ESPN
Oct 21, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
The NBA season is back! We made it!
The Oklahoma City Thunder begin their quest to repeat Tuesday night (7:30 p.m., Peacock) against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets after an offseason in which they re-signed 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to deals worth nearly $800 million.
Elsewhere in the loaded Western Conference, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors begin their first full campaign with Jimmy Butler, with their eyes on a final run to cap a decade of near-dominance, as they face off (10 p.m. ET) against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the injury-ravaged East, the Cleveland Cavaliers return a core -- Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen -- that led them to 64 wins and a No. 1 seed last season. They face off Wednesday night against a Knicks team with Finals-or-bust expectations (7 p.m. ET on ESPN).
Then, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, after a serious health scare last season and a transformational offseason, play Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks, in a game featuring two of the most tantalizing teams in the West.
Will SGA and the Thunder repeat to begin a dynasty? Or can three-time MVP Nikola Jokic return the Nuggets to the Western Conference elite? Will the Knicks reach their first Finals since 1999 in the wide-open East? Our experts have cast their votes. Here's who they think will win the East, West and the 2026 NBA Finals.
MORE: 30-team preview | NBA Rank 100-51 | 50-11 | 10-1
Eastern Conference finals picks
Tim Bontemps: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Jamal Collier: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7
Vincent Goodwill: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7
Baxter Holmes: Knicks over Magic in 6
Zach Kram: Knicks over Hawks in 6
Tim MacMahon: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Bobby Marks: Knicks over Cavaliers in 6
Dave McMenamin: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Kevin Pelton: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7
Ramona Shelburne: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Anthony Slater: Knicks over Cavaliers in 6
Marc Spears: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Michael Wright: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks over Magic in 6
Final tally (East champs): Knicks 8, Cavaliers 6
Western Conference finals picks
Bontemps: Thunder over Nuggets in 5
Collier: Thunder over Timberwolves in 6
Goodwill: Thunder over Nuggets in 7
Holmes: Thunder over Warriors in 6
Kram: Thunder over Nuggets in 7
MacMahon: Thunder over Rockets in 6
Marks: Nuggets over Thunder in 6
McMenamin: Mavericks over Thunder in 7
Pelton: Thunder over Warriors in 6
Shelburne: Rockets over Thunder in 7
Slater: Thunder over Rockets in 6
Spears: Nuggets over Thunder in 7
Wright: Thunder over Nuggets in 7
Youngmisuk: Nuggets over Thunder in 7
Final tally (West champs): Thunder 9, Nuggets 3, Mavericks 1, Rockets 1
NBA Finals picks
Bontemps: Thunder over Knicks in 5
Collier: Thunder over Knicks in 6
Goodwill: Thunder over Knicks in 5
Holmes: Thunder over Knicks in 5
Kram: Thunder over Knicks in 6
MacMahon: Thunder over Cavaliers in 6
Marks: Nuggets over Knicks in 6
McMenamin: Mavericks over Cavaliers in 6
Pelton: Thunder over Knicks in 6
Shelburne: Rockets over Cavaliers in 6
Slater: Thunder over Knicks in 5
Spears: Cavaliers over Nuggets in 6
Wright: Thunder over Cavaliers in 7
Youngmisuk: Nuggets over Knicks in 6
Final tally (NBA champs): Thunder 9, Nuggets 2, Cavaliers 1, Mavericks 1, Rockets 1
Bonus! Who wins the 2025-2026 MVP Award?
Bontemps: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Collier: Anthony Edwards
Goodwill: Nikola Jokic
Holmes: Jalen Brunson
Kram: Nikola Jokic
MacMahon: Luka Doncic
Marks: Nikola Jokic
McMenamin: Luka Doncic
Pelton: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shelburne: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Slater: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Spears: Nikola Jokic
Wright: Nikola Jokic
Youngmisuk: Nikola Jokic
Final tally: Nikola Jokic 6, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 4, Luka Doncic 2, Jalen Brunson 1, Anthony Edwards 1
