Ranking every NBA team by 2025-26 championship odds
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Nuggets-Knicks: After pushing the Thunder to Game 7 in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals, this time around it is Nikola Jokić and the bolstered Nuggets that prevail in seven games in the Western Conference Finals to dethrone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC and guarantee an eighth straight season with a new NBA champion.
The Sacramento Kings suffered a play-in tournament loss for the second consecutive year last season, as they have failed to make the playoffs since ending their
San Antonio Spurs players — Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and Stephon Castle in 2024 — have won the award the past two years. It’s possible Spurs guard Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, makes this a closer race than many are anticipating. But it’s hard not to bet on Flagg, who so far has won everywhere he goes. — Christian Clark
The Mavericks’ prized No. 1 pick likely won this award before even playing in an actual NBA game. NBA talent evaluators pegged Flagg as this year’s best rookie because of his positional versatility as a scorer and defender, his adaptability to various roles and his disciplined work habits.
The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks, two teams that failed to make the NBA playoffs a year ago, bring high aspirations into their season opener on Wednesday in Atlanta.
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NBA Cup playoffs 2025 tickets: A guide to pricing, schedule for in-season tournament games in Las Vegas
The NBA Cup returns in 2025 for the third annual in-season tournament. The Sporting News is your guide to tickets, schedules, arena policies and more to know for the tournament, including the semifinals and championship in Las Vegas.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games last year and largely cruised to the Eastern Conference's No. 1 playoff seed. However, the Cavs' season crashed down in the Eastern Conference semifinals because of injuries and the sensational play of a tenacious Indiana Pacers team led by clutch superstar Tyrese Haliburton.
Victor Wembanyama is back in action after recovering from deep vein thrombosis. He starts his third season with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to do something that hasn't been done in the NBA since 2018 — repeat as champion.
Former Celtics forward Aaron Nesmith has signed a two-year extension with the Indiana Pacers four months after a run to the NBA Finals. The deal will be worth $40.4 million over two years according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and includes a trade kicker.