ESPN Puts Oklahoma City and San Antonio Ahead of Champion New York

The NBA season ended with a surprise title for the New York Knicks, but ESPN’s preseason power rankings for 2025/26 still place them only third. In the U.S. betting markets, New York is also not viewed as the top favorite, with San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Boston all considered likelier to win the championship.

ESPN’s top spot goes to Oklahoma City, even though the Thunder did not reach the Finals, with San Antonio second and the Knicks third. Boston is fourth, followed by Detroit, Denver, Cleveland, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston to round out the top 10.

Among the teams with Israeli interest, Portland, where Deni Avdija plays, ranks 19th. Brooklyn, home to Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, is near the bottom at 29th, with only Sacramento below it. ESPN’s full list runs from Oklahoma City at No. 1 through Sacramento at No. 30.