With the 2024-25 NBA season soon coming to an end, it’s time to make predictions! Will there be a new champion this year? Our authors participate.

Check out our price predictions here.

Who will win the East?

Vincent Goodwill: Celtics. It won’t be as easy as last year, the path is perfectly paved for the hardly challenged Celtics. But trusting the Knicks or 76ers seems like too difficult a task right now, and who knows if the Bucks can muster any real consistency beyond tantalizing stretches. The Celtics are motivated enough and certainly complete enough to get through the gauntlet and be ready for June.

Kevin O’Connor: Celtics. They’ve got everyone back and could be even better next season thanks to their young core. I expect them to win over 60 games again as the deepest and best team in the East.

Dan Devine: Celtics. They return the entire rotation of the team that decimated the league last season. You now know how to play Joe Mazzulla’s style, and he seems intent on pushing the boundaries even further. Although Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are champions with $300 million contracts, they still have a lot to offer, and with all due respect to Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and Paul George, I have yet to find a better top six. I’m not saying Boston is unbeatable. I just don’t pick anyone in the East to beat them.

Ben Rohrbach: Celtics. What has the East done to close the 14-game gap between Boston and No. 2? The 76ers added Paul George, who is already injured, and the Knicks went for Karl-Anthony Towns, who a league source said is not his coach’s biggest fan. Maybe one of them will challenge the Celtics to more than a five-game series this time.

Tom Haberstroh: Celtics. The only question mark is Kristaps Porziņģis, but they should steamroll the East like they did last season. Even if all goes well in Milwaukee, Philly or New York, the Celtics have enough ammunition to withstand a push from the minor leagues.

Dan Titus: Celtics. Most (serious) Eastern Conference contenders have achieved wing depth that rivals Boston’s duo of Tatum and Brown – but that won’t matter. The field has too many holes and question marks to beat a team like the Celtics. Remember, the Celtics went 12-2 in the playoffs before reaching the NBA Finals last season. The East belongs to you.

Who will win the West?

Rohrbach: Thunder. They are the most complete team in the West. At the very least, it will take some time for the Timberwolves to adjust to the Towns trade. The Nuggets lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Mavericks have too many problems on defense. Meanwhile, OKC added two of the NBA’s best role players to fill the few holes left by last season’s 57-win team.

Haberstroh: Thunder. It’s safe to assume that except for the Thunder, all contenders in the West have taken a step back this offseason. OKC added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein as the rest of the roster got closer to its peak. The Hartenstein injury will sting, but like ripping off a Band-Aid, it will only hurt for a short time.

Titus: Outsider. Last season was no fluke and a dynamic duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading an improved support staff of floor defenders and defenders will help the Mavs return to the Finals. OKC doesn’t have the experience, the Suns aren’t reliable, and Memphis and Minnesota aren’t ready.

O’Connor: Thunder. They won 57 games last season and solved both problems with the addition of Caruso and Hartenstein. With Sam Presti sitting on a mountain of assets, they can also make any acquisition they need.

Goodwill: Timberwolves. It’s too tempting to pick the Thunder, and it’s no surprise that they’re the favorites. At this point it flips a coin. Going all-in on Edwards, Chris Finch and even Rudy Gobert seems a bit risky, but they will get into postseason shape despite the increased attention after last year’s success. To be honest, you can imagine five teams playing in June. In this simulation, it just seems sensible to bet on the stamina of a 23-year-old – if you can ever be smart about a 23-year-old.

Devin: Thunder. They stress-tested their core last postseason, found its weaknesses and bolstered it with two of the NBA’s best role players. Progress is not always linear; However, in this case I think it will be exponential.

Who will be NBA champion?

O’Connor: Celtics. I’ll take them over the Thunder in 6. Boston has been through this before and has the tools to compete with OKC. However, if this team does make the matchup, it likely won’t be the last time they face each other in the NBA Finals.

Devin: Thunder. Boston vs. Oklahoma City will be one hell of a Spider-Man game, referencing the Spider-Man meme: two teams playing five-out to drive-and-kick, who can play double-bigs, with no spacing or setup to sacrifice, who can downsize without being too small on the sidelines, and who have shooting, passing, driving, cutting, shielding and defensive strength at every position. But one of these Spider-Men is a bit older and has just played a 101-game season; One of them is younger, deeper, and maybe just a little hungrier. OKC wins the race for the prize; up to the avant-garde.

Goodwill: Celtics. Matchups, matchups. It feels like Boston is destined to be here while the West will be a gauntlet. Good recovery during the marathon could be key, along with home advantage. Tatum and Brown, individually motivated, could push for another title shot against whoever is on the other side. Continuity and health are the main reasons there hasn’t been a repeat winner since the Warriors in 2018. The C’s are healthy enough at the top to hang on, and probably arrogant enough to do it again and rub it in everyone’s face.

Haberstroh: Thunder. They improved their wing defense and strengthened the center. I don’t see any gaps in this team. I’m worried the Celtics won’t have the stamina to fight back. The thunder will be ready.

Titus: Celtics. It’s chalky, but Boston is still one ring away from impending dynasty talks. The road through the Western Conference is tough – and seeing Boston as the final opponent en route to winning a chip is even worse. Boston has arguably the best-assembled roster in the league and is determined to do whatever it takes to win. Celtics in 6 with Jayson Tatum winning Finals MVP.

Rohrbach: Celtics. They have by far the best starting eleven in the league. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are 26 and 27 years old, respectively, and the Olympics gave both of them reason to maintain their motivation after winning a championship. Given the chance that Kristaps Porzingis could be healthy for the playoffs and Tatum could emerge from his shooting slump, the Celtics could very well be better, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.