The NBA season is back! We made it!

The Oklahoma City Thunder begin their quest to repeat Tuesday night (7:30 p.m., Peacock) against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets after an offseason in which they re-signed 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to deals worth nearly $800 million.

Elsewhere in the loaded Western Conference, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors begin their first full campaign with Jimmy Butler, with their eyes on a final run to cap a decade of near-dominance, as they face off (10 p.m. ET) against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the injury-ravaged East, the Cleveland Cavaliers return a core — Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — that led them to 64 wins and a No. 1 seed last season. They face off Wednesday night against a Knicks team with Finals-or-bust expectations (7 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Then, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, after a serious health scare last season and a transformational offseason, play Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks, in a game featuring two of the most tantalizing teams in the West.

Will SGA and the Thunder repeat to begin a dynasty? Or can three-time MVP Nikola Jokic return the Nuggets to the Western Conference elite? Will the Knicks reach their first Finals since 1999 in the wide-open East? Our experts have cast their votes. Here’s who they think will win the East, West and the 2026 NBA Finals.

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Eastern Conference finals picks

Tim Bontemps: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Jamal Collier: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7

Vincent Goodwill: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7

Baxter Holmes: Knicks over Magic in 6

Zach Kram: Knicks over Hawks in 6

Tim MacMahon: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Bobby Marks: Knicks over Cavaliers in 6

Dave McMenamin: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Kevin Pelton: Knicks over Cavaliers in 7

Ramona Shelburne: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Anthony Slater: Knicks over Cavaliers in 6

Marc Spears: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Michael Wright: Cavaliers over Knicks in 7

Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks over Magic in 6

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Final tally (East champs): Knicks 8, Cavaliers 6

Western Conference finals picks

Bontemps: Thunder over Nuggets in 5

Collier: Thunder over Timberwolves in 6

Goodwill: Thunder over Nuggets in 7

Holmes: Thunder over Warriors in 6

Kram: Thunder over Nuggets in 7

MacMahon: Thunder over Rockets in 6

Marks: Nuggets over Thunder in 6

McMenamin: Mavericks over Thunder in 7

Pelton: Thunder over Warriors in 6

Shelburne: Rockets over Thunder in 7

Slater: Thunder over Rockets in 6

Spears: Nuggets over Thunder in 7

Wright: Thunder over Nuggets in 7

Youngmisuk: Nuggets over Thunder in 7

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Final tally (West champs): Thunder 9, Nuggets 3, Mavericks 1, Rockets 1

NBA Finals picks

Bontemps: Thunder over Knicks in 5

Collier: Thunder over Knicks in 6

Goodwill: Thunder over Knicks in 5

Holmes: Thunder over Knicks in 5

Kram: Thunder over Knicks in 6

MacMahon: Thunder over Cavaliers in 6

Marks: Nuggets over Knicks in 6

McMenamin: Mavericks over Cavaliers in 6

Pelton: Thunder over Knicks in 6

Shelburne: Rockets over Cavaliers in 6

Slater: Thunder over Knicks in 5

Spears: Cavaliers over Nuggets in 6

Wright: Thunder over Cavaliers in 7

Youngmisuk: Nuggets over Knicks in 6

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Final tally (NBA champs): Thunder 9, Nuggets 2, Cavaliers 1, Mavericks 1, Rockets 1

Bonus! Who wins the 2025-2026 MVP Award?

Bontemps: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Collier: Anthony Edwards

Goodwill: Nikola Jokic

Holmes: Jalen Brunson

Kram: Nikola Jokic

MacMahon: Luka Doncic

Marks: Nikola Jokic

McMenamin: Luka Doncic

Pelton: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shelburne: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Slater: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Spears: Nikola Jokic

Wright: Nikola Jokic

Youngmisuk: Nikola Jokic

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Final tally: Nikola Jokic 6, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 4, Luka Doncic 2, Jalen Brunson 1, Anthony Edwards 1