Updated

Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 4

NBA 2K27 Simulations Pick Spurs, Magic for 19 Titles as 76ers Miss Finals in 100 Runs

Updated

Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 4

NBA 2K27 Simulations Pick Spurs, Magic for 19 Titles as 76ers Miss Finals in 100 Runs

Q: How did a retired Russell Westbrook manage to dominate the Sixth Man of the Year race in 100 simulated NBA seasons?

He dominated it because of a quirk in the simulation setup: Russell Westbrook had retired in real life after NBA 2K27’s mid-July roster cutoff, so the game still included him as an unsigned free agent. In Sports Illustrated’s 100 MyNBA simulations, every team was controlled by the computer and allowed to make normal roster moves. That meant Westbrook, despite being retired outside the game, repeatedly signed with teams at the start of simulated seasons. Once on a roster, he was often used in the bench role that fit his late-career profile in 2K, making him eligible for Sixth Man of the Year. The game also appears to value him as a useful short-term bench pickup. Related 2K guidance described Westbrook as a viable reserve addition, and his in-game profile still carried enough athleticism and playmaking to make him productive in that role. As a result, he won Sixth Man of the Year 25 times in 100 seasons. Even so, he did not technically “dominate” the category outright. Scoot Henderson actually won the award more often, with 28 victories, while Westbrook was the most unusual repeat winner because he was doing it as a retired player who remained active only due to the game’s locked roster timing.

Q: What secret algorithm makes Victor Wembanyama an unstoppable MVP force in NBA 2K27 while rendering top draft picks completely irrelevant?

There is no known “secret algorithm” behind those results, only NBA 2K27’s simulation logic combining player ratings, archetypes, team fit, age curves, development, and AI roster management. The clearest reason Wembanyama became overwhelming is that 2K rates him as one of the game’s very best players from the start. He entered NBA 2K27 at 97 overall, tied near the top of the league, with elite defensive tools and a 99 block rating. In a sim engine that heavily rewards two-way impact, a young 7-foot-4 star with top-tier defense, star usage and strong durability can pile up MVPs and especially Defensive Player of the Year awards. The Spurs also appear unusually well-optimized in the game, with enough surrounding talent that San Antonio never fell below third in the West across 100 runs. The draft mismatch is less mysterious than it looks. Top pick status does not automatically translate to simulation success. Rookie production in 2K depends more on immediate role, touches, efficiency, team context and badge or attribute profile than on draft order alone. That helps explain why Cameron Boozer won Rookie of the Year 75 times while AJ Dybantsa, though rated among the top rookies at 79 overall, won none. A No. 1 pick on a weak or crowded roster can still underperform in sim outcomes if the engine gives another rookie a cleaner path to stats. So the pattern points less to hidden code than to how 2K values elite two-way stars and immediate opportunity.

3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 4

Sports Illustrated ran 100 NBA 2K27 simulations of the 2026-27 season, and San Antonio and Orlando emerged as the most frequent champions with 19 titles each, ahead of New York and Minnesota at 18.
Victor Wembanyama drove much of that outlook: the Spurs never finished below a No. 3 seed in the sims, while he won 66 MVP awards and 93 Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Philadelphia posted the starkest result after its star-studded offseason, making the playoffs only 3 times in 100 seasons, recording 92 losing seasons and never reaching the Finals or escaping the first round.
Other notable outcomes included Detroit losing 16 simulated Finals despite winning 14, Cameron Boozer taking 75 Rookie of the Year awards, and retired-in-real-life Russell Westbrook winning 25 Sixth Man awards because the game’s mid-July rosters still include him.
The exercise reflects NBA 2K27’s roster snapshot after a chaotic offseason, offering a data-heavy but game-based read on whether revamped contenders like the 76ers, Timberwolves and Magic are built to last.