- Primary Subject: NBA 2K26 MyGM Best and Worst Team Picks
- Key Update: Updated with February 2026 trade deadline rosters
- Status: Season 5
- Last Verified: February 23, 2026
- Quick Answer: The best teams to choose in MyGM today is Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs.
I picked the Nets on my first MyGM save this year, and within a few seasons, I had traded away every asset, fired scouts and coaches, and watched Michael Porter Jr. walk away just to save some cap space to recruit an All-Star.
I like how easily I was seduced by the absolute control I have in my hands, but more importantly, I loved how I could somehow solve the problems plaguing this franchise that the real-life version of this team couldn't.
Choosing a team in MyGM matters more this year than it has in a long time. NBA 2K26 now has 30 unique storylines with 98 different convos that reflect real-world situations.
The Mavs want you to build around Cooper Flagg. The Warriors force you to choose between a last dance with Steph Curry or tear it all down, and in the East, pretty much every team except the Knicks, Cavs, and Pistons is in rebuild mode.
Your choice once you take the helm shapes everything about who is going to be the next face of the NBA. And yeah, the league has changed a lot since the launch of NBA 2K26. James Harden is in Cleveland now. Anthony Davis is in Washington with Trae Young, and Jose Alvarado is now in New York.
In total, there have been 28 trades involving 73 players just this season. It's chaos out there, but it just means that this sport is truly exciting and I am here for it.
The Best Teams to Pick in NBA 2K26 MyGM
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are the highest-rated team in NBA 2K26. They're the reigning champs, their superstar, SGA, is the cover of this game, and their roster is absurdly young. What was the average age of the team when they won the title? 24 years old.
What makes OKC perfect for MyGM is that you're not exactly inheriting a finished product. You're inheriting a championship core with a little bit of room to grow.
Your challenge here isn't rebuilding. It's maintaining dominance as you try to juggle your salary cap with a roster that's so good, most of your players will ask for star player-level money.
Can you build a dynasty? Or are you a one-and-done team in the West? The Thunder have the assets, the flexibility, and the best young star in the game. The only question is whether you can keep it together.
#2 Houston Rockets
The Rockets pulled off the biggest move of the offseason when they acquired Kevin Durant in a historic seven-team trade. They sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the #10 pick to Phoenix, but kept their entire core intact. Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard. All of them are still in Houston.
Houston's MyGM story is interesting. You're trying to win a championship with a 37-year old superstar while developing 4 or 5 potential All-Stars. KD took $30 million less than his max extension to give you some cap room, which also means you need to make some actual decisions.
How do you go all-in for a championship with a roster that only has one player rated 93 OVR? Can you create a new era of basketball?
#3 Dallas Mavericks
This is where things get a bit spicy. As the Mavs GM, your only option is, "You have Cooper Flagg. Figure it out."
Dallas got the No.1 pick after what is probably one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history by trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers last year. They used that pick to get Cooper Flagg.
This season, at the trade deadline, they traded Anthony Davis to Washington for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a handful of picks. They also grabbed Tyus Jones from Charlotte to improve their backcourt as Kyrie Irving gets to full health.
Now the good news is that this is a full-on rebuild around a generational talent. Cooper Flagg is only 18 years old with an 88 OVR. You've also got the cap flexibility, some future draft picks, and a blank canvas to recruit another star to play alongside Cooper Flagg.
#4 Detroit Pistons
I have to admit that I never thought the Pistons would be so good this year. They currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference, all in the backs of hard-nose defense. Detroit ranks second in points allowed per game, and its young core, headed by Cade Cunningham, has finally figured out how to win.
This year, the Pistons added Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric from the Bulls, from a protected pick swap from Minnesota. They shipped out Jaden Ivey, which raised some eyebrows, but the results can only speak for themselves. This is a team that went from a laughingstock to legitimate contenders in just 18 months.
The appeal here is Detroit being an underdog. Cade Cunningham is now an established franchise player, and your challenge is what approach you're going to make to take the team to the next level.
#5 San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama is perhaps the most unique NBA player that's ever come into the game. He's a 7'4" behemoth that moves like a guard and has led the league in blocks for two consecutive seasons.
The Spurs have stayed relatively healthy for a good amount of this year, and they're firmly in the playoff picture as well. You have a very standard NBA team in choosing the Spurs.
You've got the best big man in basketball, a solid frontcourt with D'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, plus a solid supporting cast that isn't lacking in either offense or defense.
The challenge here is resisting the urge to make a splashy trade for an aging star versus letting this core grow together.
The Worst Teams to Pick in NBA 2K26 MyGM
#1 Brooklyn Nets
The Nets need a lot of work. That sentence is the defining feature of this franchise. Brooklyn ranks dead last in the NBA in points scored per game. Their offense is painful to watch, and while their defense is somewhat decent, that doesn't matter when you can't even score.
The roster lacks any real star power, and while Michael Porter Jr. is a bona fide NBA champion, he did so riding the backs of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and his biggest contribution to that team was being a great role player. He's not a leader or a franchise player by any means.
That said, you might have an opportunity to reel in some trades to get a more prominent star. There are only 3 players who are eating up a chunk of your roster space, and they are: Michael Porter Jr., (86 OVR, $79.14M with 2 years left), Nic Claxton (82 OVR, $69.44M with 3 years), and worst of all, Terance Mann (74 OVR, $47M with 3 years left).
Offloading a 74 OVR player with that much of a salary is your real challenge here, and it might mean punting on a season or two.
#2 Indiana Pacers
This one hurts because Indy was in the Eastern Conference Finals just last year. But with superstar Tyrese Haliburton on the sidelines for the rest of the season, management has decided to let one of the best centers in the NBA, Myles Turner, walk away.
The team also traded one of their bright spots in Bennedict Mathurin for Ivica Zubac. If you choose the Pacers, you are stuck in the worst possible starting spots for the season because you're basically playing the waiting game with an injured superstar and a roster filled with players on a 1 year contract.
If you can stomach a painful first season as a GM, you still have to deal with the salary cap situation. It's challenging to take on the reins of the Pacers, but you have a franchise player in Haliburton, another star in Pascal Siakam, and some very good role players.
#3 Phoenix Suns
The Suns traded Kevin Durant this year in return for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the draft, plus 5 second rounders. That is still not a great return for a future Hall of Famer.
Phoenix finished last year with a 36-46 win/loss record and missed the playoffs entirely. They parted ways with legendary coach Mike Budenholzer, and now they're in full rebuild mode with a roster that doesn't really fit together.
Devin Booker is still there, which is nice, and while you can basically coerce him into staying, you're a literal translation of a top-heavy team.
You have Devin Booker as the lone star player with a 93 OVR, 6 players are in the 80s, and then you have 11 players with an OVR of just 77 and less, with the lowest being a 68 OVR (Koby Brea) on your roster. This franchise is in freefall and would take a lot of roster gutting to be competitive.
For more about NBA 2K, stay tuned to RealSport101.com: The Home of Sports Gaming News, Guides, Leaks, and Reviews!