Early 2026-27 NBA Contenders Power Rankings place Knicks in the spotlight, with one big question

With the 2025-26 NBA season concluded, Yahoo Sports has turned to the earliest look ahead at what the 2026-27 championship picture could resemble, publishing “contenders only” power rankings built from least to most likely to win the 2027 title.

The framing matters because it treats the new season as a continuation of the same core question: which teams can actually translate regular-season strength into postseason results when matchup variance, injuries, and chemistry all tighten the margins. In that context, New York is not just included as a contender, it is used as the centerpiece of the debate.

The article’s lead hook is explicit, it asks whether the Knicks should be No. 1 in an early ordering of contenders. That question is anchored to a specific outcome from last season, the Yahoo piece describes the New York Knicks as the 2025-26 champions.

In most power-ranking formats, reigning champions can land either at the top because of proof-of-concept, or slightly behind because of the natural swing of roster fit, schedule, and postseason matchup play. By putting New York front and center as the standard-bearer for 2027, the ranking conversation becomes less about “who looks good” and more about whether a team can retain peak form immediately after winning it all.

Because this is an early-forecast ranking rather than a results-based snapshot, the value is mostly in its competitive ordering and its implied tiers. The article positions the Knicks as the team everyone must respond to, even if the method could vary from one power-ranking staff to another.

What to watch next is how preseason evaluation becomes reality. If New York carries the same offensive/defensive identity into 2026-27, the “champions should be No. 1” argument strengthens. If other contenders separate themselves through offseason continuity or faster postseason-like execution, the early rankings’ question will quickly be answered on the court.

For fans using power rankings as a compass, the practical takeaway is to treat this as a starting lineup for the title race, not the final depth chart. The Knicks’ championship status gives them credibility immediately, but the 2026-27 season will test whether that credibility can survive the inevitable changes that follow a championship run.