Predicting the 2026 Pro Basketball season: Teams, players and trends

The 2026 basketball season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. From emerging young talent and shifting team dynamics to evolving league formats and growing revenues, the landscape is changing fast. Here’s a look at the top contenders, key trends and what to expect as the next generation of players takes the spotlight.

It’s important to note that even though we can make projections for the season, nothing is guaranteed. There is always risk involved when making predictions in sports and other events. Users should exercise caution whenever they trade their predictions on basketball outcomes.

The landscape of professional basketball in 2026

Who will take centerstage?

The league is spotlighting its cast of All-Stars, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while watching legends of the game, such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, try to secure one more championship before they retire.

A major element in the basketball league’s evolution is the new playoff format introduced in the 2020-2021 season. The top 10 teams in both conferences qualify for the postseason, with the 7th through 10th-seeded teams participating in a play-in tournament. The winners of this tournament secure the 7th and 8th spots in the final playoff bracket.

To inspire viewership and competition earlier in the season, the league rolled out the NBA Cup in the 2023-24 season. Each conference is split into three groups, making six groups total, who play in a round robin format to decide who gets the first six bids for the final tournament. The league also takes the best record from a team in each conference outside the winners of each group to make the tournament field a total of eight teams. For future basketball trends, teams are incentivized to perform in this tournament as they get a higher monetary compensation the deeper they go in the tournament.

The league’s revenue is growing

The league’s salary cap saw a 10% rise, the maximum allotted year-over-year, giving teams a little more breathing room to compensate their All-Stars while ensuring there’s enough depth coming off the bench. This allowed for an offseason full of megadeals for 2026 championship contenders like Oklahoma City, who shelled out a 4-year, $285 million supermax deal for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 5-year, $287 million extension for Jalen Williams, and a 5-year, $250 million extension for Chet Holmgren. 

The interest in the NBA continues to grow among fans. The league had a record-breaking year in 2024, with over $11 billion in revenue, while setting records in game attendance and sellouts. This all comes despite a 2% decrease in TV ratings in 2024, but that may be rectified with new TV deals with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal.

Dynasty potential: Teams building for 2026 success

Championship windows: Current contenders’ 2026 outlook

Oklahoma City is littered with young talent, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Wiliams, who scored the second-most combined points in the championship history last season. With the highest odds to win the Pro Basketball Championship in our basketball futures markets, trading at 29%, you’ll have to get creative if you’re looking for another team to win if you place predictions on basketball outcomes.

Oklahoma City has kept its championship window open by stockpiling draft picks and growing its own talent in-house. They’ve shown front office consistency with their GM, Sam Presti, running the show since 2007. Even after raising the trophy last season, Oklahoma City still has 10 first-round draft picks in the next five drafts. 

Western Conference odds to win the Pro Basketball Championship

Crypto.com’s basketball futures markets have the following Western Conference teams' odds to win the championship set at:

• Oklahoma City - 29%
• Denver - 11%
• Houston - 7%
• Los Angeles L - 6%
• Golden State - 4%

The biggest challenger, based on our markets, for Oklahoma City is Denver, which has the three-time winner of the Best Player in the League award, Nikola Jokic. Denver filled out an already competitive roster with offseason additions of Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. This influx of talent makes them the second most likely team to win the championship in our basketball futures markets, with an 11% chance to win.

Behind Denver, Houston is expected to compete with adding All-Star Kevin Durant to a promising young roster. The 15-time All-Star and two-time Champion joins a Houston team that finished second in the regular season Western Conference standings last year. However, the team may struggle out of the gate after losing starting point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL in the offseason.

Eastern Conference odds to win the Pro Basketball Championship

Crypto.com’s basketball futures markets have the following Eastern Conference teams' odds to win the championship set at:

• Cleveland - 10%
• New York - 8%
• Orlando - 4%
• Atlanta - 3%
• Detroit - 3%

The Eastern Conference is wide open after two major contenders lost their star players to Achilles injuries. Indiana was the Eastern Conference representative in the Championship last season, but now will be playing without their star Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season. Boston won the NBA Championship in 2024, but they lost Jayson Tatum late in the postseason as well, and will likely be playing without him this season. 

These injuries have seemingly cleared the way for Cleveland, which was the Eastern Conference’s top seed last season with a 64-18 record, the second most wins in franchise history. Despite a terrific regular season, Cleveland faltered in the playoffs, failing to make it past Indiana in the semifinals.  But with Boston and Indiana out of the picture, Cleveland hopes to take advantage. You may want to consider their 10% chance to win the championship when you place predictions on basketball outcomes this season. 

New York made the finals in the Eastern Conference last year before falling short to Indiana as well. Jalen Brunson has proven to be the clutch player that New York has been looking for, averaging 29.4 PT and 7.0 AST in the playoffs last year. But New York has struggled when it needs to rely on their bench for scoring, averaging just 15.8 points off the bench in the 2025 playoffs. They also lack assets to add depth to the roster, with only one draft pick guaranteed between now and the 2030 draft.

Rising stars: Young players entering their prime in 2026

Who is entering their prime?

When identifying future basketball stars in 2026, Victor Wembanyama’s impact for San Antonio comes to mind. He’s already regarded as one of the best defensive players in the league, with a 106.6 defensive rating in his young career. He was the favorite to win an award for being the Best Defensive Player in the league before missing nearly half of the season with Deep Vein Thrombosis, a blood clot that held him out of San Antonio’s lineup from February onward. If he returns to form and continues to develop further, San Antonio could have a breakout season ahead. They currently have a 2% chance to win the Pro Basketball Championship in our basketball futures markets.

Cade Cunningham was a bright spot last season, leading Detroit to its first playoff win since 2008. Cunningham’s 26.1 PT, 5.4 REB, and 7.4 AST showed massive improvements to his game. Detroit is now upping the stakes after bringing in Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, and Paul Reed in the offseason to help Cunningham develop and to compete in the Eastern Conference. Detroit currently has a 3% chance to win the Pro Basketball Championship in our basketball futures markets.

The number one overall draft pick this season was Cooper Flagg, who will be spending his rookie season in Dallas. After shipping their franchise player, Luka Doncic, to Los Angeles in the middle of last season, Dallas is hoping Flagg can live up to the 19.2 PT, 7.5 REB, and 4.2 AST he averaged at Duke. If he shines, Dallas could be a worthy selection at a 3% chance to win the Pro Basketball Championship in our basketball futures markets.

Young stars ready for a pay day

Some young stars are playing for a big payday this season. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels was runner-up for the award given to the league’s Best Defensive Player last season and is in the final year of his current contract. He led the league with 3 steals per game last season, and if he elevates the rest of his statistical profile, he could be compensated handsomely for it. Atlanta may turn into a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference if Daniels plays his role well with Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, and Zaccharie Risacher. They currently have a 3% chance to win the NBA Championship on our basketball futures markets. 

Cam Thomas also hopes he can become one of the next in line to get a payday. He is an offensive stalwart, averaging 24 points per game with Brooklyn last season. Thomas recently signed a $6 million qualifying offer to stay with Brooklyn, but is set to test free agency next offseason. With a young squad around him, Thomas will be auditioning both for Brooklyn and the rest of the league to see who wants to pick up his salary moving forward. 

Legends of the game: Aging superstars with a chance

LeBron James is set to spend his 7th season with Los Angeles L, and he only has one championship with the team to show for it. It is unclear when he plans on retiring, but speculation has been running wild in the offseason. Last year, Los Angeles shocked the world by sending All-Star Anthony Davis to Dallas for their franchise star Luka Doncic. Although Doncic’s offense has shone with Los Angeles, they’ve lacked a competitive defense to get them over the top. As a team, they were the league’s 15th-best defense last season. But with legends like James and Doncic on the roster, Los Angeles L might be worth a look when you place predictions on basketball outcomes.

Golden State has won four championships with its star Steph Curry, but they haven’t made the finals since they last won in 2022. Trading for All-Star Jimmy Butler helped compete in the playoffs with Curry injured last season, but it remains to be seen if the Curry-Butler combination can elevate them to a championship. With Curry, 37 years old, and Butler, 36 years old, reaching the final years of their respective careers, they hope they can find a way to compete in a crowded Western Conference. 

It has already been announced that the 2025-26 season will be Chris Paul’s last year. He rejoined Los Angeles C in the offseason to team up with fellow aging superstars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. With just a 4% chance to win the Pro Basketball Championship, our basketball futures markets are not bullish on this team, but recognize their potential to compete if they stay healthy. 

Practice caution when making predictions

The data and trends above are to help you make informed decisions when placing predictions on basketball outcomes. They are not indications of guaranteed outcomes. Although the data above can assist you in making decisions, users should always use responsible practices and discretion when making predictions on Crypto.com’s Sports Prediction Markets.

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