Empire of the Suns predicts an NBA champion, MVP, Rookie of the Year and more

Kellan Olson and Kevin Zimmerman make their yearly NBA picks for title winner, MVP, Rookie of the Year and more.

By Kevin Zimmerman · Arizona Sports

Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 6:04 PM

Key Things to Know

Kellan Olson and Kevin Zimmerman both predict the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the 2026-27 NBA championship.
Both analysts selected Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
Olson picked Victor Wembanyama for MVP, while Zimmerman chose Nikola Jokic.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Empire of the Suns podcast co-hosts Kellan Olson and Kevin Zimmerman shared their official predictions for the 2026-27 NBA season awards and championship. Both analysts projected the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Finals, though they diverged on the runner-up, with Olson predicting the Indiana Pacers and Zimmerman selecting the Toronto Raptors.

Both writers agreed on Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz as Rookie of the Year and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs as Defensive Player of the Year. For Most Valuable Player, Olson backed Wembanyama, while Zimmerman predicted Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic would secure the award.

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Empire of the Suns predicts an NBA champion, MVP, Rookie of the Year and more

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