NBA Summer Forecast 2025-26: Predictions for the plain of the eastern and western conference

The NBA 2025-26 season is slowly approaching and we still have a long way from any serious conversations about postseason. However, in the league known for superspecific samples, surprise runs and playoffs, it is clear that anything can happen from October to April.

Injuries will be a huge factor in the eastern conference, as recent front applicants such as Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers It could break on the table due to the impact of their missing leaders.

In a competitive Western conference, the table does not seem like set in stone. Last season, Sowing for playoffs was not resolved until the last day of the regular season. And this season, after some great moves, especially Kevin Durant on Houstin rocketsExpect to see another tension race.

See how our NBA experts have predicted records of winner losses for all 30 teams in the league.

Note: Our 2025-26 NBA Summer Forecast continues Thursday with predictions for conferences and champion finals. On Tuesday, We’ve discovered your choices For which players will win the greatest league awards, including MVP, DPOI and more.

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Eastern Conference | West conference

Eastern Conference

Candiders

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 59-23
2. New York Knicks: 54-28
3. Orlando Magic: 50-32
4. Atlanta Hawks: 47-35
5. Detroit klipovi: 47-35

Cavaliers return 93% of the 64-win team from last season, they made two defensive reminds of the move (adding) Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr.) And saw two main conference of rivals lose star (Jaison Tatum and Tires Haliburton) to injury to seasonal season.

Still entering the season, cages and all the stars Donovan Mitchell, Evan Moblei and Darius Garland are just light favorites in the ESPN to win the east over the Knicks. Cavs won Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities– Dodited Knicks four times last season and won another 13 games. No doubt that New York was terrible, reached the conference final and added a few deep end upgrades Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele at the agreement on offer.

But when people are in the east as “wide open” – a feeling that will surely be heard over the next few months – it is a coded language without trust in the song. Not unreasonable; They underlined in Pleies in consecutive seasons, and their core is largely the same, even if injuries played a role in the game.

This is reflected in our projections; Cages sit on top, but it’s more of a non-payment matter of demand. In fact, there is not much confidence in the relative power of the East at all. Only three Eastern Teams for winning more than 47 games are projected. This is impossible, because last season, there were five completed marks, but especially because, inherent, elite Eastern teams will end up with the easiest schedule.

But cages, wedges and magic they all have shortcomings and fragility. There is a definite window for that like Orlando, fresh with an aggressive move to add Desmond BaneTo get on the upper teams. The same could be said for falcons after their aggressive move to be pushed Kristaps Porzingis with Celtic and add Nickeil Aleksandar-Walker. The Commission sees how to move to the east, but still not threatening upper teams. – Brian Windhorst

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A group for the play

6. Milwaukee Bucks: 46-36
7. Boston Celtics: 43-39
8. Philadelphia 76ers: 40-42
9. Miami heat: 39-43
10. Indiana Pacers: 39-43

If the landscape of the East was changed entering this season, it is largely due to injuries and stars departure. Three torn Achils during playoffs last season changed the trajectory for Bucke, who separated Damian Lillard After his torn Achilla in the first round; Celts, who dismantled their core championships after Tatum suffered the same injuries in the second round; And Pejčani, whose bright future is put on hold when Haliburton this during the NBA finals. Therefore, these three teams are envisaged, all recent winners of the conference, be in the middle of the packaging, fighting to avoid the show for the show.

Heat won the east-final two years ago, but after trading Jimmy Butler IIIIt is unclear if I can defy the expectations once again. Philadelphia could be the hardest team at the conference to be projects, given the uncertainty of the environment Joel EmbiIdHealth. The teams in this group enter the season with the main markings in question that put them under the elite teams at this conference. – Jamal Collier

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Bottom five

11. Chicago Bulls: 36-46
12. Toronto Raptors: 33-49
13. Charlotte Hornets: 26-56
14. Brooklyn Networks: 23-59
15. Washington Vizards: 20-62

After falling in the bottom of the East table, these five teams on the basement can be sorted in three different groups.

First, it is a team that has the potential to rise in a group for the play: Raptors. Toronto was not traded Brandon Ingram Last spring and instead, he gave him a nine-character extension. The teams sitting in a luxury tax do not expect to be designed at the bottom of the table. If Toronto is eliminated from the post-Seasonal Brick, it will be a great disappointment.

Then two teams at the crossroads: bulls and roses. Both have talented players approaching their summons (Josh Giddei and Cobi White in Chicago, Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Charlotte); Some long-term hopes of construction blocks (Matthew Buzel and Noah Essengue, Tidjane Salaun and Kon Knueppel) And rosters that could end up fighting or to play or place near the top of the lottery.

And there is also networks and wizards, for which it has no ambiguity. These two teams will be hoped to land in the first four of 2026 NBA drafts, which transmit to have a complex group look. This season will play tons of young players, making trade for future assets and focusing on hopefully a different outcome on the lottery next May. – Tim Bontemps

West conference

Candiders

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 64-18
2. Houstin rockets: 54-28
3. Denver Nuggets: 53-29
4. Minnesota Timbervolves: 51-31
5. Sliders: 50-32
6. Los Angeles Lakers: 50-32

Get used to hearing this: Thunder is a clean-cut front-runner in the west. Freshly became the youngest NBA-Tin-Team in almost five decades, Oklahoma City has as much continuity as well as any champion for defense ever, as the whole extended rotation returns intact. The ruling champion for scoring, MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is early in its main and supporting the stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren Talents are grown, which have just signed the extensions of their Rocky contracts. It should not be surprised by anyone if Thunder flirts again with a beautiful 70-win. The rockets surprised last season in the second seed of the west before they bow down in the first round of playoffs. Houston turned in a rupine hole in the cattle – trading the future yard of Famer Kevin Durant without compromising hope that the long runway will run as a candidate.

Nuggets also addressed the obvious need to strengthen their bench, creating financial flexibility to add a depth by scrolling Michael Porter Jr. and 2032. The first deadline for Cameron JohnsonPotential upgrade on a small front. After pushing thunder to seven games to the west semifinals, Denver is determined to provide threefold MVP Nikola Jokic The real chance of winning another ring. Lakers are awarded the most rifted team in the west, because they go into Luka Doncic Era with All-time leading Sagittarius Lebron James Still in the list and very in the center of attention. – Tim Macmahon

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A group for the play

7. Golden State Warriors: 48-34
8. Dallas Mavericks: 44-38
9. San Antonio Spurs: 44-38
10. Memphis Grizzlies: 42-40

The west is so full of candidates that several of them will inevitably be bumped on this carrier, forced to play extra game or two with hopes in the hope. It is especially dangerous for older teams such as warriors and Maveriks, which will probably spend the last month of sessions in full working experience sprint and will not receive an additional time to replay the highest teams receiving the top teams.

However, two teams continue to go out of the play. The seventh warriors beat the rockets of another seed in the first round last April. If Stephen Curri, Jimmy Butler III and Draimond Green Whether they are healthy, top west, two seeds will not be ecstatic that warriors appear from the seventh or eighth slot this spring. The same applies to Maverike if Kirie Irving Returns it on time from his tear of ACL. When the regular season ends, it will be 13 months since its injury.

The other two teams in this carrier – appear and bite – look in trend in different directions. San Antonio enters the third season of his patient rebuilding around Victor Vembaniama. Spurs won 22 and 34 matches in the first two seasons. This season our projections predict that the larger jumped in the 40s. Meanwhile, Grizli, meanwhile, trades one of its basic players this summer (Desmond Bane) for a draft package for choice, a move that can signify a franchise pursed for step back. – Anthony Slater

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Bottom five

11. Portland Trail Blazers: 39-43
12. Sacramento Kings: 37-45
13. Phoenix Suns: 30-52
14. New Orleans Pelikans: 26-56
15. Utah Jazz: 19-63

Blazers have a new owner on the road, Damian Lillard returned and Yang Hansen is an intriguing Rookie for a team working on candidate status. Although Chauncei Billups chief coach will have his team competing with a new addition Jrue HolidayThe prospects for Blazers look bright when they look outside this season. The west only set up better, and Lillard is for the season. Portland has a young talent in Danny Avdi and Sharpe Sharpe and perspectives to develop as they are Donovan Clingan. But if blazers would compete for a play-in or playoffs, they will need Scoot Henderson To understand the potential that made him a third choice in 2023. years.

Sacramento will have a full season under the new coach Doug Christie, who will try to get the best Zach Avalanche, Domantas Sabonis and Demar Derozan with Dennis Schroder On guard. With Kevin Durant now with Houston and Bradley Beal With LA, Phoenix started rebuilding around Devin Booker and tons of great big ones. New Orleans have been added Jordan Poole and Jeremiah Fears and still has Zion Williamson. But can Williamson stay healthy? Rounding the lower five, Utah forever renovated continues with a new add Ace BaileyBut Jazz seems to be still destined to end up once more in the west basement. – Ohm Youngmisuk