The Oklahoma City Thunder are 2025 NBA champions after beating the Indiana Pacers, 103-91, in Sunday’s Recreation 7, capturing the franchise’s first title since relocating from Seattle. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded Finals MVP to cap off what’s been a season of successful for the Canadian guard, who additionally earned league MVP.
The Thunder have been supremely dominant all through the common season and a lot of the postseason, and whereas the Pacers put up a really sturdy combat within the Finals — they gave us the perfect NBA Finals in fairly a while — Oklahoma Metropolis got here out on high. The celebration was actually dampened by an early exit by Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who left the sport within the first quarter with an Achilles harm that seemed pretty just like the Achilles tear Kevin Durant suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. It was a brutal option to finish the season for the Pacers, however Indiana did not cease preventing till the very finish in what was one of the entertaining Finals runs in NBA historical past.
Looking forward to subsequent season, the Thunder will definitely open as favorites to repeat once more given this younger core is not going anyplace quickly. However because the championship celebrations start in Oklahoma Metropolis, let’s check out the remainder of the league and assess which title-less workforce would be the subsequent to win a championship.
There are at present 10 groups within the NBA which have by no means received a title, however some groups are a lot nearer than others in crossing their names off that listing. So let’s rank the ten groups so as of which is closest to successful their franchise’s first championship.
The Jazz received 17 video games this season, so it is no shock to seek out them on the backside of this listing. They did not get fortunate within the lottery in spite of everything that shedding, so it’s going to doubtless be one other couple seasons of shedding earlier than this workforce may even significantly contend for a playoff spot within the Western Convention, not to mention a title. On the intense facet, Utah can have a number of possibilities at attempting to land a younger star participant by means of the draft, as they personal most of their very own future first-round draft picks. However as we noticed on this 12 months’s lottery, simply since you end close to or on the backside of the standings, doesn’t suggest you are assured to land the No. 1 total choose. There’s already been hypothesis that the Jazz will attempt to tank with the hopes of touchdown high prospect AJ Dybantsa, who shall be taking part in at close by BYU subsequent season.
On paper, the Pelicans have a roster worthy of being larger on this listing. However there are a few the reason why they discover themselves so low. First, regardless of all of the promise Zion Williamson had coming into the league as a No. 1 total choose, he simply can not keep wholesome. He is performed in lower than 50% of video games since he is entered the NBA, and even when wholesome there are considerations about him staying in form to carry out at his peak. Most just lately, Williamson’s title made headlines as he is been accused of rape and emotional abuse in a lawsuit, which might put his future with the Pelicans unsure.
Williamson apart, New Orleans has the issue of taking part in within the West, the place at any time there are at the very least 8-10 different groups higher positioned to win a title than they’re. The Pelicans have a number of high quality gamers on the roster in Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones and CJ McCollum, however and not using a bona fide star who is not continuously injured, New Orleans will proceed to be a play-in workforce going ahead.
The Hornets have been one other workforce hoping to land Cooper Flagg after a 19-63 season, however as a substitute they wound up with the No. 4 choose. Nonetheless a good spot to be in, and in the event that they handle to nail that choose then it might quick observe their route again to competition. However rather a lot has to go proper for that to occur and, given current historical past, the Hornets have not precisely been nice at constructing a contending workforce. They’ve had two top-three picks within the final 5 years, and whereas LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have had their moments, accidents have largely stood in the best way of seeing what this workforce may even be. Including one other top-end prospect will assist, and being in a weaker Japanese Convention there’s at all times an opportunity that if the Hornets can keep wholesome they might be a shock playoff workforce. However we have not seen it but, and till then, they’re on the decrease finish of this listing.
Sadly, it should worsen earlier than it will get higher for the Suns. They’ve lastly traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, through which they got a rather underwhelming return that does not contain any first-round draft capital past this 12 months. The Suns by no means had any leverage on this state of affairs, so there was in all probability by no means going to be that good of a return on the desk until the Spurs needed to pony up a ton for the longer term Corridor of Famer. For proper now, Phoenix’s core consists of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Bradley Beal and whoever they take with the No. 10 choose within the 2025 draft. They may actually enhance the roster earlier than the season begins — maybe by including a top quality middle — however within the brief time period, the Suns at the moment are additional away from title competition than they have been when Durant was on the workforce.
And past simply the instant future, the Suns nonetheless do not management any of their first-round picks between 2026 and 2031. That is a grim outlook over the following six years for Phoenix, until it makes the extremely unlikely choice to commerce Booker, which might get them a much better return than what they bought for Durant. Both method, the probabilities of the Suns being a championship contender within the close to or intermediate future is extremely low.
The Nets haven’t any franchise centerpieces on their workforce, however they’re armed with a major variety of future picks that may solely be rivaled by the Thunder’s struggle chest. It makes Brooklyn a workforce that would, at any second, pony up a bunch of property to go star searching. The Nets tried that when and it by no means amounted to a Finals or perhaps a convention finals look, however that does not imply they should not attempt once more. Additionally they nonetheless have two enticing property on their workforce in Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton who might additionally fetch them both a younger participant on the rise or future draft capital. It is an amazing place to be in, and whereas within the brief time period the Nets do not seem like a workforce that would win a title, they have a ton of property to make that change rapidly.
I am simply going based mostly on what the Grizzlies seem like at present, and whereas there are some who suppose they need to blow up their roster after buying and selling away Desmond Bane, I’ll assume that is not the route Memphis goes to take. And for example the Grizzlies did attempt to pivot, I am unable to envision them buying and selling away each Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.. So for example they transfer on from Morant — they’d nonetheless have a Defensive Participant of the Yr winner in Jackson to construct round going ahead. And now they have what could possibly be a excessive lottery choose from the Suns within the 2026 draft because of that Bane take care of Orlando. It will be an extremely troublesome route for Memphis to even get to the NBA Finals, however it wasn’t too way back that this workforce was successful 50-plus video games per season. If they’ll get again to that within the close to future, it is not not possible to check the Grizzlies successful a title before the groups beneath them on this listing.
It appears like yearly the Clippers ought to be thought-about title contenders, however accidents at all times take them out of the equation. This 12 months it was operating into the Denver Nuggets within the first spherical that did them in, an unfortunate draw to get so early within the playoffs. Had L.A. been matched up with the Rockets or the Lakers, there’s an opportunity the Clippers make it out the primary spherical. However that is prior to now now. Wanting forward, L.A. nonetheless has a famous person chief in Kawhi Leonard, who regardless of beginning the season injured, seemed like his previous self within the again half of the 12 months. James Harden has considerably reinvented himself with L.A. and returned to All-Star type, and Ivica Zubac is without doubt one of the premier rim protectors who’s an underrated facilitator and finisher across the rim. Harden and Leonard aren’t of their prime anymore, however that duo, mixed with Zubac and Norman Powell, is a top quality core for at the very least the following couple years.
The Clippers are at all times able to making a deep postseason run so long as Leonard is wholesome, and on condition that he’ll be coming into subsequent season with no main illnesses, the short-term window remains to be open for L.A. to win its first title.
3. Indiana Pacers
If it weren’t for the Haliburton Achilles harm, the Pacers could be sitting atop this listing, as a result of at full energy there is a good likelihood they may get again to the NBA Finals subsequent season. Sadly, with Haliburton anticipated to overlook prolonged time, that modifications Indiana’s short-term outlook. However they nonetheless have a vibrant future the place they may very nicely win their first championship within the subsequent few years. Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are signed by means of at the very least 2028, as are Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin. There have already experiences that the workforce plans on re-signing Myles Turner this summer time, guaranteeing that the Pacers shall be paying the luxurious tax for the primary time since 2006.
Past that, the Pacers did a sneakily-savvy move through the Finals by buying and selling the No. 23 choose within the 2025 draft and the rights to Mojave King to the Pelicans for their very own 2026 first-round choose. That 2026 choose could look much more helpful for the Pacers with Haliburton out subsequent season, and so they might use it to commerce or — relying on how excessive it’s — take a participant in what is anticipated to be a loaded draft. That take care of the Pelicans additionally permits Indiana to commerce as much as 4 first-round picks between 2026 and 2032, that means it might go star-hunting within the close to or distant future to proceed bettering the roster. So mainly, the Pacers roster that simply went to the Finals is not going anyplace, and if issues do not work out of the following 2-3 years, they’ve property to make sure they’ll stay championship contenders and probably win that elusive title.
The Magic simply made an all-in transfer to win a championship, and so they’re in all probability taking a look at what the Pacers did and considering they may additionally make an sudden run to the NBA Finals. The concept is not delusional, both. They have a younger budding star in Paolo Banchero, one other younger expertise in Franz Wagner who can play hero or sidekick, and simply added Desmond Bane, who suits completely alongside these two. The Magic are a defense-first workforce that added the most effective quantity 3-point shooters within the league so, yeah, their probabilities of making a playoff run are excessive.
This can be a younger core that may be good for at the very least the following 5 years, and the Magic have tons of draft capital to make use of to proceed constructing round these guys. It might be shocking to see Orlando this excessive on the listing contemplating they have not made it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs since 2010, however the Magic simply addressed their greatest want earlier than the offseason even formally began, and with Banchero and Wagner totally wholesome subsequent season, it is a workforce that would make a Pacers-esque run to the Finals as quickly as subsequent season.
The Timberwolves are coming off back-to-back convention finals appearances, have the most effective younger stars within the league in Anthony Edwards, a four-time Defensive Participant of the Yr winner in Rudy Gobert and several other younger high quality gamers who will proceed to enhance collectively. They did not land Durant, as he reportedly had no real interest in taking part in in Minnesota, however the Wolves have the flexibility to go get one other star to pair with Edward in the event that they so select. Even when that does not occur instantly, we have seen this Wolves workforce flip a change within the postseason twice now, and whereas they’ve fallen brief, it is solely a matter of time earlier than they lastly break by means of.
Minnesota’s capability to win its first title hinges on Edwards’ continued growth, and given the place he’s at simply 23 years previous, there’s clearly nonetheless tons of room for him to develop. Continued roster enchancment may also matter, and the Wolves should work out the best way to pay and maintain guys like Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer time. Protecting this core intact is essential to Minnesota’s capability to get again to the West finals and past, but when they handle that and are high quality going above the second tax apron once more, then this workforce has the endurance to problem for the title within the subsequent few years.