NBA Northwest Division Preview 2025-26

In the fourth of a six part series leading up to the commencement of the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a look at each division in the league. Here is the Northwest Division.

Big Storyline

The reigning champion of the NBA Finals comes from the Northwest Division, as the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. We all know about the unbelievable season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Toronto, Ontario had, but one thing that seems to go under the radar a bit is just how good the Thunder were defensively last season. The Thunder only gave up 107.6 points per game. That was the third fewest points in the NBA. The three top Thunder defenders this past season were fellow Canadian and shooting guard Luguentz Dort of Montreal, Quebec (named to the NBA All-Defensive team), and American big men Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, who averaged 10.7 and eight rebounds respectively. Due to the fact the Thunder are still the youngest team in the NBA (average age of 24.5 years), they should be very competitive for the next half a decade at the least.

Most Notable Acquisitions

The two best players who came into the division in the offseason were small forward Cameron Johnson of Moon Township, Pennsylvania and point guard Jrue Holiday of Chatsworth, California. Johnson was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and a first round pick in 2032. Last year Johnson averaged 18.8 points per game. Holiday was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers for shooting guard Anfernee Simons and two second round picks. Last season, Holiday averaged 11.1 points per game.

Divisional Outlook

The Thunder are expected to win the division with Denver right behind as both teams are expected to eclipse 50 wins. Minnesota is the third best team, followed by Portland and Utah.