ESPN reporter Kevin Pelton detailed a simulated scenario that foresaw Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic winning the 2026 NBA Finals against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors earn the Western Conference's No. 1 seed and make the NBA Finals in one of ESPN's 2025-26 season simulations

"They're asking if I wanted the game ball, and no, I don't want the game ball," Gordon said after a 137-131 overtime loss to the Warriors.

If I asked you to name the top five defenses in the NBA after the All-Star break last season, you'd probably guess the Warriors, Magic and Thunder pretty quickly. The other two? The lottery-bound Raptors and Trail Blazers.

The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings appear to be at different ends of the spectrum entering the 2025-26 NBA season.

In our first NBA-focused edition of Newsweek Sports Betting 📩, we give out our NBA Finals and regular season MVP picks.

In the nightcap on NBC, the Warriors will visit the Lakers in Los Angeles. The league completely eschewed the Eastern Conference on its first showcase night in four months, indicating it understands something many fans have felt for some time now: The West is the far better conference.

The Laker stars who once had a case as the best player in the NBA include George Mikan, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and, most recently, LeBron James. Luka has just placed his name on that list.