Oddsmakers view San Antonio as 2027 title favorites, yet analysts remain skeptical. Explore why Victor Wembanyama’s supporting cast fell behind rivals like Denver and Indiana in recent rankings.
The San Antonio Spurs are currently tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best odds (+270) to win the 2027 NBA Finals, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Oklahoma City won the championship just over a calendar year ago, while San Antonio returned to basketball's biggest stage for the first time in 12 years earlier this summer.
Those odds aren't exactly surprising.
The Spurs and Thunder should enter the 2026-27 campaign as two of the NBA's best teams.
Apparently, though, the Spurs won't do so with one of the league's five best starting lineups.
How?
Bleacher Report believes San Antonio has the sixth-best first five in the NBA, trailing the Denver Nuggets (No. 5), Indiana Pacers (No. 4), New York Knicks (No. 3), Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 2) and Philadelphia 76ers (No. 1).
Out of respect for the reigning-champion Knicks, the revamped Thunder and the loaded 76ers — who now roster four of the NBA's 20 best players following the addition of LeBron James — I won't argue San Antonio deserves a top-three placement.
But before we make the case for why the Nuggets and Pacers don't belong ahead of the Spurs, here's Bleacher Report's reasoning.
"Clearly, Dylan Harper and Castle should be starting. They represent the backcourt of the future in San Antonio and allow the Spurs to reach their massive ceiling alongside Wembanyama. Harper 'voiced displeasure' about his role and playing time last year, according to ESPN's Michael C. Wright," Greg Swartz wrote.
While the Harper-De'Aaron Fox dynamic is something San Antonio will need to navigate carefully, a glass-half-full perspective could just as easily be applied to the framing Swartz is choosing.
The Spurs have to divide starting roles among three guards: one coming off his second All-Star appearance and two who appear destined to earn the same honor someday.
Is that a problem? Yes.
Is that a good problem? Also yes.
Swartz also cited uncertainty at power forward, where he listed Julian Champagnie as San Antonio's starter while acknowledging Tobias Harris could ultimately claim the job.
Champagnie has already started 159 regular-season games for the Spurs, so it's reasonable to expect he'll keep that role entering the season.
Okay — now let's get to dismantling.
Denver's placement is puzzling. Swartz isn't projecting any meaningful changes from last season, yet the Nuggets still sit behind both Oklahoma City and San Antonio in the Western Conference hierarchy.
As for the Pacers, welcoming Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac back to the core that pushed Oklahoma City to seven games in the 2025 NBA Finals certainly creates an impressive starting five.
But is it really better than San Antonio's after another full offseason of development?
Harper and Castle becoming All-Stars feels more like a matter of when than if, and that breakthrough could come as early as next season for each of them.
So while Bleacher Report may believe San Antonio's starting five belongs just outside the league's top five because of fit questions, the Spurs simply have too much top-end talent to justify a No. 6 ranking.
