The vast majority of NBA free agency dust has settled. Plenty of trades and big signings shook up the NBA landscape. Now we can begin to look toward next season. Here are my favorite prop bets for Eastern and Western Conference winners for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Best Western Conference Bet
Denver Nuggets: +700
Two different teams took the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the playoffs. One of them, the Denver Nuggets, is arguably the winner of the NBA offseason.
They swung big by acquiring Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick. It’s a seamless fit as Johnson is a lights-out shooter, hitting 38.7% of his looks from deep on over six attempts per game while with the Nets. He’s a better defender than Porter as well, and on a more favorable contract. An all-around home run for the new front office.
They weren’t done there. Armed with a bunch of cap savings, the Nuggets went out and flipped Dario ล ariฤ for Jonas Valanฤiลซnas. It was a straight-up trade that gives the Nuggets a legitimately playable backup to Nikola Jokiฤ. Valanฤiลซnas rebounds well and sets hard screens, while being a solid rim finisher. He’s arguably their best backup center of the Jokiฤ era.
They brought back Bruce Brown on a one-year minimum deal to upgrade the wing spots further. Brown was a key part of the Nuggets’ championship team in 2023. Still only 28 years old, Brown brings versatility and stability to a Nuggets bench that was projected to be very young. He slides in well as an end-of-the-rotation piece.
Denver solved its problems in a matter of days. Johnson is the kind of dependable shooter and defender this lineup needs, one who brings the good of Porter without the downsides. Valanฤiลซnas and Brown bring reliable depth to a team that was gassed in the playoffs. Upgrading a great starting unit while bringing more confidence in the bench for coach David Adelman is a coup.
With the third-best odds to win the Western Conference, I think the Nuggets should be ahead of the Houston Rockets. We’ve seen that they can match up well with the Thunder, which is their main obstacle to returning to the Finals. Get them before this number climbs.
Best Eastern Conference Bet
Atlanta Hawks: +1200
No team in the East had a better offseason than the Atlanta Hawks. With the Celtics and Pacers effectively out of the running due to injuries, there’s a sense that the East is there for the taking. New GM Onsi Saleh wasted no time, acquiring a trio of new players in Kristaps Porziลฤกis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard.
The Hawks typically have a potent offense due to Trae Young’s presence. The defense needed serious upgrading. Now they get a true rim protector in Porziลฤกis and a second elite perimeter defender in Alexander-Walker to complement Dyson Daniels. Kennard brings them an experienced shooter who swings the ball well on the perimeter. This sets them up well with depth and a quality starting lineup.
Young and Jalen Johnson (if healthy) are the engines that make the Hawks go. Now they have several good pieces for head coach Quin Snyder to mix and match around those two. In addition to the new trio, they have Daniels fresh off a second-place DPOY finish, last year’s No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu. That’s a great top eight in the rotation, with some avenues to add further pieces.
Currently, the Hawks are sixth in the Eastern Conference in odds to make the Finals. They’re behind the Celtics and 76ers, two teams with huge question marks. I think Atlanta should be fourth at worst behind Cleveland, Orlando and New York. That’s enough for me to take the value here. Right now, this is my favorite of the NBA team futures on our board.
