Who will be crowned NBA champions for the 2025-26 season? That's the question basketball fans are looking forward to finding out as the playoffs officially got underway on Saturday, April 18.
But for those who can't wait until the Finals are over in mid-June, we have some clues.
USA TODAY Sports simulated each series of this year's playoff bracket 100 different times to come up with an idea of the most likely outcomes.
Starting with ESPN's Basketball Power Index figures, we built an engine with Microsoft Copilot that ran all 100 simulations at once. And here are the results.
As the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1 / 21NBA Play-In Tournament photos showcase final push to the postseasonAs the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The top-seeded and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder came out on top in the majority of our 100 simulations. But it wasn't a runaway by any means.
However, just four different teams were represented as champions in at least one simulation.
Not surprisingly, those four teams make up the top seeds in each conference.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoff simulation: Here's who has the best chance to win title