NBA standings update
The gist
Preseason projections put the Thunder first and the Nets last before the 2026-27 NBA season.
The spread of forecasts shows how much of the standings is still guesswork.
How it unfolded
- Oct 7, 2026ESPN's Basketball Power Index released 2026-27 projections, ranking Oklahoma City's defense first at plus-5.7 and San Antonio second at plus-4.2.
- Oct 9, 2026Chat Sports published preseason power rankings of all 30 teams, with Oklahoma City first, San Antonio second and Brooklyn 30th.
- Oct 12, 2026The Athletic projected the West playoff field, including Dallas at 11 (36-46), New Orleans at 12 (32-50) and Sacramento at 15 (23-59).