With the 2025-26 National Basketball Association (NBA) season set to begin soon, the league is buzzing with speculation. After last season’s exciting finish with intense playoff matches, this year is sure to bring fun. However, many questions still remain about who will capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy, who will earn the next Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy and which players could see new teams.
Though the season has yet to begin, many have already started to speculate who is going to lift up the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the award given to the team that wins the NBA finals. Teams such as the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers are already favorites. OKC’s run last season, which culminated in the team winning the NBA finals, has led them to be undoubtedly favored to win again; however, with new and improved teams, that prediction may fall flat.
“I would say the Celtics are going to make it because they have a really good team overall,” junior Kaden Gotel explained.
Even though the Celtics lost their star player Jason Tatum to an ACL tear and all-star center Kristaps Porzingis to an off-season trade, the Celtics still have valuable assets that could push for a playoff run.
Moving on, MVP predictions lean toward familiar faces. 2024-25 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) remains the forerunner for the 2025-26 NBA MVP winner; however, Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić are also viewed as potential MVP winners.
“I think SGA will repeat… he’s super efficient, as he easily drops 30 points a game, however Luka is a player I will have my eyes out for,” Gotel stated.
Although SGA is a great player, there are many players in the league that are neck and neck with him, making it much more difficult to stand out for the MVP judges. Additionally, with SGA winning the MVP award last year he will face increased defensive attention on the court. This might make it easier for other players, such as Luka Dončić, to outperform him.
Beyond this, the 2025-26 NBA season is bound to have news-worthy trades. For instance, last year Luka Dončić was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, Trae Young, an Atlanta native who still remains on the Atlanta Hawks, has been in the conversation for being traded for multiple years now.
“One player I think that will be traded this year is Jaylen Brown…as he is a player that has valuable attributes,” Gotel said.
Jaylen Brown, who will be the first option for the Boston Celtics this year, is a player who possesses many valuable qualities, such as scoring efficiently and being a strong defender. In return, if the Celtics traded him, they could get valuable resources in return for Brown, such as first-round picks or valuable players.
Overall, this NBA season is expected to be packed with storylines that keep fans excited — from new champions, tight MVP races or potential league altering trades, fans are ready to get the season started. With the NBA season soon to tip-off, players, coaches and fans wait to make another chapter in NBA history.
