Each year before the season starts, NBA.com runs a survey of General Managers across the league, polling them on multiple questions concerning the year to come. Questions run the gamut from NBA Champions
to awards to offseason moves. GM’s are not allowed to vote for any members of their own teams. They’re not forced to respond to every question either. Results are ranked by percentage.
To nobody’s surprise, General Managers ranked the Oklahoma City Thunder as the likely winners of the 2026 NBA Championship. OKC receive a whopping 80% of votes from respondents. The Thunder were also predicted to win the NBA’s Western Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers voted most likely to take the East.
Also to nobody’s surprise, the Portland Trail Blazers did not factor into any of those “best in the league” discussions. The Blazers did appear in a few categories:
- Deni Avdija received honorable mention in the “Most Likely to Have a Breakout Season” category.
- Jrue Holiday received honorable mention in “Most Likely to Make a Significant Impact” after a summer acquisition.
- Holiday also finished in fourth place, with 7% of the votes, in “Most Underrated Acquisition”. Former Blazers center Deandre Ayton got honorable mention in this category.
- The Milwaukee Bucks waiving Damian Lillard won the “Most Surprising Offseason Move” category with 43% of the votes cast.
- Holiday finished fifth in “Best Perimeter Defender” with 7% of votes.
- Toumani Camara got honorable mention in “Most Versatile Defender”.
- Holiday got sixth place, with 7% of the votes, in “Active Player Who Will Make the Best Head Coach Someday”.
- Shaedon Sharpe received honorable mention in “Most Athletic Player”.
Despite the smattering of notice, nobody voted for the Blazers in the “Best Offseason” or “Most Likely to Improve” or “Best Young Core” categories.
