The start of the NBA season is here, so let’s predict one breakout player from each Western Conference team ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set up to be successful for a long time, but the veteran teams in the Western Conference are going to try to delay their ascent.

One year after finishing 13th in the conference, the Galaxy needs at least a draw in its regular-season finale in Houston to nail down the top seed in the West

The Thunder are young and precocious enough to need and value the No. 1 seed, and the still-untapped upside of so many of their players makes this quite reachable. Just when we were getting to enjoy the Timberwolves’ two-big throwback approach, they changed it up. But coach Chris Finch and team president Tim Connelly know what they’re doing.

The Sporting News takes a look at the 2024-25 NBA Finals odds, then identifies value in the futures market and makes its picks for the next championship.

The 2024-25 NBA season is upon us, but before we dive into the nightly grind of handicapping spreads and player props, let's finish the offseason with some last-minute additions to our futures portfolio.