NBA Championship Power Rankings: How Do Lakers, 76ers Stack Up Against Fellow Title Contenders Post-LeBron James?

With the calendar flipping to August, the contention landscape of the 2026–27 season is just about set in stone. Every now and again there will be a late offseason trade that alters championship odds; the Knicks’ 2024 October acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns stands out as a strong example in recent years. But for the most part, the time between now and the opening season tip-off is quiet, with only general housekeeping moves being made.

Which might come as a relief to some in the NBA world. It’s been an absolutely chaotic summer to this point, with huge names changing teams all over the place. What’s more, nearly every team actively made moves to improve in light of new lottery rules next season that will punish the bottom three teams in the league. You could make a credible argument that 80% of the NBA tried to get better this offseason—a much higher ratio than in previous years.

It all makes for a much more interesting championship landscape at this point in the offseason. To help crystalize what that landscape looks like, let’s bring back our championship power rankings from last regular season to break down the 10 teams with a legitimate shot to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy after all the craziness of the last two months.

NBA championship power rankings, offseason edition

10. Detroit Pistons

Notable offseason moves: Signed John Collins, traded for Isaiah Joe, traded Isaiah Stewart, lost Tobias Harris

The Pistons won 60 games last season thanks to a brutalizing defense that featured just enough offensive firepower from Cade Cunningham to win the day. Then the playoffs rolled around and taught Detroit the hard way that having one source of offense won’t get the job done. The team was nearly upset by the No. 8 seed Magic in Round 1 before losing to the Cavaliers in Round 2.

To fix this issue, the front office has rebalanced the roster by adding two established offensive talents in Collins and Joe while taking a flier on electric Stanford scorer Ebuka Okorie. The floor should be far more open on a possession-to-possession basis thanks to their talents; pair that with another possible leap from Cunningham as a scorer and the Pistons might have a better shot hanging with the heavyweights than they did last year. Still, it’s unclear whether they actually got better this offseason—while much of the East undeniably improved. It’s a whole new conference this season and Detroit still has the same weaknesses that sank its title hopes last year, albeit less severe.

9. Boston Celtics

Notable offseason moves: Traded Jaylen Brown for Paul George, signed Mitchell Robinson

You might say the Celtics had an eventful offseason. Brad Stevens made an absolutely massive bet on Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum by trading Jaylen Brown for a worse player in Paul George, in hopes that his better fit in the offense will lift the team to greater heights than when Brown was in the fold. In a much less controversial move he also signed Mitchell Robinson after the big man’s elite paint presence on both ends helped the Knicks win an NBA title (history should not forget Robinson outrebounding the monstrously tall Victor Wembanyama to clinch the championship). His fit is seamless in Boston and solidifies what was a shaky center rotation last year.

My thinking is that Stevens’s bet will pay off in the regular season. The C’s won 56 games last year by surrounding a superstar with gritty role players and are basically doing the same thing again this year but with Tatum in place of Brown. Tatum is a much better passer than Brown, so he should prove more effective as the conductor of Mazzulla’s offense. But in the postseason the sheer talent matters a lot more—the Brown trade all but ensures Boston will be outmatched on that front against the elite teams of the East. It would not be surprising to see the Celtics claim a top seed after a strong regular season, and if Tatum reclaims his former first-team All-NBA status, Boston has one of the prerequisites to compete for a title. But an early postseason exit feels like a more probable outcome with George’s availability issues and a now-stark lack of proven playoff performers.

8. Denver Nuggets

Notable offseason moves: N/A

The Nuggets are in a holding pattern as they figure out what to do with Peyton Watson, so their offseason feels quite incomplete. Just by judging on what we saw when they were last on the court, however, Denver is lower on these rankings than it’s been in years. Nikola Jokić’s immovable status as one of the best, most productive players in the NBA means the Nuggets have a shot every year. But their first-round collapse against the Timberwolves last year was bad. Like, “consider blowing up the supporting cast and think about retooling around Jokić” kind of bad. Injuries played a role but there’s no getting around this team losing two of its final three games against a Minnesota team that didn’t have a healthy Anthony Edwards or Donte DiVincenzo. Not to mention the meltdown on display from Jokić himself as he lost his cool on numerous occasions.

Team president Josh Kroenke all but promised massive changes after that embarrassing and disappointing failure. But the only thing they’ve done thus far is retain Spencer Jones, which they were forced to do by the Thunder, and sign Lonnie Walker IV, who played in Israel last season. As of now it seems like Denver will bring back mostly the same roster, and it’s extremely hard to believe that roster is capable of making a championship run given they didn’t survive until May last season.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell and James Harden — Can these two stars lead the Cavaliers back to the promised land? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Notable offseason moves: N/A

The Cavaliers also deserve an incomplete grade on their offseason thus far as they hold off on re-signing James Harden in an attempt to add to the roster; first targeting LeBron James, now reportedly hoping for Peyton Watson after signing Mario Hezonja. But it’s set in stone at this point that the core of the team will carry over from last year—and it’s simply difficult to buy into James Harden and Donovan Mitchell as a championship duo. Their pairing makes point-of-attack defense almost non-existent. What’s more, while both played well enough in two Game 7s to survive the opening rounds of the 2026 playoffs, they collectively faded into the background as the Knicks stomped their team into the ground in a four-game Eastern Conference finals sweep, which doesn’t do much to help the stars’ poor playoff reputations.

There is some hope in the form of the Evan Mobley leap everyone in Cleveland has been hoping for offensively. If that comes, the Cavs will be much more dangerous, particularly if Mobley develops a sense of the moment after a lot of postseason experience in recent years. Otherwise, the reality is that this roster is talented enough to make the playoffs and a run through the East bracket isn’t impossible if everything breaks right—but if even one thing goes sideways, they’re set up to go out sad. Again.

6. Los Angeles Lakers

Notable offseason moves: Traded for Walker Kessler, lost LeBron James

The Lakers’ busy offseason completed the franchise’s transition to a team built entirely around the talents of Luka Dončić. LeBron’s departure in free agency was offset by the Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes acquisitions, giving Dončić a rim-running pick-and-roll partner and a three-and-D wing to flank him on every possession. Retaining Austin Reaves ensures Los Angeles has a top-tier creator to punish defenses slanted towards Dončić who can also keep things running when the Slovenian superstar has to hit the bench. There’s a case to be made this Lakers roster is better than last year’s, even if the talent level is lower without James.

Their ability to seriously contend depends on a few unknown factors, though. Kessler had elite rim protection numbers with the Jazz but missed all but four games last season and has never played on a team with playoff expectations at the NBA level. Dončić is obviously a top-three superstar in the NBA when healthy but that’s been less and less common over the last few seasons. Getting into the nitty-gritty, it’s unclear whether L.A. employs a playoff-caliber power forward and the bench seems awfully reliant on Collin Sexton to produce points in Dončić and Reaves’s stead.

Luka Dončić is still Luka Dončić and this Lakers team is much better suited to cover for his weaknesses while accentuating his strengths. But the path to a championship is awfully foggy if Kessler doesn’t play like a top-10 center off the bat.

5. Miami Heat

Notable offseason moves: Traded four rotation players for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Heat catapulted themselves back into genuine contention after several years of play-in purgatory by giving up nearly every NBA-caliber player on their roster to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fortunately they kept Bam Adebayo to form what is undoubtedly the NBA’s most talented frontcourt. Coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t had this sort of talent to work with in a while and should be able to scheme up an utterly miserable defense to play against.

However, offensive production looms as a clear weakness. Antetokounmpo can kick down the door of any defense to score 30 points per night but doing that at a championship-caliber level for a whole season plus playoffs is extremely difficult under any circumstances—much less on a Miami roster that lacks respectable perimeter creation. And even if he can, it’s very much in the Heat’s best interest to ensure he does not have to, given the Greek superstar’s deeply concerning injury history the last few years. The franchise’s management of his body will be a factor just as critical as whether there’s enough shooting on the floor in Miami’s race for another title.

Overall the Heat’s core of a perennial MVP candidate, a perennial All-Star/All-Defense running mate and the best coaching mind in the league gives them an exceptionally high floor, as well as a championship ceiling.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Notable offseason moves: Traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown, signed LeBron James

This ought to be fun, right?

The 76ers have collected a ridiculous and imperfect collection of talent that ensures they will be the talk of the NBA every night this coming season, no matter how it goes. LeBron James will play point guard for two All-Star scoring talents in Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, while Joel Embiid will offer his generational offensive skillset at center whenever his body allows him to. V.J. Edgecombe will be there to play defense and hit open shots. Philadelphia did solid work around the margins beyond its star acquisitions, too, with Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons coming off the bench with useful skillsets.

How many games will Embiid play? Is Brown really going to be fine with getting relegated to the corner again after proving he was capable of more in Boston? Will there be enough shooting to sustain championship-caliber offense? Can the defense be any good? These are all perfectly valid questions to ask. But the upside here cannot be overstated. If Philly figures it out, the Sixers are the biggest threat to the Knicks in the East.

3. San Antonio Spurs

How will Victor Wembanyama respond to the Spurs’ crushing 2026 Finals defeat? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Notable offseason moves: Signed Tobias Harris

The Spurs didn’t need to do much after winning the West last season, and so they didn’t. Inking Harris to a reasonable contract was good business that gives Mitch Johnson a significantly more reliable option at power forward than Carter Bryant in big moments (particularly if the Harris of last postseason with the Pistons shows up again). Otherwise, San Antonio is expecting leaps from Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to serve as the team’s year-over-year improvement. Which is a pretty sound strategy given what we saw in the 2026 playoffs!

As long as Wemby remains healthy and the Spurs can keep this core together, they will occupy the shortlist of true title contenders for years to come. San Antonio was entirely capable of winning last year’s title, holding a lead in every Finals game, but failed to finish the job in four of five games. Experience is the only teacher when it comes to how to win games and they all learned a very harsh lesson in that arena.

The Spurs announced their presence in the title conversation very loudly last year and are here to stay for the foreseeable future; it would be no surprise to see them raise the Larry O’Brien this season.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Notable offseason moves: Traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, drafted Adey Mara

The Thunder had to shed salary this offseason due to the second apron and it cost them a reliable playoff defender in Dort, as well as two solid depth pieces. But OKC boasts the deepest roster in the NBA and there’s no reason to think the moves will make any substantive difference—particularly in light of the Thunder adding another lottery pick to the roster in the gigantic Adey Mara. Last season’s breakout of Ajay Mitchell gives Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams another talented scorer to lean on, while Chet Holmgren should build on his strongest NBA season yet (even if it ended rather poorly).

This is an absolute machine of a franchise. Oklahoma City will crank out regular-season wins in huge numbers basically no matter what. If the roster enjoys some better health luck this upcoming season after ending the year without Williams or Mitchell, the Thunder are extremely tough to beat—and will be extra motivated to prove to everybody Wembanyama isn’t their kryptonite after a Game 7 home loss ended their season in 2025–26.

1. New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson will try to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy again in 2027. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Notable offseason moves: Lost Mitchell Robinson

The defending champs get the top spot. That’s the deal. Even if the roster is, factually, worse than last season.

Losing Robinson in free agency undoubtedly stings given his place as the best offensive rebounding big man in basketball. But he rarely played more than 20 minutes per game, which should inspire optimism that the Knicks can offset his loss without a huge amount of trouble. Beyond him, the core is perfectly intact, which is all that matters after last season’s perfectly synergistic championship run. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns own ideal overlapping skillsets that give New York a very high floor and ceiling on both ends of the court. We saw last playoffs just how high that ceiling was; it shouldn’t be quickly forgotten that the Knicks smoked nearly everybody they played.

Expectations should be measured for the regular season, of course. Championship hangovers are real and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it hit this team particularly hard after how perfectly the postseason went. It’s also reasonable to wonder if the Knicks can muster up another three months of perfect basketball next playoffs. Teams usually only reach nirvana once in a generation and the Finals showed how little room for error New York had even with the excellent play of everybody on the roster. To do it all again, the Knicks will need KAT to continue his (utterly shocking) defensive emergence and for Brunson to play superhero most nights. They might not survive another extended disappearance by Bridges offensively if it happens at the wrong time. The depth behind Towns is, indeed, a concern at the five even with the caveats about Robinson listed above.

But the Knicks are defending champions. They get the benefit of the doubt. The burden of proof falls on everybody else in the NBA to show why they cannot repeat.

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