Only one team — in its current configuration — has answered all the big questions facing it, including the big one: “Are they good enough to win a ring?”
That’s why everyone is chasing the Boston Celtics — they answered every question last June and bring back the top seven players from their championship rotation. For any other teams with title dreams, Boston sets the bar they have to clear.
Who are those biggest threats to Boston? Let’s break it down.
Who is the favorite to win 2025 NBA Finals?
The Boston Celtics and it’s not close. The Celtics are not only the betting favorite but nearly half the price of the next team on the board. Here are the top 10 teams with the lowest odds, via our partners at Bet MGM.
Boston Celtics +325
Oklahoma City Thunder +675
New York Knicks +700
Philadelphia 76ers +1000
Denver Nuggets +1100
Dallas Mavericks +1100
Minnesota Timberwolves +1100
Milwaukee Bucks +1400
Phoenix Suns +1500
Which Eastern Conference team is the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics?
The New York Knicks
New York — which had the second-best record in the East last season and made the second round of the playoffs until injuries felled them — seriously upgraded this offseason in ways that match up well against Boston.
First, they added Mikal Bridges (at the cost of five first-round picks), a quality two-way wing who can be a secondary shot creator next to Jalen Brunson and spaces the floor. More importantly, Bridges is a strong defender on the perimeter, and paired with OG Anunoby gives the Knicks as good a matchup against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as any team in the league.
Then New York added Karl-Anthony Towns in a trade that caught the league (and Towns) off guard. Towns supercharges the Knicks’ offense, and because of his ability shoot the 3 and space the floor — New York can play five-out now — it will pull Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics rim protectors out of the paint, opening driving lanes for Brunson.
There are legitimate defense and depth questions this Knicks team has to answer, but New York is better positioned than any team in the conference to be a threat to Boston, both for the No. 1 seed and in the playoffs.
Which Western Conference team is the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics?
The Oklahoma City Thunder
This team is second in championship odds for good reason, starting with they are the favorite to come out of the West and if so then they get their invite to the big dance and a chance at Boston (or whoever comes out of the East).
The Thunder attack starts with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 30.2 points, 6.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game last season. He is surrounded by young, improving players expected to take significant steps forward this season in Jalen Williams on the wing and Chet Holmgren in the paint.
While OKC finished with a top-five offense and defense last season, the playoffs showed some areas of weakness — and management filled it this summer. The Thunder needed more guard depth, they got Alex Caruso, another elite perimeter defender — Caruso and Lu Dort can match up with just about anyone — who can knock down the 3. The Thunder needed more bulk up front, they got Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent, right off his impressive run with the Knicks in the postseason.
This team learned playoff lessons a season ago and is ready to take the next step, and they are one of the few teams that can match talent with Boston.
Other teams that are a threat to the Celtics
Three other teams make this list.
The Philadelphia 76ers
Daryl Morey’s big bet cashed in this summer when he landed Paul George to play between MVP center Joel Embiid and fast-rising All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey. That makes as dangerous a big three as there is in the league, and they are a threat to Boston.
Morey did a good job adding depth around that core with what money he had left with players such as Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond. There are two challenges, and the first is for coach Nick Nurse to get all this talent to mesh, which could take time.
The bigger question is health: Embiid and George have long histories of playoff injuries and Philly has to get both of them to the postseason healthy to have a chance. But, they have a chance.
The Dallas Mavericks
Last season’s Western Conference Finalists got better with the addition of Klay Thompson to space the floor next to Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson. While there are defensive questions, coach Jason Kidd and Dallas are betting that a full season with centers Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford at the five can clean a lot of those issues up. Don’t sleep on the Naji Marshall pickup this summer either, he could be huge for them.
Dallas has been to the Finals and if they take that step forward maybe the outcome against Boston is different this time.
The Denver Nuggets
It is trendy in NBA previews to ask, “Has the Denver Nuggets window closed?” Have they let too many good role players leave to be a threat to win it all (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being the latest)?
The Nuggets still have the best player on the planet in Nikola Jokic, and arguably the best pick-and-roll tandem in the league in Jokic and Jamal Murray. There are still solid players around them such as Aaron Gordon. Denver’s margin for error may be smaller, but if Murray finds his groove again this team is a threat to beat anyone.
