Ranking possible 2026 NBA Finals matchups: Thunder, Spurs, Knicks, Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Then there were four.
The 2026 NBA playoffs has reached its penultimate stage with the conference finals next up.
Out West, it’s a matchup that’s been highly anticipated for a long, long time. The No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs. Both teams are stacked with depth and quality and are arguably the two best teams in the league. It might just be the real final series.
The Eastern Conference will feature the No. 3 New York Knicks and No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers. New York has been the best in the conference so far, while the Cavaliers are coming off a Game 7 blowout road win over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
So, which matchup combination would be the best for the NBA Finals? Let’s rank the four possibilities from least to most entertaining:
4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
While it’s unique, the winner would likely be too predictable. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, Jared McCain and more should be too much for a Cleveland core that is anchored by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus. Mitchell and Harden are the main players who can create magic, but need to be more consistent. Doing so enough times to take down Oklahoma City in four games…seems too much to ask.
3. San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
A similar scenario likely unfolds here. Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and more are a tough balance to take down. Cleveland won both battles this season with both matchups in December, but one did not feature Wembanyama. The two teams are different now, and San Antonio theoretically eliminating Oklahoma City should be enough momentum to defeat an inferior Cleveland side — unless Mobley and Allen rise to slow Wembanyama for four wins. It’d also be a new winner from last season regardless of the result.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New York Knicks
The Knicks take both of the top spots due to being the superior team in their conference. Barring a shock collapse, they should go through vs. Cleveland. So that puts Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, among others, against Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Mitchell, Williams, and Caruso are the key Thunder pieces. The series likely comes down to Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Brunson. The back-to-back MVP should be the preferred victor, which would also make Oklahoma City back-to-back champions.
1. San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks
No repeat bid on the line and two of the NBA’s most storied franchises hoping to end title droughts? This arguably is the best matchup. San Antonio’s drought since 2014 is undoubtedly shorter than New York’s wait since 1973. But that makes the stakes even bigger for Brunson and Co. to stamp themselves in the history books. They’d have to do so against a deep Spurs side that is anchored by Wembanyama, who is looking to make his own history at age 22 and in just his third season. San Antonio would also need Fox to stay consistent, but interest in this possibility should be the highest.
