Annual GM Survey

[Donoghus]

Just posted to NBA.com

https://www.nba.com/news/2025-26-nba-gm-survey

A few of the answers.

Which team will win the 2026 NBA Finals?

1. Oklahoma City Thunder ? 80%
T-2. Cleveland Cavaliers ? 7%
T-2. Denver Nuggets ? 7%
? Also receiving votes: Houston Rockets, New York Knicks
? Last year: Boston Celtics ? 83%

If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?

1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio ? 83%
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 13%
3. Nikola Jokić, Denver ? 3%
? Last year: Victor Wembanyama ? 77%

Who is the best small forward in the NBA?

1. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 40%
2. Jayson Tatum, Boston ? 20%
3. Kevin Durant, Houston ? 17%
T-4. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers ? 7%
T-4. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers ? 7%
? Also receiving votes: Jaylen Brown, Boston; Jimmy Butler, Golden State; Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City
? Last year: Jayson Tatum ? 47%

Which team made the best overall moves this offseason?

1. Atlanta Hawks ? 53%
2. Houston Rockets ? 27%
3. Denver Nuggets ? 10%
4. Orlando Magic ? 7%
5. Boston Celtics ? 3%
? Last year: Oklahoma City Thunder ? 37%

Which rookie will be the best player in five years?

1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas ? 93%
? Also receiving votes: VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia; Dylan Harper, San Antonio
? Last year: Reed Sheppard ? 43%
? Five years ago: James Wiseman ? 36%

Which head coach is the best manager/motivator of people?

1. Erik Spoelstra, Miami ? 28%
2. Ime Udoka, Houston ? 24%
T-3. Steve Kerr, Golden State ? 14%
T-3. Joe Mazzulla, Boston ? 14%
5. Tyronn Lue, LA Clippers ? 7%
? Also receiving votes: Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland; J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit; Rick Carlisle, Indiana; Jamahl Mosley, Orlando
? Last year: Erik Spoelstra ? 37%

What rule (regarding play, schedule, Draft/Lottery, playoff format, roster construction, etc.) most needs to change?

1. Roster construction ? Apron rules too harsh, Add a cap discount for own drafted players, Allow trading partial salaries, Make all minimum contracts the same ? 26%
2. Draft schedule ? Back to one day, Only Lottery on Day 1, After Free agency ? 19%
3. Game flow ? Continuous/faster review, Hockey-style subs, No live-ball timeouts ? 15%
4. Playoff format ? Seed 1-16, Top seeds choose opponents, Change Play-In format ? 11%
T-5. Draft system ? Can?t draft in top six in three straight years, Shouldn?t reward losing ? 7%
T-5. Higher penalties for cap circumvention ? 7%
T-5. Schedule ? Fewer back-to-backs, No home-road back-to-backs ? 7%
? Also receiving votes: Elam ending, More G-League experimentation, No disqualification on sixth foul (one shot + ball)
? Last year: Roster construction ? Apron rules, etc. ? 20%

[Who]

They can't decide what position Luka is.

He finished 1st for best SF in the league, tied 3rd for best shooting guard, came 2nd for best PG.

[Who]

I am surprised Denver didn't get more love for winning the NBA title. They were close to beating OKC last season and improved their squad in the off-season.

[Who]

Which rookie was the biggest steal at where he was selected in the Draft?

1. Kasparas Jakučionis (20), Miami ? 17%
T-2. Ace Bailey (5), Utah ? 10%
T-2. Carter Bryant (14), San Antonio ? 10%
T-4. Joan Beringer (17), Minnesota ? 7%
T-4. Liam McNeeley (29), Charlotte ? 7%
T-4. Asa Newell (23), Atlanta ? 7%

? Also receiving votes: Brooks Barnhizer (44), Oklahoma City; Johni Broome (35), Philadelphia; Walter Clayton Jr. (18), Utah; Nique Clifford (24), Sacramento; Cedric Coward (11), Memphis; Rasheer Fleming (31), Phoenix; Tre Johnson (6), Washington; Ryan Kalkbrenner (34), Charlotte; Khaman Maluach (10), Phoenix; Collin Murray-Boyles (9), Toronto; Taelon Peter (54), Indiana; Adou Thiero (36), Los Angeles Lakers; Danny Wolf (27), Brooklyn

? Last year: Bub Carrington, Devin Carter, Johnny Furphy, Dalton Knecht, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Nikola Topić ? 10%

I always like this question. Good list. I am interested in that guy Miami took. Carter Bryant impressed me hugely in SL. I didn't took much of McNeeley on draft day but he was great in SL. Very much looks a steal for Charlotte. Beringer looks good as well.

Ace Bailey is a bit different. I liked what I saw in SL. Much more competitive as a defender & rebounder than I expected. Some offensive growing pains ahead but clear potential on that end of the floor. Guy can clearly score. He just has to tell the difference between good shots and bad shots and how to prioritize higher value scoring attempts over lower ones.

Ryan Kalkbrenner has been getting rave reviews out of CHA's training camp.

[Vermont Green]

A couple caught my eye:

Who is the best point guard in the NBA?

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 73%
2. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 17%
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 7%
4. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana ? 3%
? Last year: Luka Dončić ? 37%

Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?

1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota ? 70%
2. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland ? 13%
T-3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 7%
T-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 7%
5. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 3%
? Last year: Anthony Edwards ? 33%

So Luka Doncic is PG and SG and SF?  I don't recall ever seeing him try to cover LeBron or Durant or Tatum.  Magic Johnson could play center but that did not change the fact that his primary natural position was PG.  I would categorize Luka and SGA as PG/Combo guards.  Same for Curry.  If you are going to poll by position, you have to follow positions.  Players can play more than 1 position, but every player has a primary or natural position.

They have Brown as also receiving votes as the best SF, but if he was rated in the SG group, he would potentially be 3rd or better (excluding SGA and Luka who are in other categories).

I see Tatum as the best SF (Doncic is not a SF).  Doncic and SGA are the best PG/Combo guards.  And that would leave Brown as maybe the 3rd best SG, at worst.

[SparzWizard]

Luka should be classified as a PG. And I see him more as a 1/2 anyway, mainly a 1.

And his defense is horrible but why is he awarded as the best SF in the league?? That glory should belong to Tatum (when healthy). This survey makes no sense lol.

[SparzWizard]

I am surprised Denver didn't get more love for winning the NBA title. They were close to beating OKC last season and improved their squad in the off-season.

Denver beat an 8-seeded Miami Heat team that did not belong there tbh

[keevsnick]

A couple caught my eye:

Who is the best point guard in the NBA?

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 73%
2. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 17%
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 7%
4. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana ? 3%
? Last year: Luka Dončić ? 37%

Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?

1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota ? 70%
2. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland ? 13%
T-3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 7%
T-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 7%
5. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 3%
? Last year: Anthony Edwards ? 33%

So Luka Doncic is PG and SG and SF?  I don't recall ever seeing him try to cover LeBron or Durant or Tatum.  Magic Johnson could play center but that did not change the fact that his primary natural position was PG.  I would categorize Luka and SGA as PG/Combo guards.  Same for Curry.  If you are going to poll by position, you have to follow positions.  Players can play more than 1 position, but every player has a primary or natural position.

They have Brown as also receiving votes as the best SF, but if he was rated in the SG group, he would potentially be 3rd or better (excluding SGA and Luka who are in other categories).

I see Tatum as the best SF (Doncic is not a SF).  Doncic and SGA are the best PG/Combo guards.  And that would leave Brown as maybe the 3rd best SG, at worst.

I've always thought of position as who you are guarding. Doncic isn't guarding PG's or SG's with how he moves. He's a PG offensively and a SF defensively, so I'm fine listing him at SF.

But also: its a survey and doesn't matter at all.

[Who]

A couple caught my eye:

Who is the best point guard in the NBA?

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 73%
2. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 17%
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 7%
4. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana ? 3%
? Last year: Luka Dončić ? 37%

Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?

1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota ? 70%
2. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland ? 13%
T-3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers ? 7%
T-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ? 7%
5. Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 3%
? Last year: Anthony Edwards ? 33%

So Luka Doncic is PG and SG and SF?  I don't recall ever seeing him try to cover LeBron or Durant or Tatum.  Magic Johnson could play center but that did not change the fact that his primary natural position was PG.  I would categorize Luka and SGA as PG/Combo guards.  Same for Curry.  If you are going to poll by position, you have to follow positions.  Players can play more than 1 position, but every player has a primary or natural position.

They have Brown as also receiving votes as the best SF, but if he was rated in the SG group, he would potentially be 3rd or better (excluding SGA and Luka who are in other categories).

I see Tatum as the best SF (Doncic is not a SF).  Doncic and SGA are the best PG/Combo guards.  And that would leave Brown as maybe the 3rd best SG, at worst.

Magic wasn't even a PG until they traded away Norm Nixon. Magic was a SG / SF / PF depending on the lineup. He was usually the SG but would switch to SF when they played Coop & Norm in the backcourt together. And sometimes would even play PF in smaller lineups with Jamaal Wilkes at SF when they needed Magic's rebounding around the basket.

Magic did not become a full time PG until 1984-85 when they traded Norm Nixon and paired Magic with a SG in Byron Scott. Before that, Magic was a wing player.