The San Antonio Spurs are being viewed as both a team of the future and a team of the present — and the rest of the NBA is taking notice.
In the 25th annual NBA GM Survey, the Spurs are the most popular pick to win the championship and the top pick — by a wide margin — for best young core.
Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are just 22, 21 and 20 years old, respectively, and league executives believe they are capable of winning a title right now.
Wembanyama leads the pack
Wembanyama received the most votes for MVP and for the player GMs would most like to start a franchise with, setting records in both categories with the highest percentage of votes in GM Survey history. Overall, the Spurs star earned the top spot across eight different questions.
The survey asked GMs to respond to 48 questions about the best teams, players, coaches and offseason moves. General managers were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel.
Championship predictions
When asked which team will win the 2027 NBA Finals, half of all GMs pointed to San Antonio. The Oklahoma City Thunder came in second at 43%.
MVP race
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite for the 2026-27 Kia MVP award, earning 77% of the vote. Denver’s Nikola Jokić came in second at 10%, followed by Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards at 7%.
The dominance does not stop there. When GMs were asked which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments, Wembanyama led again at 47%, ahead of Jokić at 33%, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 10%, Golden State’s Stephen Curry at 7% and the L.A. Lakers’ Luka Dončić at 3%.
Building a franchise
If GMs could sign any player in the NBA to start a franchise today, 93% would choose Wembanyama — a near-unanimous endorsement from the league’s decision-makers.
Breakout candidate
San Antonio’s Dylan Harper leads the list of players most likely to have a breakout season in 2026-27, earning 27% of the vote. Dallas’ Cooper Flagg, Toronto’s Collin Murray-Boyles, Houston’s Amen Thompson and Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace each received 7% to tie for second.
Best offseason move
The Spurs made their presence felt off the court, too. San Antonio’s acquisition of Tobias Harris was voted the most underrated player acquisition of the offseason at 20%. Boston’s Mitchell Robinson came in second at 17%, followed by Charlotte’s Naz Reid at 10%. Minnesota’s LaMelo Ball, Atlanta’s Lu Dort, Minnesota’s Jonathan Kuminga and Cleveland’s Peyton Watson each received 7%.
Defensive dominance
On the defensive end, Wembanyama is in a class of his own. He was voted the best defensive player in the NBA (97%), the best interior defender (97%) and the most versatile defender (30%) — with Detroit’s Ausar Thompson (3%), Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert (3%), Houston’s Amen Thompson (17%), Toronto’s Scottie Barnes (13%), Miami’s Bam Adebayo (10%) and New York’s OG Anunoby (10%) rounding out those respective lists.
Most promising young core
The Spurs’ future looks just as bright as their present. San Antonio earned 87% of the vote for the most promising young core in the league. The Washington Wizards came in second at 7%.
Click here for the entire 2026-27 NBA GM Survey.
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