Why ESPN forecasts Thunder will win 2027 NBA Finals, not Knicks, Spurs or 76ers image
Parity is the name of the game in the league's current state. There have been no repeat champions in the NBA since the Golden State Warriors dynasty. However, all of that may start to change in the coming years. It starts with a bold ESPN prediction that the Oklahoma City Thunder will likely beat the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers to win the 2027 NBA Finals.
ESPN forecasts Thunder to win 2027 NBA Finals, not Knicks, Spurs, or 76ers
Before the start of the 2026-27 NBA regular season and even before the preseason camps commence, ESPN releases a forecast to predict which teams will end up hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy. The top five of the list goes as follows:
Oklahoma City Thunder 84 points
San Antonio Spurs 74 points
New York Knicks 11 points
Philadelphia 76ers 10 points
Detroit Pistons 6 points
Notably, there is a big drop-off from the first two spots compared with the rest of the list. The Thunder accumulated 84 points while the Spurs were a fairly distant second with 74 points. This follows ESPN’s projection that the Thunder are likely to win 60 regular-season games and settle for the second seed in the West, right behind a 62-win Spurs team led by Victor Wembanyama.
A lot of intrigue surrounds this projection because the Thunder have seen guys like Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins leave to join the Atlanta Hawks. Isaiah Joe is also a notable departure after he got dealt to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for 2030 and 2031 second-round picks. All of this means that the Thunder lose a lot of depth.
Meanwhile, the Spurs retained the depth to back up Wembanyama while also adding a veteran in Tobias Harris. Not to mention, the additions of Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. mean that they have the Thunder beat in terms of depth. Moreover, the 76ers got an insane lineup of Joel Embiid, LeBron James, V.J. Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. Both squads seem to be better than what Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. have.
So, why does ESPN think that the Thunder have what it takes to beat out a revamped Spurs roster, a Knicks squad gunning for a back-to-back, and a stacked 76ers team?
It all boils down to Gilgeous-Alexander and whether the other Thunder players can step up. People might be forgetting that the Thunder have a back-to-back NBA MVP in their squad. His ability to continually create shots and craft opportunities for his teammates is currently second to none in the league.
But this success en route to the 2027 NBA Finals does have a caveat. The Thunder will need Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace to take bigger roles if they want to earn two titles in three seasons, shattering some semblance of parity in the league.
More than that, veteran experience also shapes a championship run more than fans think. The Spurs are still relatively young, despite their NBA Finals experience, and the 76ers have not proven that they have the chemistry to win it all come 2027. The Knicks, on the other hand, have also yet to address the departure of Mitchell Robinson from the roster.
Will ESPN be proven right come the 2027 NBA Finals?
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