ESPN's Summer Forecast has answered some of the NBA's biggest questions heading into the 2024-25 season. Experts gave their predictions for the league's biggest awards, East and West standings and now will round out the forecast with conference champions and Finals winners.
This season, the Boston Celtics will look to become the first back-to-back champs since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, but there will be challengers.
The Philadelphia 76ers will seek to return to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001 behind Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and newly acquired All-Star forward Paul George. The New York Knicks could also challenge in the East behind their "Nova-Knicks" which now includes two-way star Mikal Bridges.
After a fumbled run in the 2024 Finals, the Dallas Mavericks have upgraded their dominating offense (led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving) by adding Klay Thompson. But they will face other top contenders, notably Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves.
We asked our experts to rank their top choices for the East and West -- and the eventual NBA champion -- with a first-place vote receiving five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one.
Here are the results:
Note: This week, our 2024-25 NBA Summer Forecast has covered the biggest questions, projections for top awards, including MVP and DPOY, and Eastern and Western win-loss projections.
Who will win the Eastern Conference finals?
The Celtics seem inevitable.
Jayson Tatum signed one of the largest contracts in NBA history this offseason and Boston will return eight rotation players from last season's title team, including Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday. However, an expensive roster and a potential sale of a majority stake of the team could be the catalysts that halts a possible dynasty. The Celtics are clear favorites in our forecast to return to the Finals, but who can stop them from achieving their 19th title?
The 76ers make their case as front-runners after adding nine-time All-Star Paul George, one of the best two-way players in the league.
Tyrese Maxey, last season's Most Improved Player after a career-best season, will look to take the next step as Philly's lead guard, but only with the help of 2022 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
The Knicks are close behind the 76ers. Despite injury woes to OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle throughout the season, the Knicks came within one game of the East finals. If coach Tom Thibodeau's team can stay healthy, it is one of the Celtics' most formidable foes.
The Bucks will hope that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can find their groove in their second season together, while Donovan Mitchell will try to get the Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018.
1. Boston Celtics: 97 points
2. Philadelphia 76ers: 39 points
3. New York Knicks: 38 points
4. Milwaukee Bucks: 13 points
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: 2 points
Who will win the Western Conference finals?
The Thunder -- the youngest top seed in NBA history -- lost in the second round to the eventual conference champion Mavericks, but hopes are high in Oklahoma City. The roster returns with playoff experience, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the additions of defensive stopper Alex Caruso and rebounding big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
Following the Thunder are the Timberwolves, who made the conference finals in Anthony Edwards' breakout fourth season. Edwards returns to Minnesota as an Olympic gold medalist after defeating teammate Rudy Gobert and France in the title game.
The Mavericks finished third in the voting after a run to the 2024 NBA Finals and the addition of five-time All-Star Klay Thompson during free agency.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets landed in fourth after a surprise second-round exit ended their title defense. Denver also lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the offseason as its roster continues to change shape after winning the 2023 championship.
Kevin Durant's Phoenix Suns and LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers round out our panel's top six. Will Durant and James be able to hold off the conference's new faces who are trying to take the reins in the West?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 83 points
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: 48 points
3. Dallas Mavericks: 29 points
4. Denver Nuggets: 18 points
5. Phoenix Suns: 8 points
6. Los Angeles Lakers: 2 points
Who will win the NBA Finals?
Boston has everything it needs to become the NBA's next dynasty: two All-NBA wings in Tatum and Brown, two All-Defense guards in Holiday and White, a matchup nightmare in center Kristaps Porzingis and a versatile big man in Al Horford.
But standing in their way could be the NBA's next MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander, last season's MVP runner-up and our panel's third choice for the award this season, is just 26 and has the young Thunder on a path to perennial title contention.
Our experts give Boston a heavy advantage to repeat, but OKC will surely seek to make more noise in the playoffs.
Elsewhere on the list, the 76ers and the Knicks, two teams that made monster moves this summer, received votes to capture the 2025 title. Philly hasn't celebrated an NBA championship since 1983, while New York has been waiting since 1973. The Mavericks, last season's West champion, received just six votes.
1. Boston Celtics: 82 points
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: 37 points
3. Philadelphia 76ers: 18 points
4. Denver Nuggets: 13 points
T-5. Milwaukee Bucks: 9 points
T-5. New York Knicks: 9 points
7. Dallas Mavericks: 6 points