2025-2026 NBA preview part 4

Part 4 of the 2025-2026 NBA season preview is here!!! This article will feature a preview of the team located in the Northwest Division. The teams included in this are the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz. This division has been responsible for two of the last three NBA champions and is one of the most competitive divisions at the top. Now, here is what the rosters will look like heading into the season. 

Denver Nuggets

PG: Jamal Murray | Bruce Brown | Tamar Bates | Curtis Jones 

SG: Christian Braun | Julian Strawther | Jalen Pickett | Spencer Jones 

SF: Cam Johnson | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Hunter Tyson | Kessler Edwards 

PF: Aaron Gordon | Peyton Watson | Zeke Nnaji 

C: Nikola Jokic | Jonas Valanciunas | DaRon Holmes | Moses Brown 

The Nuggets in the last two seasons have lost in scene games in the 2nd round of the Western Conference; however, this season they might be more dangerous than the season they won the championship. They’ve reloaded the roster, most importantly the bench, and look poised to make a run at another championship during Nikola Jokic’s prime. Much of the offseason was centered around getting some tax relief for the cheapest owner in sports, Stan Kroenke. They traded away Michael Porter Jr and their only available first-round pick in their collection for Cam Johnson. The $20 million in salary difference between the two players allowed for the Nuggets to reunite with Bruce Brown, a member of their championship team, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Jonas Valanciunas. The additions give them shooting, size, and depth around Jokic, who played a season high in minutes per game last season and looked exhausted in the postseason last season. The return of Zeke Nnaji from injury last season and DaRon Holmes will help the bench units as well. Overall, the Nuggets are my favorite to challenge the Thunder in the West. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

PG: Mike Conley | Rob Dillingham | Bones Hyland | Tristen Newton 

SG: Anthony Edwards | Donte DiVincenzo | Joe Ingles | Jules Bernard 

SF: Jaden McDaniels | Terrence Shannon | Jaylen Clark | Johnny Juzang 

PF: Julius Randle | Naz Reid | Leonard Miller | Alize Johnson 

C: Rudy Gobert | Joan Beringer | Rocco Zikarsky | Enrique Freeman 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made back-to-back Western Conference finals appearances, only to seem far from winning those matchups. Each time in the last two seasons, they’ve gone out silently with demoralizing game 5 defeats. However, this still has Anthony Edwards, an enlightened Julius Randle, who is paid, and young players hungry to prove themselves in the NBA. The biggest hit to the Wolves this offseason was losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker; however, they decided to pay Naz Reid and Julius Randle $25 million and $33 million annually. This pushed them up against the second apron and forced Minnesota to bet on some of their younger players. Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon, and Joan Beringer will have big shoes to fill. However, all of this could be taken care of if Anthony Edwards decides to go scorched earth again. Wolves are a very dangerous team, and with another season of familiarity with each other, it could be the difference. 

Oklahoma City Thunder 

PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Cason Wallace | Ajay Mitchell | Nikola Topic 

SG: Luguentz Dort | Isaiah Joe | Brooks Barnhizer | Jazian Gortman 

SF: Jalen Williams | Alex Caruso | Kenirch Williams | Chris Youngblood

PF: Chet Holngren | Aaron Wiggins | Ousmane Dieng | Zack Austin 

C: Isaiah Hartenstein | Jaylin Williams | Branden Carlson | Malevy Leons

The defending Champions spent the offseason locking up their big three of Shai, Chet, and Jalen Williams all to supermax contracts; however, this season, they are still well below the tax and aprons. Now it’s business as normal for Sma Presti. He sured up the roster by trading away Dillon Jones to Washington and drafted Isaiah Hartenstein’s potential replacement when his contract expires. The Thunder should be able to spend much of the regular season experimenting with the younger guys on the roster. Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Nikola Topic should be able to crack the lineup and figure out ways to fit into the team. The Thunder will likely blitz through the regular season again and defend their championship they won this past season. The early injuries to Thomas Sober, who is out for the season, and Nikola Topic aren’t great, but the Thunder have depth unlike any team in the NBA. 

Portland Trail Blazers 

PG: Jrue Holiday | Shaedon Sharpe | Blake Wesley | SG: Toumani Camara | Matisse Thybulle | Caleb Love | Javonte Cooke 

SF: Deni Avdija | Kris Murray | Sidy Cissoko | MarJon Beauchamp

PF: Jerami Grant | Yang Hansen | Rayan Rupert | Andrew Carr

C: Donovan Clingnan | Robert Williams | Duop Reath | Liam Robbins

Injuries: Damian Lillard | Scoot Henderson 

The Portland Trail Blazers have had one of the most transformative offseasons since the 2nd-to-last season in the Damian Lillard era. However, he is now back, after a bizarre turn of events involving the Bucks waiving him, and Lillard decided to return to the franchise, which drafted him many seasons ago. Lillard joins Jrue Holiday, who saw Portland send out Anfernee Simons and open up time for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, who are approaching their rookie extensions this season and next. The improvements from Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara showed the franchise can compete in the cutthroat Western Conference. Lillard will miss the entirety of the season with an Achilles injury he suffered in the postseason last year, and Henderson will miss the beginning portion of the season due to a hamstring injury. Head Coach Chauncy Billups received a multi-year extension this offseason and will for the Blazers to push for a playoff season this year. I am as high on the Blazers as anyone, and I love how this team looks currently. 

Utah Jazz

PG: Isaiah Collier | Watler Clayton | Keyonte George | Max Abmas

SG: Ace Bailey | Brice Sensabaugh | Svi Mykhailiuk | John Tonje 

SF: Lauri Markanen | Cody Williams | Kyle Anderson | Elijah Harkless 

PF: Georges Niang | Kyle Filipowski | Mo Bamba 

C: Walker Kessler | Jusuf Nurkic | Kevin Love | Oscar Tshiebwe 

The Jazz are going to be the worst team this year in the NBA, and it likely won’t be close. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the idea is they suck, and so does this roster. However, I am sure that Jazz fans and the front office are ok with that. A top 3 pick next season in the lottery secures them a top-end prospect of the last 5 seasons and gives them more guys to build around. The Jazz have a couple of guys on the roster I like, Walter Clayton and Ace Bailey should fit nicely into the rotation with Bailey being the prized possession from their draft. Priority number one will be to rehabilitate Lauri Markkanen’s trade value, a trade that should’ve happened a season ago and will be less attractive now that he’s signed a massive contract a season ago. The additions of Georges Niang, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Kyle Anderson came via trades this past offseason and give the team a nice veteran presence to help guide the young players on the roster. The interesting standoff between Walker Kessler and his rookie extension has halted and likely won’t be reached, an interesting decision for General Manager Danny Ainge, given the massive return he wanted a couple of seasons ago when the Jazz listened to trade offers for Kessler. Just sit back and enjoy the losing Jazz fans; if it helps, watch BYU, Duke, and Kansas play basketball this season; it’ll make you feel better about the losses.