Blake Murphy Sports Writing

There has been a faint air of inevitability in the NBA over the last few months. While the league is never predictable, a first championship for the Oklahoma City Thunder — coupled with a historically strong start to 2025-26 and an embarrassment of draft assets to continue building with — created a spectre of impending dynasty.

Which is fine. Fun, even. It’s been years since we saw a champion repeat in the NBA, and having a top heel for the next wave of contenders to try to topple is Booking 101. The league is in a great place, mid-transition between eras of superstars and deep into the latest CBA, and even the heaviest of favourites are only a “blocked by James!” away from the conversation turning quickly.

The 2025-26 season may not play out how it feels today, or how it felt two weeks ago when the Thunder were at a single loss. We’re never going to see things clearly 12 months in advance. What we can do, though, is get a little bold instead of going chalk with our annual predictions.

Bold means you won’t hit on many of them, but where’s the fun in making bland-yet-sure predictions? What follows are a few swings at storylines that could emerge in basketball in 2026.