The Thunder enter the 2025-26 NBA campaign as the hunted one, as they’re deemed as the league’s measuring stick. After winning last season’s championship, the Thunder are poised to repeat. That is because every player from last season’s roster is returning except Dillon Jones, and their stars have yet to reach their prime.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City will get the best shot from opponents every game, and some of the teams are more equipped than others to try to topple the reigning champions. According to the preseason NBA 2025 odds, the Nuggets, Rockets, Knicks, and Cavaliers are among those teams that have a puncher’s chance.
Today at SBOTOP, we analyse why these four teams appear to be the closest challengers to Oklahoma City’s reign.
Nuggets
Several Thunder players admitted that the Nuggets “scared” them during their championship run last season. Besides the Pacers, the Nuggets also pushed the Thunder to the limit by forcing Game 7 during the second round.
Denver arguably still have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, and their front office managed to retool their roster with some shrewd additions this summer, making them one of the biggest offseason winners.
The team brought back Bruce Brown, a key piece in their 2023 title run, to a one-year contract. Denver also traded Michael Porter Jr. in exchange for Cameron Johnson and a future draft pick and added Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. Besides Porter, the Nuggets only lost Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook.
The only knock on the Nuggets is their 21st-ranked defence, which gave up 115.1 points per 100 possessions, the worst among the teams that qualified for the playoffs. Aaron Gordon’s health and the development of youngsters Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are important factors in their defensive improvement.
Rockets
The Rockets raised eyebrows when they were the second seed in the Western Conference last season. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Warriors in seven games during the first round, but they used the disappointing defeat to reload their roster this offseason.
After extending head coach Ime Udoka’s contract, Houston also re-signed Steven Adams, Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jae’Sean Tate. And then they made big NBA 2025 news by acquiring Kevin Durant in a historic seven-team deal and recruited Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, Josh Okogie, and JD Davison. In return, they only lost Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Jock Landale, and Cam Whitmore.
Many believe that the Durant acquisition instantly makes Houston a top contender. Despite approaching 37, the 15-time NBA All-Star remains one of the league’s most dangerous scorers, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks on 53/43/84 shooting clips across 62 regular season games last term.
Also, the Rockets didn’t lose Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Tari Eason this summer, which is also a major win. These youngsters will also play key roles in the team’s fortunes this upcoming season.
Knicks
The Knicks are coming off their deepest playoff run, as they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Along the way, they eliminated the former champions, the Celtics, in the second round. However, after losing to the Pacers, they fired their head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
New York appointed Mike Brown as their next head coach, and he inherits essentially the same roster from last season. Thibodeau had been criticised for not maximising their bench, and Brown is expected to do the opposite while slightly improving their offence.
With Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby forming their core in the next few years, the Knicks are expected to contend in the thinned-down Eastern Conference, especially since the Celtics and Pacers are likely to experience a gap year. This offseason, New York reinforced their second unit with the free agency signings of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are expected to compete alongside the Knicks next season, as they’ve kept the same players they had during their 64-win 2024-25 regular season. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen are all under 30, and they have all the motivation to go all the way following their disappointing second-round exit last campaign.
After losing Ty Jerome to the Grizzlies, the Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro to the Bulls for Lonzo Ball. They also acquired free agent Larry Nance Jr. and re-signed Sam Merrill to a four-year extension.
Cleveland’s collective talent is undeniable, but their health is a potential pitfall. De’Andre Hunter, Darius Garland, and Lonzo Ball, among others, have their share of well-documented injury issues over the past few seasons.
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