2025 NBA Playoff Bracket Predictions After All-Star Weekend
Now that the trade deadline and All-Star Weekend have passed, we can finally focus all attention on the upcoming NBA playoffs.
There's quite a battle brewing in the middle of the Western Conference, especially with Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis swapping teams. The top of the East looks somewhat decided, although seed Nos. 4 through 8 are wide open.
Based on current records, players missing due to injury, remaining strength of schedule and other factors, here's a best guess at how the 2025 NBA playoff bracket will look.
East: (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Detroit Pistons
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Indiana Pacers
Current Record/Seed: 30-23, 4th in East
The final home-court advantage spot in the East is up for grabs, with the Pacers, Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic all still very much in the hunt.
Of this group, the Pacers are the healthiest and deepest team right now, with a starting five of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Mathurin, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner that has a sparkling net rating of plus-12.2 in 833 total possessions this season.
If Obi Toppin (31 points, 10 rebounds in a Feb. 12 win over the Washington Wizards) continues to play well until Turner can return from a neck injury, the Pacers should claim the No. 4 seed in the East.
Detroit Pistons
Current Record/Seed: 29-26, 6th in East
The Pistons' recent hot play has them just a game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 5 seed, a team that is currently without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's dealing with a calf injury. Even if he returns shortly after the break, this will be something to monitor and could help Detroit's chances at jumping Milwaukee in the standings.
With a top-eight offense and defense over their past 10 games, this is the best basketball the Pistons have played in nearly a decade. Surrounding Cade Cunningham with veterans and shooters has made a huge difference, and Jalen Duren has stepped up over the last month (14.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 blocks, 70.6 percent shooting).
A Pacers-Pistons first-round series has the potential to get very, very physical given how the regular season has gone for these two clubs.
East: (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks
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New York Knicks
Current Record/Seed: 36-18, 3rd in East
Just 3.5 games behind the Boston Celtics, rising all the way to the No. 2 seed is still possible for the Knicks, who should have a comfortable 5.5-game lead over the Indiana Pacers to at least stay at No. 3.
Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for contract after ankle surgery last May and will make a huge difference to the team's rebounding and defense when he can finally take the court. We should see him relieve Karl-Anthony Towns for stretches and play in big lineups alongside him.
New York has survived the games OG Anunoby has missed this season (4-1 overall) and should remain locked into the No. 3 spot for the start of the playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks
Current Record/Seed: 29-24, 5th in East
A calf injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo hopefully isn't too serious, as the Bucks look to go on a second-half run now with Kyle Kuzma on board.
The newly acquired forward is averaging 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his first four games as a Buck, yet he hasn't shot the ball well as he continues to get acclimated. Kuzma, Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard still have yet to log a minute together.
With the Detroit Pistons surging, expect the Bucks to drop to No. 6 in the East while trying to get Antetokounmpo healthy and Kuzma into a comfortable role on both sides of the ball.
East: (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic
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Boston Celtics
Current Record/Seed: 39-16, 2nd in East
The defending champions aren't going to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top seed in the East, but they won't let the New York Knicks upset them for the No. 2 spot, either.
The Celtics have the third-easiest remaining schedule of any NBA franchise, with eight games still to play against the five lottery-bound teams in the East.
This isn't the 64-win team we saw from a year ago, although Boston should still feel really good about its title chances.
Orlando Magic
Current Record/Seed: 27-29, 7th in East
It's been a rough season for the Magic, a team snake-bitten by injuries to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. With their two stars forwards back, a (hopefully) quick return from Suggs will get Orlando back on track.
Orlando is 20-15 with Suggs this season and 7-14 without him. A previously elite defense has just been average since Suggs went down with a quad injury.
As long as Orlando has all of its main guys healthy by the play-in tournament, this group is talented enough to make it out; all for the reward of playing the Celtics in the first round.
East: (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Current Record/Seed: 44-10, 1st in East
There's been the occasional slip-up from these Cavaliers, although they remain tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA and now have a 5.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics in the East.
The Cavs aren't giving this kind of lead up, especially now with De'Andre Hunter on board. Cleveland has experimented with him in the starting lineup and as a sixth man, both roles he's thrived in during his career.
Still running out the No. 1 offense in the NBA and flirting with the best scoring attack in league history, Cleveland will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed for the first time since the 2015-16 season and hope to duplicate how that year finished.
Miami Heat
Current Record/Seed: 25-28, 9th in East
Miami has gone winless (0-4) since the Jimmy Butler trade was finalized, with Andrew Wiggins struggling in his first two appearances (12.0 points on 29.2 percent shooting overall).
The Heat won't climb back into the top-six seeds in the East, but they have enough of a cushion over the Philadelphia 76ers (5.5 games) that they won't fall out of the play-in tournament, either.
The All-Star break came at the perfect time for this group, as Erik Spoelstra should now have enough time to rally his troops to an above-.500 record and the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
West: (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
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Los Angeles Lakers
Current Record/Seed: 32-20, 5th in West
An 8-2 record over their last 10 contests is encouraging for these Lakers, especially since Luka Dončić is just two games into his career and still ramping up his minutes from a calf injury.
In the 80 possessions that Dončić and LeBron James have shared the floor, the Lakers have a blistering offensive rating of 127.5 (99th percentile via Cleaning the Glass) and a net rating of plus-11.6.
Yes, this is a small sample, although a fully healthy Dončić will only become more comfortable playing next to James and could make these numbers even better.
Los Angeles Clippers
Current Record/Seed: 31-23, 6th in West
The Lakers got all the attention at the trade deadline, although the Clippers quietly made some really good moves as well.
The trade for Bogdan Bogdanović and signing Ben Simmons have helped bolster this bench, and the starting five of James Harden, Norman Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac have a net rating of plus-25.7(!!!) this season.
Los Angeles is 10-5 in Leonard's 15 games. With a revamped bench, expect the Clippers to climb a spot in the final standings.
West: (3) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (6) Houston Rockets
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Memphis Grizzlies
Current Record/Seed: 36-18, 2nd in West
The Grizzlies falling a spot in the standings has little to do with their play and everything to do with the red-hot Denver Nuggets and their eight-game win streak.
Finishing as the No. 3 seed in this West is nothing to be ashamed of, especially considering that Memphis has the fourth-hardest remaining schedule in the NBA with six combined games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Nuggets.
A top-seven team on both offense and defense this season, the Grizzlies won't drop further than No. 3.
Houston Rockets
Current Record/Seed: 34-21, 4th in West
The Rockets have fallen to a 3-7 record over their past 10 games and are down two starters with Fred VanVleet (ankle) and Jabari Smith Jr. (wrist) currently out.
Hopefully both can make their returns soon, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers got better through recent trades and have played really good basketball lately.
With the Rockets staying quiet at the deadline and trying to get healthy bodies back, they'll slide to the No. 6 seed in the West yet keep a guaranteed playoff spot.
West: (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Minnesota Timberwolves
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Denver Nuggets
Current Record/Seed: 36-19, 3rd in West
Ever since dropping an embarrassing game to the Washington Wizards on Dec. 7, the Nuggets have the second-most wins in the NBA, going 25-9 overall with the league's No. 2-ranked offense.
Denver has now won eight straight and begun to separate themselves as an elite team in the West once again. Even with injuries to key players throughout the season, the Nuggets' eight-most-used lineups have all had net ratings of plus-5.9 or higher.
As long as Nikola Jokić (plus-23.9 swing rating, 100th percentile) stays healthy, Denver will keep a top seed in the West.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Current Record/Seed: 31-25, 7th in West
Anthony Edwards has kept the Wolves competitive while the team awaits the returns of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo from injury. Rookie Rob Dillingham has played better as of late and is averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 assists in the five games where he's played at least 20 minutes this season.
Minnesota should also benefit from the Dallas Mavericks inexplicably trading Luka Dončić while the team now nurses injuries to Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
This is still an elite defense (110.2 rating, No. 6 in the NBA), which, with some play-in tournament heroics from Edwards, will earn a playoff spot.
West: (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Golden State Warriors
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Current Record/Seed: 44-10, 1st in West
An eight-game lead in the West is enough of a cushion for us to declare the Thunder the eventual No. 1 seed already, even with the Denver Nuggets on a hot streak as of late.
This is the best defense in the NBA by a wide margin (104.5 rating, nearly four points better than the second-place Los Angeles Clippers) and only recently got Chet Holmgren back from a hip injury.
The Thunder are young, athletic, deep and motivated to win. They'll eventually claim the best record in the NBA and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors
Current Record/Seed: 28-27, 10th in West
The Jimmy Butler era is off to a good start in Golden State, with the Warriors going 3-1 and the six-time All-Star averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals.
Jonathan Kuminga is expected to return to practice after the All-Star break following an ankle injury, giving this team yet another two-way forward who can play and defend multiple positions.
A team led by Stephen Curry, Butler, Draymond Green, Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and others will ultimately make it past the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks to earn the final playoff spot in the West.
