ESPN Forecast Picks Cavaliers to Lead East, Thunder to Repeat in West
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NEW YORK — An ESPN projection panel expects the Cleveland Cavaliers to post an Eastern Conference-best 59 wins during the 2025-26 NBA season, edging out the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic for the top seed.
Eastern Conference Outlook
The projection slots Cleveland at 59-23. New York is next at 54-28, followed by Orlando at 50-32. The Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons are both pegged for 47-35 to round out the top five. Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and Indiana are forecast to battle for the remaining playoff and play-in positions.
Western Conference Outlook
Out West, the model predicts the Oklahoma City Thunder will repeat last season’s league-leading record with 64 wins. The Houston Rockets (54-28), Denver Nuggets (53-29), Minnesota Timberwolves (51-31), Los Angeles Clippers (50-32) and Los Angeles Lakers (50-32) complete the top six.
Projected Finals Matchup
A separate ESPN analysis lists Thunder vs. Cavaliers as the most likely NBA Finals pairing, with Oklahoma City favored to claim back-to-back championships. Denver received the second-most votes as a title contender, followed by Cleveland, Houston and New York.
Three Former NBA Players Head to China
The Chinese Basketball Association’s Ningbo Rockets have signed 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, guard Frank Jackson and guard Zavier Simpson. Fall, who logged 37 NBA games with Boston and Cleveland, returns to the CBA after previous stints with Xinjiang and Nanjing and most recently played for the New Zealand Breakers. Jackson, a 2017 second-round pick with 214 NBA appearances, previously suited up for Shanxi and Jiangsu in China. Simpson, who had brief runs with Oklahoma City and Memphis before spending last season in Romania, will be playing in China for the first time.
ESPN Adjusts Lead Broadcast Team
ESPN has added Tim Legler to its primary NBA broadcast booth alongside play-by-play voice Mike Breen and analyst Richard Jefferson, replacing Doris Burke. Burke has signed a multiyear extension with the network and will join play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch on ESPN’s No. 2 crew.
Source: Hoops Wire
