, the Hornets will suddenly be an upper-echelon Eastern Conference team. Sabonis has his faults, but he’s a great back-to-the-basket player. He’s also a very good rebounder, plus he loves serving as a playmaking hub. He can do special things as yet another high-level weapon for this offense.
Even without a Sabonis addition, there are some small things the Hornets can do to improve this roster. Charlotte will actually be picking at 14 and 18 in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the team can patch up some holes in what is a very good class. That would make them a contender in the Eastern Conference.
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QUICK NOTE: While I don’t have the Wizards (120-1) or Jazz (200-1) as part of the title picture next year, seeing them at the bottom of the oddsboard excites me. Those are two teams that made “win-later” moves at the 2025-26 deadline, with Washington acquiring Trae Young and Utah adding Jaren Jackson Jr. I see both teams being playoff squads in 2026-27, so perhaps we’re looking at low win totals we can go Over on. We also might get plus-money odds for them to make the postseason.
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