The 2026-27 NBA season officially gets underway on Tuesday, October 20, and that means everyone is calling their shots for the upcoming season, from players ranked to free agency reactions.
Of course, we can’t go without ranking NBA teams for the 2026-27 season. Usually, these power rankings are led by various statistics and analytics, but what about looking at squads that simply have the “it” factor?
We hear plenty about mentality when it comes to basketball, and we’ll rank teams based off just that. Below, we rank the top 10 NBA teams by aura — the embodiment of confidence. Plus, we’ll look at each team’s payouts for the upcoming season on PrizePicks, such as making the playoffs, winning the NBA Finals, and more!
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Top 10 NBA Teams Ranked by Aura
Before we jump into our rankings, what exactly quantifies aura? It could be a player who instills fear into the opposition, like Warriors G Stephen Curry bringing the ball upcourt and hunting his latest 3-pointer, or what about a player with the cleanest fits and reputation off the court?
Think about Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; his middle name has become “aura” at this point. He has a standard as the league’s best-dressed, he comes off back-to-back MVP awards, won an NBA championship in 2024-25, and SGA performs in the clutch. That’s aura.
Or what about Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards? He’s undoubtedly one of the most polarizing players in the Association. ANT ain’t afraid to talk some trash, backed up by one of the deepest bags in the sport. Plus, Edwards draws attention off the court, like his latest collaboration with PrizePicks.
It’s time to rank our top 10 NBA teams based off aura, but first here’s a look at each squad’s payouts for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season — including win totals, to qualify for the payoffs, and to win the 2027 NBA Finals.
Payouts from Team Picks are live as of publishing but are subject to change. Payouts listed below (like 2x) indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves
To Win 2027 NBA Championship: Yes 9.09x | No 1.04x
Good luck finding a backcourt with more aura than the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards already has a reputation as a walking bucket, even drawing comparisons to the GOAT, Michael Jordan.
Then, Minnesota traded for one of the most compelling guards in the league, LaMelo Ball. He constantly makes absurd plays on the court, both good and bad, and his move from Charlotte gave an inside look at his wild penthouse.
Supporting the dynamic duo of ANT and Melo, F Jaden McDaniels added to his scrappy reputation last postseason, and G Ayo Dosunmu casually dropped 43 points in a playoff game last year.
Enjoy the ride; the T-Wolves is perhaps the most entertaining team for the upcoming season.
2. San Antonio Spurs
To Win 2027 NBA Championship: Yes 4x | No 1.21x
Spurs C Victor Wembanyama took an aura gamble entering last season, training with monks in the offseason.
This quickly could have evolved to Wemby as the latest “Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy” meme. Instead, Wembanyama took the leap to become one of the greatest players on the planet by fueling the Spurs to a 2026 NBA Finals appearance.
Alongside Wemby, G Stephon Castle and G Dylan Harper have quickly become one of the league’s most exciting backcourts.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
To Win 2027 NBA Championship: Yes 3.84x | No 1.23x
We’ve already mentioned what SGA brings to the table. The back-to-back MVP is an unstoppable force, and he’ll go viral before the game with another bold fit.
Frankly, the Thunder would be higher on the list if it weren’t for PF/C Chet Holmgren, who saw his fair share of memes following his no-show vs. Wembanyama and the Spurs last postseason.
Fortunately, rookie C Aday Mara, known as “The Big Goof,” is doing his best in the frontcourt — SGA take notes.
4. New York Knicks
To Win 2027 NBA Championship: Yes 8.33x | No 1.05x
Coming off the franchise’s first NBA title in 53 years, the Knicks are radiating an undeniable aura. G Jalen Brunson is officially the King of New York, delivering another absurd playoff.
Brunson’s 3-point celly has entered the iconic stratosphere, and with most of New York’s roster back, the Knicks should be walking with a different swagger this season.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
To Win 2027 NBA Championship: Yes 7.14x | No 1.07x
The City of Brotherly Love is square in the spotlight, possibly earning the "Superteam" title with the likes of G Tyrese Maxey, G VJ Edgecombe, F Jaylen Brown, F LeBron James, and C Joel Embiid.
Maxey and Edgecombe form a fun backcourt with jaw-dropping buckets left and right, Brown comes off a career-best season, and adding one of the GOATs, LeBron, adds fuel to the fire.
The Sixers should be moving different this season.
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6. Miami Heat
To Qualify for 2027 NBA Playoffs: Yes 1.31x | No 3.22x
Is the South Beach swag back? We can’t ever forget about the all-time great trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, and The Godfather may have finally built an exciting core once again.
With a long list of accomplishments in Armani custom-made suits, Pat Riley was back to making headlines by striking gold in a trade for F Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Free-throw merchant jokes aside, C Bam Adebayo just had an 83-point game last season, and Giannis remains one of the best players on the planet.
7. Detroit Pistons
To Qualify for 2027 NBA Playoffs: Yes 1.14x | No 4.76x
After he was drafted by the Pistons, G Cade Cunningham was quick to throw on a pair of buffs, Cartier glasses that are synonymous with Detroit. Since draft night, Cunningham has gone on to become a two-time All-Star and finished fifth in MVP voting last year.
Detroit’s 60-22 finish last season was its best since the 2005-06 season. This isn’t the Bad Boys, but the Pistons have scrappy, physical players with F Ausar Thompson and C Jalen Duren; that Detroit grit is finally back.
8. Washington Wizards
To Qualify for 2027 NBA Playoffs: Yes 2.7x | No 1.42x
The Wizards? Seriously? Yes, I know Washington has one of the worst reputations in the NBA, especially with uniforms that are crying for a rebrand.
Enter the #1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft: F AJ Dybantsa. The rookie’s game screams Tracy McGrady, and he sparked a trend with Gunna’s “on one tonight” before Dybantsa even hit college hoops.
Dybantsa truly has “face of the league” upside, and the Wiz suddenly have some juice with G Trae Young and F Anthony Davis paired alongside an emerging core.
9. Phoenix Suns
To Qualify for 2027 NBA Playoffs: Yes 1.96x | No 1.69x
F Dillon Brooks had a breakout season with 20.2 PPG as a Sun last year, and his hate watching alone has Phoenix on this list.
Suns G Jalen Green has been labeled an aura farmer since his high school days. You either love or hate G Devin Booker, but one thing’s for sure: he’s going to give you buckets with one of the smoothest games around.
10. Portland Trail Blazers
To Qualify for 2027 NBA Playoffs: Yes 1.58x | No 2.12x
Like the Wizards, the Trail Blazers don’t exactly scream aura, but then there’s G Damian Lillard. Dame Time is one of the best phenomena of this generation, and Lillard did it rocking a Blazers jersey.
After missing last season from an Achilles injury, Dame is back in Portland and will play alongside G Ja Morant. When he’s rolling, Ja is a walking highlight reel. Plus, F Deni Avdija brings old-fashioned bully ball in the frontcourt.
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Some squads simply move differently, whether it's draining another buzzer beater or winning the mental warfare on the court. These 10 teams could deliver some of the most memorable moments of the 2026-27 season.
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