Oklahoma City brought back every major piece from last year’s championship team, plus added Nikola Topic with the 12th overall pick, Brooks Barnhizer with the 44th, and signed 2022 11th overall pick Ousmane Dieng. The Thunder are favored to win back-to-back titles by a wide margin, and it’s hard to argue against.

The Indiana Pacers are unlikely to be able to ride the high of an NBA Finals appearance. Will they make the NBA playoffs in 2026?

The Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their championship banner on Tuesday night already owning lofty expectations for the 2025-26 NBA season.