The NBA season is here! Expert picks for East, West and NBA champs

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The Oklahoma City Thunder statesman their quest to repetition Tuesday nighttime (7:30 p.m., Peacock) against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets aft an offseason successful which they re-signed 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to deals worthy astir $800 million.

Elsewhere successful the loaded Western Conference, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors statesman their archetypal afloat run with Jimmy Butler, with their eyes connected a last tally to headdress a decennary of near-dominance, arsenic they look disconnected (10 p.m. ET) against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the injury-ravaged East, the Cleveland Cavaliers instrumentality a halfway -- Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen -- that led them to 64 wins and a No. 1 effect past season. They look disconnected Wednesday nighttime against a Knicks squad with Finals-or-bust expectations (7 p.m. ET connected ESPN).

Then, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, aft a superior wellness scare past play and a transformational offseason, play Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks, successful a crippled featuring 2 of the astir tantalizing teams successful the West.

Will SGA and the Thunder repetition to statesman a dynasty? Or tin three-time MVP Nikola Jokic instrumentality the Nuggets to the Western Conference elite? Will the Knicks scope their archetypal Finals since 1999 successful the wide-open East? Our experts person formed their votes. Here's who they deliberation volition triumph the East, West and the 2026 NBA Finals.

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Eastern Conference finals picks

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