Predictions NBA 2025-26: Conferences champions and the finals
Our final panel of the AM850 Summer Forecast reveals its championship predictions for the east, west and final conferences.
He Summer prognosis 2025 of AM850 Some of the most important questions of the League have answered for the 80va. NBA season And he has presented his Predictions for questions and awards most important in the league, as well as for the classifications of the East and the West. Now, they will complete the prognosis with the eastern, west champions and the winners of the finals.
This season, the Oklahoma City Thunder He will seek to become the first consecutive champion since 2018 and break the streak of seven different consecutive champions, but there will be many opponents.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, After holding the second best regular season record last season, only behind the Thunder, they will fight at a conference this plague of injuries. However, the New York Knicksafter hiring Mike Brown as his new coach is preseason, they also have extensive experience in postseason to go further.
We ask our experts to classify their main options for the east and west, and for the eventual NBA champion. The first place received five points, the second three and the third one.
Here are the results:
Who will win the Eastern Conference final?
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 98 points
2. New York Knicks: 72 points
3. Orlando Magic: 21 points
4. Milwaukee Bucks: 7 points
5. Indiana Pacers: 3 points
The cavs are not starting the season with good foot, with the headlines Darius Garland and Max Strus outside for long periods after surgeries standing in the preseason. But the conference finals are far away, and if they are healthy, their full template should turn them into favorites.
An aspect to take into account in the current era is that the Knicks, unlike the cavs, are currently in the Second Division, which gives them much more flexibility to expand or adjust their template during the season. The Knicks are relatively settled with this current template, but are in a position to go after an important player if anyone is available before the February deadline. That could be a factor to consider in the future.
After years of staying out in terms of transfers, the aggressive agreement of four Magic’s first round selections to sign Desmond Bane fThat an authentic bet. It only makes sense if this Orlando template is good enough to compete for a position in the conference finals. Maybe it is or maybe not: we will see it in seven months. – Brian Windhorst
Who will win the final of the West Conference?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 106 points
2. Denver nuggets: 50 points
3. Houston Rockets: 35 points
4. Los Angeles Lakers/Minnesota Timberwolves: 7 points
5. Golden State Warriors: 2 points
It is quite surprising that the Rockets are not the favorites to stop Oklahoma City in his attempt to become the first team that repeats NBA champion from the Warriors. Considering a solid preseason that incorporated into Kevin Durant, Possibly the best scorer of the league, to play in a template already full of young talents, the rockets should challenge the defenders, who swept the votes this summer.
The Nuggets won second place in this survey thanks to how they took the eventual champions to seven games in the semifinals of the West Conference last season, not necessarily during their active preseason. Exchanged to Michael Porter Jr. By Cameron Johnson, In addition to acquiring Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.
But there is something to say about continuity.
The Thunder proposed this preseason to assure his talented trio of players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. In fact, OKC is ready to recover 14 players from the staff of 15 men last season, which makes Thunder the great favorite to repeat as champion of the West Conference. – Michael C. Wright
Who will win the NBA finals?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 101 points
2. Denver nuggets: 36 points
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: 27 points
4. Houston Rockets: 21 points
5. New York Knicks: 11 points
According to our panel, it is very likely that the Thunder ends the streak of seven consecutive seasons with a different champion. It is reasonable to believe that Oklahoma City will be an improved team after his career for the title, based solely on the natural development of his young nucleus, which complements the current 27-year-old MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
However, Nuggets, 2023 champions are seen as the biggest rival for Thunder to repeat his title. After pressing Oklahoma City to seven games in the semifinals of the West, Denver maneuvered this summer to provide Nikola Jokic The strongest support team of his career. The Thunder demonstrated last season that the previous experience in the playoffs is not a previous requirement to win a championship. The Cavaliers hope to achieve a similar advance in the East, after having linked to its core of four despite a disappointing elimination in second round after a regular season of 64 victories.
The Rockets have not left the first round since they crossed James Harden Five years ago. But add to the future member of the Fame Hall, Kevin Durant, To the nucleus of a franchise that has achieved two -digit jumps in the wins category in each of the last two seasons has placed Houston in the conversation of the contestants. – Tim Macmahon
