Moments after the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship, bookmakers opened the 2026 futures market. The Thunder are the consensus favorite to repeat as champions at +240 odds according to an update by BetMGM. The Houston Rockets jumped into second overall at +800 odds after they acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns over the weekend.
Here’s a quick look at some contenders for next year…
Back-to-Back? Thunder +240
The Thunder became the seventh team in seven seasons to win the title. Only three teams won back-to-back titles in the last 22 years, including the L.A. Lakers in 2009-10, Miami Heat in 2012-13, and the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became only the fourth player in NBA history to win a scoring title, regular season MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and the championship in the same season. He turns 27 in July and has yet to reach his full potential as a superstar, which is frightening.
KD Trade Bump: Rockets +800
The Rockets traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the #10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and a slew of second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for Durant. The Rockets saw their title odds cut in half and went from +1600 to +800. With the addition of Durant, the Rockets now have a legit closer who can take big shots in crunch time at the end of games. Head coach Ime Udoka and Durant will be a great tandem based on similar offensive philosophies. After leaving the Warriors, every team that Durant joined had lofty expectations to win a title, including the Brooklyn Nets and Suns. But, the Rockets have an ideal supporting cast of starters and bench to help him chase one more ring compared to his two previous teams.
Next Season’s Thunder? Cavs +850
The Cleveland Cavs steamrolled their competition in the Eastern Conference during the regular season but ran out of gas in the postseason and struggled with injuries in the second round. Will the Cavs be next year’s Thunder? The Thunder locked up the #1 seed last postseason yet suffered a disappointing exit in the conference semifinals. They bounced back to win the NBA title. Can the Cavs follow suit? The Cavs are the highest team from the East on the board at +850 odds to win next year’s title.
Help Wanted at MSG: Knicks +900
The exhausted New York Knicks ran out of gas in the conference finals when they were picked off by the Indiana Pacers. The team abruptly fired head coach Tom Thibodeau because he shortened his rotation in the postseason, and his overworked starters were drained in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks have all the elements in place (Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and a healthy Mitch Robinson) to make a run next season, especially if the Pacers and Boston Celtics don’t have their best players due to serious injuries. That’s why the Knicks are the fourth team on the board at BetMGM, and the second-highest team from the East at +900 odds.
However, the Knicks still do not have a head coach. The early search for a candidate was comical and outright amateurish, but there are still multiple head coaches available with a championship pedigree.
Bane Level Up: Magic +1400
The Orlando Magic saw their title odds improve after making an aggressive trade to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies for four unprotected first-round picks plus Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony. Bane filled in for All-Star point guard Ja Morant numerous times in the last few seasons when he went down with injuries or served suspensions. The addition of Bane provides the Magic with a veteran scoring wing who will be a perfect complement to their star forwards, Palo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Back-to-Back Final Fours: Timberwolves +1400
The Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference finals in consecutive seasons, and finally got respect from the bookies and bettors on the futures market. They’re tied for fifth overall on the board at +1400 odds. Anthony Edwards might be the best pure scoring guard in the west, not nicknamed SGA, and he’s still young! The Ant Man turns 24 in August.
LeBron and Luka Show: L.A. Lakers +1500
Sure, LeBron James will be a year older (he turns 41 in December) and one step closer to retirement, but the Lakers will be fun to watch in their first full season with Luka Doncic at the helm. JJ Redick had an auspicious debut as a rookie head coach last season, and expect him to continue to evolve and improve while he manages the circus-like atmosphere of coaching the Lake Show in Hollywood.
Colorado Cleanse: Nuggets +1600
The Denver Nuggets didn’t wait for the offseason to clean house. They did it in the final week of the regular season when they fired general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Mike Malone. The two had been feuding ever since they won the 2023 NBA championship, which resulted in a toxic workplace environment and a fractured locker room. The ownership gave well-loved assistant coach David Adelman a chance to prove his worth in the playoffs. The Nuggets liked what they saw despite a second-round exit and promoted Adelman from interim head coach to head coach. The Nuggets have the best player on the planet in Nikola Jokic, so you can never truly count them out. Yet, they’re still eighth overall on the board and the fifth highest team from the west at +1600 odds.
Tatum-Less: Celtics +1800
The Boston Celtics saw a potential new dynasty go up in smoke when Jayson Tatum blew out his Achilles in the second round. They were knocked out by the Knicks, and their attempt to win back-to-back titles came to a halt. Tatum will most likely miss the 2025-26 season. The Celtics still have Jaylen Brown, but they’re more of a sentimental pick than anything else right now without Tatum.
Wemby Year Three: Spurs +2200
Many NBA superstars historically made a big leap between their second and third seasons, so all eyes will be on Victor Wembanyama. Let’s not forget he’s still 21 years old! The San Antonio Spurs have big hopes this upcoming season, but their future could hinge upon what they do with their first-round draft pick. Dylan Harper is expected to get selected at #2, but will the Spurs keep the pick or trade it?
Twilight: Warriors +2500
Steph Curry and Draymond Green will be a year older, and their window to win another title together is nearly shut. This is another nostalgia pick at +2500 odds at BetMGM.
Philly ER: 76ers +3500
The 76ers were a hot mess last season with injuries to key starters, including Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. There are rumors that they will pull the trigger and acquire the #2 pick in the draft from the Spurs to snag Harper. If they don’t pull off a pre-draft trade, the big question looms large in Philly… will Embiid return to the lineup fully healed? Or is this just the beginning of the end of his career due to a nagging knee injury?
Cooper Time: Mavericks +3500
The Mavericks luckboxed their way into winning the draft lottery after the team, especially general manager Nico Harrison, took an avalanche of guff from fans for trading away the beloved Luka Doncic for well below market value. The Mavs selected Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the #1 pick. Can the trio of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Flagg make a deep run next season? BetMGM oddsmakers don’t have faith at +3500 odds.
Live and Die by the Kawhi: Clippers +3500
With a healthy Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers made a run late last season but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Jokic and the Nuggets. With a healthy Leonard and a locked-in James Harden, the Clippers could move into the top tier in the West. But Leonard’s health and Harden’s attention span are always a question mark.
Hurting Without Haliburton: Pacers +4000
The Pacers saw next year’s title hopes vanish when Tyrese Haliburton was helped off the court in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Halliburton suffered an Achilles injury, and he’s expected to miss all of next season. Without their floor general, the Pacers saw their odds drastically drop from +1000 to +4000.
Hope in the Big D: Pistons +5000
The pesky Detroit Pistons gave the Knicks a huge headache in the opening round of the playoffs. Although the Pistons were knocked out in the first round, the young squad got a much-needed taste of the postseason, which should carry over into next season. They have a bona fide star in Cade Cunningham and a slew of young complementary players like Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. Can the Pistons continue to improve and compete with the elites in the East like the Cavs, Knicks, and Magic?
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