Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks say they are starting fresh in their bid for a repeat championship as the 2026 NBA season begins Tuesday, with the San Antonio Spurs leading a crowded field of contenders.
"We just have to find a way to turn the page and move on," NBA Finals MVP Brunson said in September, three months after the Knicks ended the storied franchise's 53-year title drought with a defeat of San Antonio.
The Knicks return their starting five, but a sour note already emerged in preseason as star center Karl-Anthony Towns said he was "disappointed" by the Knicks' announcement to pause contract extension talks with him and Josh Hart.
No team has won consecutive titles since the Golden State Warriors in 2018 and Victor Wembanyama's Spurs are just one of the clubs expected to keep it that way.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are eager to reassert themselves after the Spurs ended their bid for a repeat title in the Western Conference finals.
In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks will contend with a retooled Philadelphia 76ers team now featuring all-time leading scorer LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, who earned Finals MVP with the Boston Celtics in 2024.
Four-time champion James, still effective at 41, agreed to a salary cut seeking a fifth title. Along with Brown, he will team with former MVP Joel Embiid, All-NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey and 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe.
The 76ers will seek to make an early statement when they take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, part of a three-game opening-day slate.
The Miami Heat also added two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo, who led Milwaukee to the title in 2021, arrived from the Bucks in a major trade and could form an effective partnership with Bam Adebayo – who scored 83 points in one game last season.
Expectations are highest in San Antonio. The Knicks were still celebrating their NBA Finals victory when Wembanyama began counting the days to the 2027 championship series.
San Antonio used the disappointment of its 2013 Finals loss to Miami to fuel its run to the 2014 title, and Wembanyama said the current Spurs team is determined to rebound in the same way.
"We are fighting for the top spot," said the towering French center, who reached his first NBA Finals in only his third season.
At just 22, Wembanyama is a true star. He was the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. Coach Mitch Johnson also has other talented players, including Dylan Harper, who emerged as a consistent threat at the rim in the playoffs after being limited by injuries in the regular season.
The annual preseason survey of league general managers tipped the Spurs to win the title.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder expect to challenge that prediction.
Oklahoma City pushed the Spurs to seven games in last season's Western Conference finals despite the injury issues of key offensive contributors Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell during the series.
With Williams and Mitchell healthy, the Thunder are poised to maintain their offensive efficiency while All-Star Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein return to anchor the league's best defense.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, who reached the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, are relying on LaMelo Ball's arrival to team with Anthony Edwards and strengthen their challenge to the Spurs and Thunder.
In Los Angeles, Slovenian star Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves spearhead the new-look Lakers, aiming to establish a new identity after the departure of James in free agency.