The 2026-27 NBA season is almost here, and if the offseason has told us anything, it is that nobody is simply handing over the keys to the next champion. The New York Knicks are coming off their first championship in 53 years, while the offseason has produced some serious roster movement across both conferences. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, Miami landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, Toronto brought Kawhi Leonard back into the picture, and several young Western Conference teams are entering another stage of their development.
So, who gets through the chaos? These are the four teams I’m watching to reach the Conference Finals.
It feels almost disrespectful to leave the defending champion New York Knicks out of the conversation. New York finally broke through last season and returns with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading a group that already knows what it takes to survive a long playoff run. The Knicks did lose Mitchell Robinson to Boston, but the core of the championship team remains intact. The question now isn’t whether New York can handle pressure. They already did that. The question is whether they can handle being the team everyone wants to knock off. For now, I have the Knicks returning to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Then there is Philadelphia, where things get really interesting. The 76ers have completely changed the conversation around their ceiling by adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to a roster that still features Joel Embiid. That is a lot of star power, but the real story will be how those pieces fit together over an entire season and whether health cooperates. The Sixers don’t need to dominate every night. They need to arrive in April healthy, connected and ready for playoff basketball. If that happens, this is a team nobody will want to see in a seven-game series. I have Philadelphia reaching the Eastern Conference Finals alongside New York.
Out West, the San Antonio Spurs are no longer simply a young team with an exciting future. They are entering the season with expectations. Victor Wembanyama gives San Antonio the kind of defensive and two-way ceiling that can completely change a playoff series. After another offseason of development, the question is whether the Spurs can turn that talent into consistent postseason basketball. The West is brutal, but San Antonio has the kind of star power that makes them impossible to ignore. I have the Spurs making the Western Conference Finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder remain one of the most compelling teams in the league. They have built their identity around youth, versatility and depth, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the centre of it all. Oklahoma City also made significant offseason moves, with several players departing via trades, meaning the challenge will be maintaining the chemistry and depth that made them so dangerous. But when you have an elite No. 1 option surrounded by a deep, athletic roster, you have a legitimate playoff foundation. I’m backing the Thunder to reach the Western Conference Finals.
If I’m putting the bracket together right now, that gives us an Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, while the Western Conference Finals would see the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the San Antonio Spurs.
And for the 2027 NBA Finals, I’m going with the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. That would give us an interesting clash of timelines. New York would be trying to defend its newly earned place at the top of the league, while San Antonio would represent the next generation of NBA power. Brunson and Towns against Wembanyama and the Spurs’ young core would make for a fascinating stylistic matchup.
Again, this is a preseason projection, not a lock. It is September, not June. Injuries, trades, chemistry and the regular season itself can completely change the picture. But right now, those are my four.
There are also a few teams I would keep a close eye on. Houston is one of them. The Rockets doubled down on their young core by extending Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, while adding veterans such as Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović. The bigger question is whether their young players can make the jump from promising talent to playoff-level contributors.
Toronto could become one of the most fascinating teams in the East after acquiring Kawhi Leonard. Pairing Leonard with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett gives the Raptors a very different look, although Leonard’s availability will naturally be an important storyline throughout the season.
Then there is Miami. Adding Giannis changes everything. The Heat now have one of the most dominant forces in basketball alongside Bam Adebayo, giving them an entirely different offensive and defensive identity. Miami could be one of the most intriguing teams to watch as the season develops.
Boston is another team worth watching closely after a major reshuffle. The Celtics added Paul George, Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson, while Jaylen Brown moved to Philadelphia. That means this isn’t simply the same Boston team trying to run it back. It is a new version of the Celtics, and figuring out how quickly that group develops chemistry could define its season.
The 2026-27 NBA season doesn’t have one obvious storyline. You have the defending champions trying to repeat, young Western Conference teams entering their prime, veteran stars changing teams and a number of franchises betting on a new version of themselves. That is exactly what makes the season interesting.
For now, my four Conference Finalists are the Knicks and 76ers in the East, and the Spurs and Thunder in the West, with the Knicks and Spurs meeting in the NBA Finals. Now we wait for the basketball to do the talking.