Basketball is finally back! The NBA season starts on Tuesday, Oct. 21. It will feature new broadcasts (Peacock and Prime Video) and the return of old ones (NBC), key players recovering from injuries, familiar faces in new places, legends trying to defeat Father Time, and young stars determined to take over the league. This is a time that gives every team and fan hope. Here are my top 10 teams heading into the season.
No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder
No surprise here—the reigning champions return their entire playoff rotation and now have the championship experience and pedigree, even though they were the youngest team by average age the past two seasons. The Thunder are led by the reigning scoring champion, regular season MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with Jalen Williams, who was an All-Star and made the All-NBA third team last season. Not only do opponents have to worry about their scoring, but the Thunder also had the league’s best defense last season, anchored by Lu Dort, Williams, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace on the perimeter, as well as Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein inside. Oklahoma City may not win 68 games like it did last year, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Thunder came close given how dominant their defense is.
No. 2: Denver Nuggets
This is the best team the Nuggets have built around the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic—and that says a lot, considering they won a championship in 2023. In June, Denver traded sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson, who is a more versatile offensive player, a better defender and on a cheaper contract. With the money the Nuggets saved by trading Porter, they were able to bring back Bruce Brown—a key member of the 2023 championship roster—along with Tim Hardaway Jr. and, most importantly, Jonas Valanciunas to serve as Jokic’s backup center. This is the first time Jokic will have a reliable center behind him. Last season, Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points and seven rebounds in just 16.9 minutes per game for the Sacramento Kings—but that’s all Denver needs since Jokic plays most of the game anyway. If this team performs as well as it looks on paper and stays relatively healthy come playoff time, it could be the biggest threat to take down the Thunder.
No. 3: Cleveland Cavaliers
This has to be the year the Cavaliers get out of the second round…right? With Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss most, if not all, of the season following his injuries in his achilles, there’s no reason a team with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen should make a first or second-round exit. Cleveland also added some solid bench pieces in Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. We know the Cavs will perform in the regular season—they had the league’s best offense and won 64 games last year—but they need to be that same team come playoff time. Injuries have hurt the Cavs in recent years, with each of their top four players missing multiple playoff games, but that can no longer be an excuse. If Cleveland fails to reach the conference finals, expect Garland or Allen to be traded.
No. 4: New York Knicks
The Knicks shockingly fired Tom Thibodeau in June, who led New York to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, when Allan Houston and a 37-year-old Patrick Ewing were on the team. New York hired former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown to replace Thibodeau. The Knicks viewed Thibodeau as someone who could make them competitive again, but not someone who could get them over the hump—and now that challenge belongs to Brown. Known as an offensive-minded coach, Brown takes over a team that ranked fifth in offensive rating last season. The Knicks hope he can fully unlock an attack led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. In free agency, they added Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon, all of whom should provide an offensive spark and, more importantly, give the starters more rest—something Thibodeau rarely allowed. As long as no major injuries occur, the Knicks should be a top three seed in the Eastern Conference and are my biggest threat to take down the Cavaliers.
No. 5: Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant was the biggest name to change teams in the offseason—and he’s exactly what the Rockets needed: a primary scorer and half-court creator. In his 17th season, he averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns, who finished with a bottom-three defense last season. Now, Durant joins a team that ranked in the top five defensively and finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, so his transition should be smooth. He’ll join a deep roster that includes budding young stars Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. Houston also added three-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and center Clint Capela for frontcourt depth. Unfortunately, starting point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL and may miss the entire season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Second-year guard Reed Sheppard will have to step up in his absence. Still, this should be one of the league’s most exciting teams, and we’ll finally get to see Durant as the true leader of a young, up-and-coming roster. How far can he take them?
No. 6: Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves continue to prove that they’re true contenders in the Western Conference. Even though they haven’t reached the NBA Finals, they’ve made the conference finals in each of the past two seasons. Edwards has done nothing but improve. Last season, he averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, but where he really took a leap was in his three-point shooting—he hit a career-best 39.5% from beyond the arc and led the league with 320 makes. Elite defensive wing Jaden McDaniels has also made strides offensively and will be counted on to score more often. Minnesota ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense, and while Rudy Gobert leaves much to be desired on the offensive end, the 7’1” center continues to anchor the paint with elite rim protection. The Timberwolves didn’t add much in free agency, so they’ll rely heavily on the internal development of second-year players Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. Even if they don’t finish among the top playoff seeds, they always seem to find a way to win. Now, the question is whether they can do it again while leaning more on their young core.
No. 7: Los Angeles Clippers
Most of the news surrounding the Clippers this offseason has been off the court, but when it comes to their on-court talent, they have one of the best rosters in the league. Los Angeles added Brook Lopez to back up Ivica Zubac at center, John Collins as a legitimate lob threat who can also stretch the floor, Chris Paul as a veteran backup point guard, and Bradley Beal, who, despite criticism from Suns fans, had a strong season with Phoenix. Kawhi Leonard will also be healthy to start the year. Last season, he missed the first 34 games due to inflammation in his right knee. The Clippers finished third in defense last season, and with Leonard healthy from the start, they should improve offensively while maintaining their defensive identity.
What will determine how far this team can go is whether this veteran-heavy team can withstand the grind of an 82-game season and stay healthy for the playoffs—when Leonard is at his best.
No. 8: Los Angeles Lakers
One of the biggest storylines entering the season is Luka Doncic’s body transformation—and the 26-year-old put it on full display at the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, where he averaged 34.7 points and 7.1 assists per game for Slovenia. As for the Lakers, they added three players who are expected to play key roles, each with something to prove. Deandre Ayton will start at center and look to put questions about his effort into resting. Marcus Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, has appeared in only 115 of a possible 246 games since winning the award in 2022. Jake LaRavia will try to find a stable role after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Sacramento Kings and not being re-signed. The Lakers will be without one of their superstars for the first few games of the season, as Charania reported on Oct. 9 that LeBron James will miss at least three to four weeks due to sciatica. Doncic is used to carrying a heavy offensive load, so L.A. should be fine while James recovers—but once he returns, the offense should fire on all cylinders. The big question is whether the Lakers can defend, with much of the roster being offensive-minded. If they can maintain a league-average defense, they could be a dangerous team in the postseason.
No. 9: Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have hovered around .500 for the past five seasons, but they’ve made several moves this offseason that could finally change that—and potentially make them a top 10 team in the league. Atlanta traded for Kristaps Porzingis to protect the rim and stretch the floor, signed three-and-D wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and sharpshooter Luke Kennard, and selected big man Asa Newell with the No. 23 pick in the 2025 draft. Forward Jalen Johnson will return from a torn labrum in his left shoulder that cut short his breakout season after just 36 games. In those games, he averaged 18.9 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game. It’s also the second year for former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, who the Hawks hope can build on a strong finish to his rookie campaign. Given Trae Young’s defensive struggles, Atlanta has surrounded him with good-to-elite defenders in Dyson Daniels, Johnson, Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and Risacher, making it harder for opponents to target him on that end of the floor. The roster also features several players with something to prove. Young was reportedly disappointed with the lack of discussion toward a contract extension, and Porzingis is entering the final year of his deal, looking to stay healthy and earn another payday. If the Hawks can stay healthy, especially Johnson and Porzingis, they have a legitimate shot to break into the league’s top tier and be in the mix for a top three seed in the Eastern Conference.
No. 10: Orlando Magic
The Magic ranked last in total three-pointers made over the past two seasons and have long struggled with outside shooting. That changed in a big way this offseason when they aggressively traded for Desmond Bane. Over his five-year career, Bane has shot 41% from three-point range and averaged 19.2 points per game last season. Orlando continues to hang its hat on defense—it ranked second in defensive rating last season—but finished just 27th on offense. To take the next step, the Magic need their young star duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to stay healthy. Both missed significant time last season with torn right obliques, and they played only 40 games together. If Bane can elevate Orlando’s offense to complement its elite defense, the Magic could become the biggest threat to the Cavaliers and Knicks in the East.
