At the onset, the most glaring NBA Futures odds disappointment in the first couple of weeks of the 2026-27 season has been the Miami Heat. Miami traded a haul of assets for Giannis Antetokounmpo. And then added veterans like Klay Thompson. Hence, they were widely expected to contend in the East. Yet they sit at 3-6 with one of the league’s worse defensive ratings and a disconnected offense. Giannis has put up strong individual numbers. But the supporting pieces have struggled to fit around him,
Bam Adebayo’s scoring has dropped sharply in the adjusted role. Three-point shooting has also been poor, and trust on the defensive end has been lacking. Frustration has already surfaced, with reports of growing tension and Giannis himself noting the team is not playing hard enough or trusting one another. Certainly, the early returns make the trade’s price look especially steep so far.
2026-27 NBA Future Market Update
The Utah Jazz rank close behind in relative terms. Following years of deliberate tanking, they entered the year with a more competitive roster built around Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and high draft picks like Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey, with expectations of pushing toward the playoffs.
Instead, they are 1-8, mired in a long losing streak. Utah is hurting from frontcourt injuries, a severe shooting slump, and the same defensive and turnover problems that plagued earlier rebuild seasons. Their net rating sits near the bottom. And the Sportsbook Odds gap between the intended competitive step forward and the actual results has been one of the larger ones.
Among teams that were never expected to contend, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers have still underwhelmed relative to even modest hopes. For example, the Bulls are 1-7 with a historically bad net rating. That is driven by a defense that has been among the league’s worst. Meanwhile, the Clippers are 1-7 amid chronic ball-handling issues and heavy turnover problems.
The Phoenix Suns carried NBA Futures playoff aspirations after a solid prior campaign. However, they have looked disjointed at 3-5. Absolute bottom-feeders like the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks were largely projected to struggle after their respective roster overhauls. So, their 1-8 records feel more like confirmation than surprise, even if the margins of defeat have been ugly. The Heat and Jazz stand out most. Cause by their starts have so clearly failed to match the raised expectations created by their offseason moves.
Top Games This Week
On Monday, the Spurs, one of the three teams tied at 8-2 in the West, travel to face the Suns. As mentioned earlier, Phoenix has been among the more disappointing sides relative to preseason expectations. The Nuggets visit the Rockets in another strong West pairing. And then the Lakers continue their road swing against the Hawks.
Next, Tuesday brings one of the week’s better pure East contests when the Celtics visit the Sixers. Both teams have looked like the conference’s top tier early on. The Thunder also head to Portland. Meanwhile, the Heat meet the Jazz in a matchup of two teams that have underwhelmed so far.
Late on, this week, the Warriors, who have climbed to 7-3, have appealing matchups. Including a Wednesday game against the Rockets and a Friday night date with the Spurs.
The Cavaliers travel to the Knicks on Wednesday and then face the Heat on Friday. Thus, giving Miami another chance to steady itself after the uneven start that has followed the Giannis acquisition. Those games involving the current West front-runners and the top East clubs carry the most weight for the early standings picture.