Updates, Predictions & Stories from the 25/26 NBA Season
- TafadzwaIs
- Dec 23, 2025
- 8 min read
Intro
The 25/26 NBA season is underway and is heating up, approaching the annual holiday games. As with every year, players arise, and players fall off, including the exciting early talks of Most Valuable Player candidates and potential championship contenders. With an early look at playoff season, odds place the Oklahoma City Thunder near the top, with the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers close behind, and several others within striking distance.
Top stories so far
Knicks Win the Emirates NBA Cup
One of the defining early storylines is the New York Knicks capturing the 2025 NBA Cup, the in-season tournament held as part of the 2025-26 campaign. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in the championship game at the neutral site of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — marking their first Cup triumph and first significant trophy in over five decades. Jalen Brunson was named Cup MVP.
This has generated buzz around the East and boosted the Knicks' morale early in the season. Several players have even shared parts of their prize money with the team’s support staff.
Thunder’s Historic Start & Title Odds
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have posted one of the most dominant starts in recent memory, sitting among the league’s best records with near-historic win percentages and remaining favourites in title odds, even after a recent loss in the NBA Cup semi-finals. Their star play, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company, places them among the season’s central storylines.
Individual Performances & Standouts
Jalen Brunson has continued his strong play, dropping a season-high 47 points for the Knicks in a key win over the Miami Heat, reinforcing his MVP case and leadership role. Other storylines include leadership and culture questions (e.g., Chris Paul/ LA Angeles Clippers) and how teams are constructing identities around star movements and tactical adjustments.
Chris Paul - No Way Home
All-time point guard Chris Paul (CP) experienced an abrupt termination from the Los Angeles Clippers, the organisation coined as 'Lob City' during his tenure there alongside Blake Griffin (retired) and DeAndre Jordan (New Orleans Pelicans). This sparked a large controversy as fans believed CP would retire there. By mid–to–late 2025, it became clear the Clippers were not true championship contenders, and the Clippers let him go.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance… I accept responsibility for the record we have right now.”
Lawrence Frank (Clippers President)
“I’m actually at peace with everything… I’m excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next.”
Chris Paul (Ex Los Angeles Clipper)
Global NBA Expansion Talks
Off the court, the NBA announced plans in partnership with FIBA for a new professional European basketball league, potentially altering the global basketball landscape and creating opportunities for international competition and investment.
Predictions & Contenders - Regular Season MVP
Top Favorites
Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets) – Seen as the favourite by GMs and models, with many projecting him as the top MVP candidate due to his triple-double production and consistent elite play.
Other Strong Contenders
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) – A continuing MVP contender and leader of the defending champs.
Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers) – Still in the mix when healthy, with MVP-level production.
Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) – Could join the MVP race if the Spurs become a winning team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – in the mid-range compared to the leaders, still in the mix
Predictions & Contenders - Rookie of the Year (ROY)
Top Favorites
Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks) – The clear favourite in most odds boards.
Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs) – Marketed as a secondary contender (though less likely to start).
VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) – Quietly emerging as a meaningful contributor and dark horse.
Predictions & Contenders - Championship Team
Top Favorites
Oklahoma City Thunder – Heavily favoured to repeat, with the best mix of star power, balance, and continuity.
Denver Nuggets – Always dangerous with Jokić’s MVP credentials and playoff experience.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Strong Eastern contender with depth and star talent.
Other Strong Contenders
New York Knicks – NBA Cup winners with momentum.
Houston Rockets – Upside due to emerging stars and potential breakout.
Los Angeles Lakers & other Western teams – A hot streak or injuries could push them into contention.
Predictions & Contenders - 6th Man of the Year (6MOY)
Top Favorites
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat) – Reportedly leading many early odds boards. Miami has historically been a team where the best players show up where it matters, and Jaime is proving to be a Miami player offensively (points and field goal percentage).
Predictions & Contenders - Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
Top Favorites
Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) – Among the early favourites in odds pools for his defensive impact.
Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) – Elite rim protection and blocks give him top-tier credentials.
Other Strong Contenders
Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) – Veteran defensive anchor with strong metrics.
Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Last season’s DPOY and still in the mix.
Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks) – Perimeter defender with sleeper value.
Why it matters?
New stars are taking over, power is more spread out, and the basketball itself is faster, smarter, and more volatile. This season isn’t about waiting for the next generation. Victor Wembanyama is no longer a novelty; he’s a nightly two-way force who can swing games by himself, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka, Ant Edwards, and Chet Holmgren are all firmly in their primes. Meanwhile, legends like LeBron and Steph are still impactful — creating a rare overlap of eras. This season is exciting because it combines star power, parity and Tactical variety, which has created a real generational shift with the introduction of the NBA cup that acts as a trial run before the postseason.
Glossary
Atlanta Hawks (formerly the 'St.Louis Hawks') [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Atlantic Division. They are located in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the State Farm Arena. The franchise was founded in 1949, and it has been active to date. They hold one NBA championship in 1958.
Championship [Sports] [General]...
a contest where a champion is decided, where a player/ team earns the title of champion for a given period.
Cleveland Cavaliers [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Central Division. They are located in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Stadium. The franchise was founded in 1970, and it has been active to date. They hold one NBA championship in 2016.
Dallas Mavericks [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Southwest Division. They are located in Dallas, Texas, playing in the American Airlines Center. The franchise was founded in 1980, and it has been active to date. They hold one NBA championship in 2011.
Denver Nuggets [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Northwest Division. They are located in Denver, Colorado, playing in the Ball Arena. The franchise was founded in 1976, and it has been active to date. They hold one NBA championship in 2023.
Fédération Internationale de Basketball (aka 'FIBA') [Sports] [Basketball]...
is the global governing organization for the sport of basketball, made up of over 210 national member federations. Founded in 1932, FIBA oversees basketball competition worldwide and sets the official rules of the game. It is responsible for organizing major international tournaments such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, continental championships, and basketball events at the Olympic Games, while also supporting the development of the sport across its member nations.
Houston Rockets [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Southwest Division. They are located in the Central Business District, Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Toyota Center. The franchise was founded in 1967, and it has been active to date. They hold two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995.
LA Clippers (formerly the 'Los Angeles Clippers') [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Pacific Division. They are located in Inglewood, California, playing in the Intuit Dome. The franchise was founded in 1970, and it has been active to date.
Los Angeles Lakers [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Pacific Division. They are located in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Crypto.com Arena. The franchise was founded in 1948, and it has been active to date. They hold 17 NBA championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 & 2020.
Miami Heat [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Southeast Division. They are located in Miami, Florida, playing in the Kaseya Center. The franchise was founded in 1988, and it has been active to date. They hold three NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Milwaukee Bucks [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Central Division. They are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, playing in the Fiserv Forum. The franchise was founded in 1968, and it has been active to date. They hold two NBA championships in 1971 and 2021.
Most Valuable Player (aka 'MVP') [Sports] [Basketball]...
the most valuable player: an award given to a basketball player who is judged most important to the sport, team, or game (examples include: the NBA Cup, All-Star game, regular season, postseason)
National Basketball Association (aka 'NBA') [Sports] [Basketball]…
a professional American basketball league that is the highest level of basketball in the world. The NBA is made up of 30 teams that are split between the Eastern Conference (EC) and the Western Conference (WC). The NBA annual calendar consists of a preseason, regular season, in-season and postseason tournaments.
National Basketball Association Cup (aka 'NBA Cup')...
an in-season tournament introduced in the 2023–24 regular season — a competition built into the regular season to add stakes, urgency, and a “tournament feel” to games, all games count toward regular-season records except the championship game.
New York Knicks [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Atlantic Division. They are located in New York, playing in Madison Square Garden. The franchise was founded in 1946, and it has been active to date. They hold two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.
Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly known as the 'Seattle Supersonics') [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Northwest Division. They are located in Central Oklahoma City, playing in the Paycom Centre. The franchise was founded in 1979, and it has been active to date. They hold two NBA championships in 1979 and 2025.
Philadelphia 76ers (formerly known as the 'Syracuse Nationals') [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Eastern Conference in the Atlantic Division. They are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, playing in the Wells Fargo Center. The franchise was founded in 1949, and it has been active to date. They hold three NBA championships in 1955, 1967 and 1983.
Playoffs (also known as the 'Post-Season) [Sports] [Basketball]…
the annual out-of-seven-elimination tournament, made up of three stages for each conference: the first round, the conference semifinals, and the conference finals. The top two teams in each conference play in the conference finals, and the winners of each conference play in the NBA Finals.
Point Guard (also known as the '1 Position') [Sports] [Basketball]…
a player whose main role is to run the offence, often with the responsibility to score (mainly from the perimeter and mid-range), and set the pace for the team.
San Antonio Spurs [Sports] [Basketball]…
an NBA team in the Western Conference in the Southwest Division. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Frost Bank Center. The franchise was founded in 1967, and it has been active to date. They hold five NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Sources
basketball-reference.com
nba.com/news
reuters.com/sports
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