NBA fans and media pundits are declaring the newly minted Oklahoma City Thunder the next NBA dynasty. They are the youngest team to win the NBA championship in 48 years, with only two players on the roster over 27 years old.
Why will the Thunder repeat as champions? Why not?
General manager Sam Presti joked after winning the title that none of the players knew how to open a champagne bottle because they were too young to drink. Sportsbooks agree with the “Thunder to repeat” idea, they are the odds-on favorite for the 2025-2026 season.
However, the Thunder are the seventh different champion in the past seven seasons, a record that speaks to the unprecedented parity in the league. Things can change quickly, injuries happen. Just ask Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, who came up just short in Game 7 on Sunday, June 22.
One thing is certain: fans in Oklahoma City, who held their first professional championship parade Tuesday afternoon, June 24, don’t need to worry about their team’s motivation going forward. Their coach, Mark Daigneault, has called them “uncommon,” meaning they’re just built differently.
“When you have a team that’s this talented, this committed, this professional, this competitive, this willing to sacrifice, that’s the ultimate pressure on a coach,” Daigneault said. “You just want to serve that, and they deserve that. That’s what gives me the most pride right now.”
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The Oklahoma City Thunder beat teams by an average of 12.9 points in the 2024-2025 regular season, the largest margin in NBA history.
Who will challenge the Thunder in the Western Conference?
Who is best built to challenge Oklahoma City next season? Let’s start in the Western Conference, where the Houston Rockets move closer to the top of the list after pulling off a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant. That trade came just hours before Game 7 on Sunday, June 22, and changed the dynamics of the west. If the future Hall of Famer can stay healthy, the Rockets suddenly have the scoring punch needed to complement their fourth-ranked defense.
If not the Rockets, then perhaps the Minnesota Timberwolves will give the Thunder another run. Oklahoma City beat Minnesota in the Western Conference final, 4 games to 1. After the loss, superstar guard Anthony Edwards vowed to come back stronger. Will team President Tim Connelly add another piece to the puzzle or stand pat with the group he has? Naz Reid and Julius Randle are free agents.
“I think we view the ability to be a final four team as a real puncher’s chance to win it all,” Connelly said. “I think the more at-bats you have, the better. But how can we push back? We’re in the same place this year as last year, which is great, but it’s not where we want to be.”
The Los Angeles Lakers need a serviceable center to play with Luka Dončić and LeBron James so they can make a run. The recent announcement that team owner Jeanie Buss will sell her majority stake to Dodgers owner Mark Walter could mean an open checkbook for a franchise looking for that one missing piece. An offseason of working together will also benefit LeBron and Luka, who scrambled to adjust after the Feb. 2 blockbuster trade.
Why is the Eastern Conference wide open?
In the Eastern Conference, most observers and sportsbooks are counting out the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers, two of the best teams from last season. Achilles injuries suffered late in the season by Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton could have both missing the majority, if not all, of next season. On Monday, June 23, the Celtics traded for Portland guard Anfernee Simons, but that doesn’t completely replace the loss of Tatum.
The Milwaukee Bucks are in the same boat. Damian Lillard is another victim of the Achilles tendon injury and will likely miss most of the 2025-26 season. The question is whether that setback prompts the team to trade former league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo after 12 seasons in Brew Town. The alternative is to trade pieces like Bobby Portis Jr. or Pat Connaughton for a scoring point guard to take on Lillard’s role. The Bucks roster uncertainty is a true wild card this offseason.
Can the Cleveland Cavaliers win 60 games again?
That leaves two real contenders in the east. The Cleveland Cavaliers had the second-best season in franchise history last season with 64 regular season wins. They flamed out in the conference semis, losing to the Pacers. They should return largely the same roster, with the exception of a few backup players. They’ll try to run it back with a bit more playoff experience as a group. Star guard Donovan Mitchell says they’re using the abrupt ending to 2025 as fuel this offseason.
“I’m going to keep going,” Mitchell said. “Y’all going to see me here media day smiling, being ready, giving you the same spiel about ‘We got to respond,’ the same thing because that’s what it takes. I’m not going to stop. We’re not going to stop, and we’ll figure it out.”
Why do the Knicks have the second-best odds?
Then there are the New York Knicks. They have the second-best odds to win the 2026 NBA championship, according to most sportsbooks. Coming off their best playoff run in 25 years, which ended in a six-game loss to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference final, they promptly fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. General manager Leon Rose complimented Thibodeau on his five seasons in charge but didn’t believe he could get them to the next level.
“He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories,” Rose said. “Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward.”
Three weeks later, and on the eve of the NBA draft, they still haven’t hired his replacement. Who the Knicks hire and whether they can improve the depth of their roster will have a significant impact on the entire conference.
This NBA offseason promises to have a few twists and turns that could alter this list of contenders, and there is bound to be a team or two that crashes the party. Keep an eye on the Dallas Mavericks, if they do as widely expected and draft Duke star Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick Wednesday night, June 25.
