The 2024-25 NBA season ended with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the championship and their first title since 1979. In a gripping seven-game NBA Finals, the Thunder overcame the Indiana Pacers, after the Pacers lost their star player Tyrese Haliburton to a torn achilles in Game 7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished his season by earning Finals MVP, averaging 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the finals.
League-wide, the season was full of milestones with the Los Angeles Lakers making history in their first game with LeBron James and his son, Bronny James, becoming the first father-son duo to play in the same game together in the NBA.
Headlines continued as Jayson Tatum signed a record-setting five-year, $314 million extension with the Boston Celtics, only to sustain a season-ending Achilles injury midseason. In formatting news, the league lessens back-to-back games by 23%, aiming to lower load management and protect star players from injury.
The 2025 NBA Draft on June 25th-26th changed the league and immediately after the draft, a seven-team trade occurred. The trade moved Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, featuring one of the most compound trades in history.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander re-signed with the Thunder on a record four-year, $285 million extension, declaring the Thunder as early title favorites. Free Agency also built important deals: the Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard, signed Myles Turner and brought back defensive force Bobby Portis.
The coaching front offices didn’t stay quiet either. The Phoenix Suns hired Jordan Ott as their new head coach.
The San Antonio Spurs promoted Mitch Johnson to head coach following former head coach Gregg Popovich’s move to a presidential role after he spent 29 years as the Spurs’ head coach.
The Memphis Grizzlies decided to have Tuomas Iisalo as their new head coach.
The Denver Nuggets hired David Adelman as the new head coach after firing Michael Malone one and a half weeks prior to the playoffs.
Lastly, the New York Knicks’ front office replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown.
As training camps inch closer, expectations are mounting. The national TV schedule has been revealed and analysts point to fast starts being crucial, especially in a top-heavy Western Conference.
Team-by-team narratives are already being created: the Rockets rebuilt around Durant and added veterans like Dorian Finney-Smith; the Los Angeles Clippers secured their frontcourt with James Harden and Brook Lopez.
For the Lakers, they are planning both a high-stakes immediate playoff run as well as a long-term build with LeBron James and a newly acquired Luka Dončić.
For Golden State, pressure boils around Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors’ free agency with a $7.9 million qualifying offer on the table for Kuminga, his decision could reshape the Warriors’ offseason strategy.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green has enormous amounts of belief in winning the championship: “We’re getting this b**** this year,” signaling the franchise’s steady championship mindset.
The Spurs, strengthened by Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and young additions from this last draft, aim to crack the playoff picture but will face noble competition in a deeper Western Conference.
In the end, the NBA makes its way from crowning the Thunder to an offseason filled with deranged moves and emerging storylines.
As it moves towards the 2025-26 season, franchises are laying out the groundwork for either a lengthy contention or a cautious rebuild, all gearing up for another thrilling season.
