The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers may be in the thick of the 2025 NBA Finals, but attention is already starting to turn to next season.
Feverishly anticipated each year, the bookmakers have released their futures lines for next term’s NBA Championship, with plenty keen to lock in some early value.
So who are the early favourites for the Larry O’Brien Trophy? And who represents the best of the value propositions?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Many of the leading bookmakers have already installed the Thunder as their market principle for 2025-26, meaning users are able to make their NBA Championship predictions a full 12 months in advance with platforms such as these sports betting apps. Among these, the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings are some of the best rated for iOS and Android users. At this stage, however, backing the Thunder at prices of 2/1 may require a leap of faith. They have perhaps been the standout team of 2024-25 – certainly in the play-offs, but only the Golden State Warriors have successfully retained their title in the past decade.
That’s a mountain that Oklahoma may – or may not – yet have to climb, pending their performances in the 2025 Finals.
Boston Celtics
A perennial favourite with the bookmakers, the Boston Celtics have been priced to overcome their disappointing campaign.
The 2024 champions bowed out to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, while a serious achilles injury suffered by Jayson Tatum could yet have implications for next season.
The consensus is that the Celtics need to improve in both attack and defence to have any chance of bouncing back in 2025-26, which suggest their current odds are a little on the short side.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Consistent post-season contenders, the Cleveland Cavaliers were outmatched against the Indiana Pacers this term and will need an improvement to make good on their status as third in the betting for the 2026 NBA Championship.
In Donovan Mitchell they’re blessed with an elite shooter, and their offensive play was so good that they finished top of the standings in terms of points-per-game.
If they can improve defensively and add some extra roster pieces in the off-season, the Cavs could represent the best value of the top three in the early betting market.
The Dark Horses
Perhaps the best of the value lies further down the odds, with the New York Knicks sure to attract plenty of interest. Rock solid during the regular season, they took down the dangerous Detroit Pistons and the Celtics in the play-offs, before running into an irresistible force in the Pacers. With Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns hitting their peak years, plus a more-than-capable supporting cast, the Knicks represent intriguing value.
The futures market can be an opportunity to speculate on post-season trade activity, with rumours suggesting that the San Antonio Spurs are favourites to land the signature of the incomparable Giannis Antetokounmpo. If they do, their price will surely plummet for a guy that averaged 30.4 points per game during the regular season.
