Each October, NBA.com publishes a GM survey in which the league’s general managers are asked about the best teams, players, coaches, and offseason moves.
GMs are not allowed to vote for their own team or personnel.
For the 2026-27 survey, fourth-year Houston Rockets wing Amen Thompson received high marks across a number of categories.
Thompson’s latest accolades include:
- Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2026-27? (Thompson finished tied for second.)
- Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA? (Thompson finished first with 30% of the vote.)
- Who is the most versatile defender in the NBA? (Thompson finished alone in second, trailing only San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.)
- Which player is the most athletic? (Thompson finished first with 63% of the vote.)
- Which player is the fastest with the ball? (Thompson finished tied for fourth.)
As a versatile 6-foot-7 prospect capable of playing and defending well at numerous positions, Thompson finished last season averaging a career-high 18.3 points (53.4% FG), 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The 23-year-old was drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round.
So uh, the GMs love Amen Thompson, huh?
— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) October 15, 2026
Elsewhere in the GM survey, Rockets head coach Ime
Udoka finished tied for second on the question of which head coach has the best defensive schemes. Meanwhile, Royal Ivey was tied for third on the issue of which assistant coach is the league’s best.
All-Star forward Kevin Durant, a second-team All-NBA selection last season, finished fifth on the question of which player that GMs would most want to take a shot with the game on the line. He also received votes in the “best small forward” ranking.
As a team, the Rockets are projected to finish fifth in the Western Conference behind the Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Nuggets. However, the Rockets did narrowly edge out Denver in votes for a top-three seed (30% versus 24%).
The complete 2026-27 GM survey can be read here.
The 2026-27 NBA GM Survey is out!
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 15, 2026
In the 25th annual survey, NBA general managers responded to 48 questions about the best teams, players, coaches and offseason moves.
Check out the full results: https://t.co/Znj8ejoWPa
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: NBA GM survey: Rockets wing Amen Thompson earns high praise from execs
