The NBA season is underway, and 30 teams have their sights set on lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. Will Oklahoma City repeat and begin dynasty talks? Who will emerge from the wide-open East?
The Scout Sports staff has made their picks for who they think will win the NBA championship.
New York Knicks
By Ethan Diamond
With the Celtics and Pacers each missing their top player this season, the East is open to one of the Cleveland Cavaliers or New York Knicks to win the conference and reach the NBA Finals.
This year, I have the Knicks reaching the Finals for the first time since 1999 and winning their first title since 1973.
Led by Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony-Towns, as well as new head coach Mike Brown, New York has high expectations entering the season. The Knicks will need to stay healthy if they want to represent the East in the Finals and continue to remain potent on offense. The team ranked fifth in offensive rating last season, and could continue to improve this year. The Knicks are in a prime position to end their championship drought and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.
Dallas Mavericks
By Jaylen Harris
The Mavericks enter the 2025-26 season with a deep, balanced roster built to compete for a championship.
Led by veteran stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the team has surrounded them with a potent mix of shooters, defenders, and young talent. Rookie standout Cooper Flagg brings energy and two-way versatility, while Klay Thompson adds veteran championship experience and elite perimeter shooting. P.J. Washington provides toughness and floor spacing at forward, and the frontcourt duo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II gives Dallas strong rim protection and rebounding. D’Angelo Russell and Max Christie bolster the backcourt with playmaking, scoring, and defense, while Caleb Martin and Naji Marshall add depth and athleticism on the wings.
With Irving coming back from an injury sometime in the next few months to lead the offense, Davis anchoring the defense, and a mix of veterans and youth complementing each other, the Mavericks, under head coach Jason Kidd, have the talent and experience to make a serious run at the 2026 NBA title.
Oklahoma City Thunder
By Mark Wagner
Six months ago, I correctly predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder would win the NBA title. This year, they will become the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2018.
Their starting lineup is identical to last year, featuring a big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, and two amazing role players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort. The team also kept many reliable bench pieces, such as Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe, who will all play crucial roles in their hopeful playoff run.
Under head coach Mark Daigneault, OKC always has a dangerous basketball team. The Thunder went 68-14 last year, leading the Western Conference with a similar team to what they have this year. If they replicate that success, then NBA fans will see a familiar image in June: the Larry O’Brien trophy returning to the Sooner State.
San Antonio Spurs
By Ian Manley
The Spurs are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. Led by budding superstar center Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have developed a fast, potent offense that plans to run past or through any defense it faces. This tenacious and gritty style is sure to be successful this season.
While the team is one of the youngest in the NBA, it also has some solid veteran leadership in forward Harrison Barnes and guard De’Aaron Fox. Barnes, Fox and Wembanyama are joined by last year’s rookie of the year Stephon Castle and the always dependable Devin Vassell to fill out a solid starting lineup.
The team may not have a lot of superstars, but they have the scrappiness and ambition to compete with the best the NBA has to offer. It’s not about if they’ll unlock their potential, but when.
Golden State Warriors
By Jake Aimone
“Curry from three, BANG!” We’ve heard the infamous Mike Breen call so many times watching Stephen Curry dazzle on the court. The all-time 3-point leader has one more magical run left in his storied career.
With the addition of Jimmy Butler through a multi-team trade last season and the signing of veteran Al Horford, the Warriors are primed to be one of the better defensive squads in the league. Moreover, you know what they say about defense and championships.
Add in the brains of their head coach Steve Kerr and the ever charismatic persona that is Draymond Green, this team just needs a playoff berth. Last season, we saw Golden State take down the two-seed Houston Rockets in seven games.
While home court advantage would be greatly appreciated, this team has proven countless times that they can walk into any city and win. It will not be easy as the West is bursting at the seams with talent.
However, crazier events have occurred, including the Pacers’ historic run last season. All the Warriors need is an opportunity, which they will capitalize on.
Denver Nuggets
By Paul Swartz
Last year, with a six-man rotation and two starters playing with injured limbs, the Nuggets pushed the eventual champion Thunder to seven games. Then, they had the best offseason of any team in the league.
For Denver, the conversation starts with Nikola Jokić. The seven-foot center is the best player in the sport, and has been for half a decade. His dynamic scoring, transcendent passing and dominant rebounding make him a triple-double machine and can single-handedly keep the Nuggets in any game. Supported by microwave scoring point guard Jamal Murray and Swiss Army Knife forward Aaron Gordon, Denver has a three-headed monster that rivals any in the league. Add newly-extended defensive menace and hyper-efficient slasher Christian Braun, and the returning production on this team is almost unparalleled.
With that said, the biggest reason to believe in this team is the offseason acquisitions. Trading for sharpshooting swing forward Cam Johnson was one of the best moves of the offseason, which they then capitalized on with three perfect free agency moves. Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. provides a much-needed scoring punch to the Denver bench. Center Jonas Valančiūnas is the best backup big Jokić ever had. And, of course, Bruce Brown Jr. returns after two years to his sixth man role where he excelled on the 2023 championship team.
This is the best roster the Nuggets have had since drafting Jokić in 2014, and they won the title just three years ago. As long as they stay healthy, very little will keep them from winning their second championship in four years.
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