The third edition of the NBA’s in-season tournament is about to begin, with basketball’s greatest stars primed to tip off for NBA Cup glory.
After the Los Angeles Lakers won the first edition in 2023, and the Milwaukee Bucks took the honours last year, the other franchises seek to add their names to history just days into the 2025/26 NBA season. With the first weeks already full of sensational performances from established stars and rising talents, it’s truly anyone’s game.
Will a new team join the circle of winners? Or will one of the Lakers and Bucks become the first two-time champions of the NBA Cup?
What is the NBA Cup?
The 30 teams are split into six groups of five teams, with each conference (East and West) representing three groups. Unlike the divisional format, they are based on the previous year’s regular-season records.
From five pots of three, teams are randomly distributed into different groups, starting with last year’s top three seeds, followed by teams from 4th to 6th, 7th to 9th, 10th to 12th, and 13th to 15th.
Example: One group could be the 1st, 5th, 7th, 12th, and 14th placed teams.
After playing one game against each other, the winners of each group, plus the best-performing second-place finisher (as a wildcard) from each conference, will move on to a single-game knock-out tournament. Eventually, the winner from the East and the winner from the West will battle in a final to determine the NBA Cup Champion.
All games in the NBA Cup (except for the championship game) count as regular-season games, with additional games between eliminated teams organised to maintain the 82-game schedule.
The Groups of the West
The first thing fans noted upon the reveal of this year’s group stage is the state of West Group C and its plethora of powerhouses.
Four powerhouses of the Western Conference: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets with their off-season addition of Kevin Durant, and French phenom Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs. The youthful Portland Trail Blazers complete the group, showing promise under new interim head coach Tiago Splitter.
The defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, headline West Group A. Fellow Western Conference finalists Minnesota Timberwolves are their top challengers, albeit without the services of superstar guard Anthony Edwards. The fresh-faced Utah Jazz, the veteran Sacramento Kings, and the transitioning Phoenix Suns are the rest of OKC’s opponents.
Embed from Getty ImagesAbove: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (#2) aims to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to NBA Cup glory, just like in last year’s NBA Playoffs
The last Western Conference group, West Group B, has both Los Angeles franchises, the Lakers and Clippers, along with the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans. This group may be the most open of the bunch, with injuries evening out the playing field and none of the five having started their seasons smoothly.
The Clippers may have the edge, but the imminent return of Luka Doncic can shift power back to the yellow side of Staples Center.
The Groups of the East
Surprise faces occupy the top of the Eastern Conference, eager to assert themselves as contenders against the top teams for the first piece of silverware of 2025/26.
The top seed of East Group C, the New York Knicks, has to battle with three of the hottest teams in basketball right now: the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the defending NBA Cup champions, the Bucks. The underdog Charlotte Hornets round out the quintet of challengers.
Embed from Getty ImagesAbove: The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, leads the Bucks’ defence of the NBA Cup crown
East Group B is open for grabs, with the Boston Celtics a shadow of their championship-winning selves. The Philadelphia 76ers are flying thanks to their combination of Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe, while the Detroit Pistons want to carry their upward trend from last season. The remaining two teams, the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets, seek to bounce back from poor starts to the new season.
East Group A is the only group that matches pre-season expectations, with last year’s top seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, well-placed as the favourites. Injuries continue to strike down the Indiana Pacers. The Atlanta Hawks are concerned about the status of Trae Young, while the Washington Wizards/Toronto Raptors have been in rebuild mode for a long time.
NBA Cup: Who Are the Favourites?
While predicting the NBA Cup is not as challenging as filling out a March Madness bracket, the state of a fresh season, with many teams still settling into new systems and lineups, could offer surprises.
The Thunder are unsurprisingly one of the top names in the conversation. As NBA champs with an All-Star-studded line-up led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they have a 5-0 hot start to the campaign, and a group that favours them nicely. Motivation, to avenge last year’s loss in the tournament finals to Milwaukee, adds fuel to the fire.
The heavy-hitters of West Group C are all dangerous, and whoever comes out on top there is the best pick to defy the Thunder. The Nuggets and Warriors are proven contenders of recent years, but the blossoming talent of San Antonio makes them a popular choice.
Embed from Getty ImagesAbove: San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (#1) is already proving why he’s seen as the future face of the NBA
The Cavaliers are favourites from the East, but surprise packages such as Chicago and Philadelphia have momentum that can carry them far. The Bucks have thrived in this format before, with Giannis Antetokounmpo looking as dominant as ever. Cleveland needs to show it can perform under pressure.
The beauty of sports is that no matter what, the unthinkable tends to happen. So, we could easily see an unfancied team upset the odds. The new season is just a few games old, so some squads have yet to get into high gear. And, what better way to start with a competitive tournament?
If the last two years of the NBA Cup have shown the fans anything, it’s that we’re in for a fun two weeks of hoops.
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