NBA’s New Era: Thunder Dynasty Rising as 2025-26 Season Approaches

The Defending Champions and Their Legacy

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2025-26 season as clear favourites to defend their title, though their path won’t be easy as the Western Conference has strengthened considerably over the summer. Their dominance is backed by impressive statistics – they achieved the largest cumulative point differential in NBA history over their 105 games last season, averaging 11.8 points per game (fourth all-time), and showed remarkable resilience with a .643 win percentage in games they trailed by double-digits.

Conference Landscape Changes

The Western Conference has seen significant reinforcement, with the Houston Rockets adding Kevin Durant, the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring a slimmer Luka Dončić for a full season, and the Denver Nuggets making strategic upgrades.

The Eastern Conference landscape has been dramatically altered by injuries, with several key players sidelined. Despite these setbacks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are expected to maintain their positions at the conference’s summit, while the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic show promise for improvement.

Notable Developments and Challenges

As the 2025-26 season gears up, with the national TV calendar taking shape and the season schedule recently unveiled, teams are preparing for training camps that open in just over a month. The upcoming season will be defined by key factors that will determine each team’s success over the next ten months.

Future Outlook

The Thunder’s future looks particularly bright, with an impressive arsenal of 10 first-round picks over the next five drafts to complement their championship roster. The 2025-26 NBA season is approaching gradually, and while it’s too early for definitive postseason predictions, the league’s reputation for superstar shake-ups, surprise runs, and playoff plunders suggests another exciting year ahead.