The wait is finally over. The squeak of sneakers, the roar of the crowd, and the nightly drama of the greatest basketball league on Earth are back. As the 2025-2026 NBA season tips off, the league is buzzing with tantalizing storylines and one massive, overarching question: can anyone stop the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Fresh off a dominant championship run, the Thunder begin their title defense with a young core that is now nearly $800 million richer. With 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren locked up long-term, this isn't just a team; it's a potential dynasty in the making. But the path to a repeat is littered with challengers.
From Stephen Curry's reloaded Warriors to Nikola Jokic's vengeful Nuggets, the West is a gauntlet. Meanwhile, the wide-open East is primed for a slugfest between the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers and a New York Knicks team facing championship-or-bust pressure.
So, who will emerge from the chaos? We've polled our panel of ESPN experts to get their 2026 NBA season predictions. They've cast their votes for conference champs, the eventual NBA champion, and the league's next MVP. Let's break it down.
The Wild West: A Thunderstorm with a Chance of Nuggets
If the expert panel is any indication, the Western Conference crown is Oklahoma City's to lose. In a stunning show of confidence, the Thunder received 9 out of 14 votes to represent the West in the NBA Finals. It's not hard to see why. Their blend of youthful athleticism, high-level skill, and the transcendent talent of SGA proved to be an unstoppable formula last season. Now, with a year of championship experience under their belts, the sky is the limit.
However, a dynasty isn't built overnight. The primary challenger, according to our experts, is the team the Thunder dethroned: the Denver Nuggets. Led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are the biggest threat to OKC's repeat bid, earning three votes to win the conference. A potential Thunder-Nuggets Western Conference Finals would be an absolute blockbuster, pitting the league's established titan against its ascendant new ruler.
But don't count out the dark horses. The Dallas Mavericks, featuring the tantalizing duo of Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg, and the Houston Rockets, led by veteran Kevin Durant, each received a vote, proving that in the brutal West, nothing is guaranteed.
The East's Power Struggle: Is It Finally New York's Year?
While the West has a clear favorite, the Eastern Conference is a different story entirely. Our experts see this as a two-horse race, a gritty showdown between the two teams that defined the conference last season: the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In a razor-thin vote, the Knicks emerged as the slight favorite, earning 8 votes to the Cavaliers' 6. For the first time in decades, the pressure in Madison Square Garden is real. This isn't just about making the playoffs; it's about reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. With a deep, talented roster, the expectation in New York is championship or bust.
Standing in their way are the formidable Cavaliers. After a stellar 64-win season, Cleveland returns its entire core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. They have the chemistry, the talent, and the defensive identity to grind any opponent down. The consensus is that the road to the Finals in the East will run through one of these two powerhouse franchises.
The Crystal Ball: Who Will Lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy?
When it comes to the ultimate prize, our experts are singing a familiar tune. The overwhelming consensus is that the NBA's next dynasty resides in Oklahoma City. The Thunder received a dominant 9 out of 14 votes to win the 2026 NBA Finals, completing their quest to repeat as champions. Our panel overwhelmingly sees their combination of top-end talent and depth as too much for either the Knicks or the Cavaliers to handle.
But a coronation is never guaranteed. The Nuggets received two votes to reclaim their throne, while the Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Rockets each snagged one vote, representing the belief that an upset is always possible.
Expert Finals Tally:
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 9 votes
- Denver Nuggets: 2 votes
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 1 vote
- Dallas Mavericks: 1 vote
- Houston Rockets: 1 vote
The MVP Race: A Battle of Titans
What about the league's most prestigious individual award? Our experts believe the MVP race will be just as thrilling as the championship hunt, with two superstars standing above the rest.
In the end, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets narrowly edged out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, receiving 6 votes to SGA's 4. This suggests that even after a down year for his team, the experts still view the Serbian center as the most dominant individual force in the game. A fourth MVP award would place him in the most hallowed of company.
However, SGA is right on his heels, and another brilliant season could easily see him repeat as MVP. The race is far from a two-man show, though. Dallas's Luka Doncic received two votes, while New York's Jalen Brunson and Minnesota's Anthony Edwards each earned one, proving that a new generation of superstars is ready to claim the top spot.
The stage is set, the predictions are in, and an 82-game marathon is about to begin. Will the experts be proven right, or is this the year a dark horse shocks the world?
Let us know your predictions for the season in the comments below!