ESPN’s 2025 summer forecast has answered some of the biggest questions of the league, going to the 80th season of the NBA and has given its predictions for the league Biggest question And awardsimultaneously East and West StandingHe will now forecast conference champions and final winners.
In this season, Oklahoma City Thunder After 2018, we will look at the back-to-back champion and seven directly to break the streak of different champions, but there will be a lot of challenging.
Cleavland cavelersAfter boasting the second-secretary regular-season records in the previous season, only behind the Thunder, will be battling at an injury-riddled eastern conference. Although, new York KnicksAfter hiring Mike Brown as his new coach, this offsen also has a lot of postsen experiences to carry forward.
We asked our experts to rank their top options for East and West-and the final NBA champions secure five points with the vote of the first place, securing votes in each other and securing three and third place votes.
Here are the results:
Who will win the Eastern Conference Final?
1. Cleavland cavelers, 98 points
2. new York Knicks, 72 digits
3. Orlando magic, 21 points
4. Milwouki box, 7 points
5. Indiana Pacers, 3 points
Caves are not really starting the season with speed, with the beginning Deryas garland And Max Strus For out Extended period After offsen foot surgery. But the finals of the conference are set a long way, and if they are healthy, their full roster should be kept as a favorite.
One thing that should be considered in the present era is that unlike Dhan -Cave – currently under the second apron, which gives them much more flexibility to add or adjust their roses during the season. Nixes are inhabited with this current roster to some extent, but are in a position to go after a large name when available before the February deadline. This can be a factor below the line.
After years of staying on the sideline while talking about trades, Magic’s Uber-Insicular four-rounder to get the deal Desmond Bain Was quite gambled. This is only understandable when this Orlando roster is sufficient to compete for a conference final berth. Perhaps this is and perhaps it’s not – we have to look at in seven months. – Brian Windhorst
Who will win the Western Conference Final?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 106 digits
2. Denver Nagets, 50 marks
3. Houston Rockets, 35 points
4. Los Angeles Lakers,Minnesota timbervols, 7 points
5. Golden State Warriors, 2 digits
It is surprising that rockets here are not a favorite in their dialect to stop Oklahoma City to become the first repeated champion of NBA after warriors. Keeping a strong offsen in mind, who of course brought in the best scorer of the league Kevin Duunt To play on a roster already with young talents, the rocket should give a challenge to the defending champion, who ran away with votes in this summer.
Nagets earned the number 2 position in this poll how he took the last champion in seven matches in the semi -finals of the previous season, not necessarily on his active offenses. They did business Michael Porter JRFor Cameron Johnson In addition to receiving Jonas velishanas, Bruce brown And Tim hardway junior,
But something has to be said about continuity.
Thunder preferred this offsen to shut down his Uber-Pratibha trio Shay Gilgius-Alexander, Jalen Williams And Chet holmagrainIn fact, the OKC is ready to bring back 14 players from the 15-man roster of the previous season, making the Western Conference Champion Thunder High favorite. – Michael c. Right
Who will win 2026 NBA Finals?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 101 digits
2. Denver Nagets, 36 digits
3. Cleavland cavelers, 27 points
4. Houston Rockets, 21 points
5. new York Knicks, 11 points
According to our panel, the possibility is more that the thunder will eliminate the league streak of seven straight sessions with a separate champion. It is advisable to believe that Oklahoma City will be a better team after its title, purely based on the natural development of its young core talent, complementing with 27-year-old MVP Shai Gilgas-Alexander.
However, 2023 champions Nugets are seen as the largest challenger to repeat the Thunder. After pushing Oklahoma City into seven matches in the West semi -finals, Danver maneuled this summer. Nicola jokik The deepest supporting artist of his career. Thunder proved in the previous season that the previous experience of a deep playoff run is not a condition to win the championship. Cavaliers hoped to achieve a similar success for the East, putting his core four together despite his 64-win regular session exiting the second round.
Rockets have not been out of the first round since trading James Harden five years ago. But adding the Future Hall of Fammer Kevin Duunt to the core of a franchise, which jumps in the Vince category in each of the last two sessions, has put Houston into conversation by claimants. – Tim McMahon
