For the first time in decades, the New York Knicks enter an NBA season as the defending champions and favorites to prevail again in the Eastern Conference. The league, marked by remarkable parity with eight different champions in the past eight years, is set for another competitive run. But who are the teams most poised to unseat the Knicks' newfound dominance? Here, we analyze the five franchises with the best odds of toppling the reigning champions and reshaping the NBA landscape.

The Spurs: Youth, Growth, and Renewed Fire

San Antonio emerged as a Western Conference powerhouse last season, advancing to the NBA Finals ahead of schedule. Their inexperience was plain in the championship series, most notably in a blown 20-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 4—something that star Victor Wembanyama calls a core motivation heading into this year. The roster, built around young talents Wembanyama (22), Stephon Castle (21), and Dylan Harper (20), is on a sharp developmental trajectory.

Significantly, the team’s more seasoned talents are hardly veterans—Keldon Johnson is 26, De’Anthony Fox is 28—making this group young but increasingly cohesive. This season, the addition of Tobias Harris brings a reliable third or fourth scoring option who can provide crucial shooting and shot creation under pressure, a more appropriate role than he had in the past. If the Knicks meet the Spurs again in the Finals, they’ll face a vastly improved and more mature opponent than the fledgling group they swept aside in June.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Depth and Return to Full Strength

Had injuries not sidelined key contributors like Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City may have represented the West in last season’s Finals instead of the Spurs. Now healthy, Williams and Mitchell return to fortify a roster already coming off a 64-win campaign and a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the team’s driving force, and rim protection is anchored by Chet Holmgren, whose offense (17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds per game) complements his elite defense. Williams, fresh off an All-NBA season before his injury, is eager to rebuild his standing. While the Thunder lost some veteran depth (Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins), rotational pieces like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein offer support. With health restored and significant depth, Oklahoma City is arguably the NBA’s most complete team as the season begins.

Philadelphia 76ers: Firepower—If They Can Put It All Together

Philadelphia’s offseason may have been the best of any franchise. The acquisitions of Jaylen Brown (off an All-NBA season) and LeBron James join a formidable lineup already featuring Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe. The starting five is formidable, and depth options like Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons add further firepower.

However, there are questions—particularly around defense and outside shooting—as well as the perennial NBA concern: health. LeBron James himself says this team must embrace uncomfortable challenges to be great, rather than simply looking strong on paper. With substantial talent, Philadelphia has the raw tools necessary for a title run; the challenge will be meshing the roster and finding the chemistry that defined New York’s championship team.

Cavaliers and Rockets: The X-Factors

Cleveland and Houston round out the top contending group for 2026-27. The Cavaliers boast Donovan Mitchell in his prime (27.9 points, 5.7 assists per game last season), a powerful frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and the addition of two-way wing Peyton Watson from the Nuggets. The central question is whether James Harden—acquired to raise their ceiling—can provide the consistent playoff performances needed to chase a title. The Cavaliers, 52-win Eastern Conference finalists last year, are improved but will only go as far as their stars can take them.

For Houston, last season saw a 52-win return powered by a top-10 offense and defense and stars like Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Their playoff shortcomings were linked to a lack of late-game offensive organization, a void now addressed by the returning Fred VanVleet. Head coach Ime Udoka has set ambitious goals, and the return of a true floor general could convert close losses into wins. If any Western team is primed to challenge the Thunder and Spurs hierarchy, Houston may surprise observers this season.