Northwest Division NBA Futures and Predictions 2024-25: Who Will Win the Northwest Division in NBA 2024-25? (Thunder or Timberwolves?)

Similar to the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, the Western Conference’s Northwest Division has three viable threats to make it to the 2024-25 NBA Finals.

(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

Can Oklahoma City Thunder repeat last year’s run to the No. 1 seed? Will the Timberwolves benefit from their blockbuster trade and can the Nuggets re-birth a supposed dynasty?

Predicted Order of Finish

• 1. Oklahoma City Thunder
• 2. Minnesota Timberwolves
• 3. Denver Nuggets
• 4. Utah Jazz
• 5. Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Northwest Division 2024-25: Current Odds to Win

*Odds as of October 6th

Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25, Western Conference Semifinalist)

Season Overview

• Last NBA Championship: 1978-79 (As Seattle Supersonics)
• Key Move: Signing Isaiah Hartenstein to a 3-year, $87 million deal that gives this team some physicality and toughness that it lacked last season as a young team.
• In A Nutshell: The Thunder were already a good young team and adding Alex Caruso and Hartenstein does make them better on paper, but expectations are also up and sometimes expectations weigh more than opponents.

Oklahoma City Thunder Synopsis

Playing well for 82 games and then repeating that level of play in the playoffs are two completely different things (i.e. Chris Paul) and the Thunder found that out. They were the youngest ever No. 1 seeded team (23.9 years old) but did anyone outside the plains of Oklahoma really expect them to make the NBA Finals? Veteran observers didn’t and that is just the nature of NBA playoff basketball.

Experience counts, however, outside of perhaps the Boston Celtics there isn’t a basketball coach or front office official that wouldn’t take this franchise’s position over any other one in the NBA. The future seems extremely bright with a young core, led by NBA MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but this team won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time around.

Caruso brings winning experience as Thunder looks to find the right rotations

Newcomer Alex Caruso will spell SGA and start at the two guard and his winning pedigree will help.

The key to the regular season for a team that lost to eventual conference champion Dallas Mavericks (4-2) is figuring out if Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren can play on the floor at the same time, and how many minutes Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams will now log with the two new pieces in place.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2024-2025 NBA Northwest Division Prediction

• Prediction: 58-24. OKC will be just as good as last season, but Denver and Minnesota’s windows are smaller.

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Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26, Western Conference Finalist)

Season Overview

• Last NBA Championship: None.
• Key Move: Believing in Naz Reid enough and thinking high enough of Donte DiVincenzo, formerly of the New York Knicks, to unload Karl-Anthony Towns in a block-buster trade.
• In A Nutshell: The Wolves made a push to the conference finals, but the blockbuster trade with New York means they are thinking big picture. They have more roster flexibility without Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract, but took a calculated gamble while at the same time putting more pressure on superstar Anthony Edwards.

Minnesota Timberwolves Synopsis

The Wolves were arguably the NBA’s most exciting team, but big plays and cool sound-bites don’t win titles; good defense that leads to easy buckets does. The Wolves didn’t get enough of that in the playoffs, losing to the Dallas Mavericks (4-1) in the conference finals.

With NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, defensive stud Jaden McDaniels, and Edwards, Minnesota has a top ranked defense, but last season was second to last in fast-break points (12.4 ppg). With a talent as explosive as Edwards, that simply has to change if Minnesota is to have a shot at the title. DiVincenzo should help in that department to push the ball and knock down 3-pointers.

Pushing the pace, while keeping the defense top-notch, and figuring out how to make Julius Randle and Gobert work together and not stop the ball are keys to the season. Don’t forget Reid is as good as any sixth man there is and Randle and he basically play the same position. A terrific roster is in place, but some serious questions need to be answered.

Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-2025 NBA Northwest Division Prediction

• Prediction: Prediction: 54-28. Minny is not better right now without K.A.T., but perhaps took a step closer to a title by trading him.

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Denver Nuggets (57-25, Western Conference Semifinalist)

Season Overview

• Last NBA Championship: 2022-23
• Key Move: They lost more than they added, so acquiring former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook better work.
• In A Nutshell: This team has championship potential, but only if all the starters log heavy minutes and there is adequate replacement for what Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brought to the table.

Denver Nuggets Synopsis

The Nuggets were supposed to be a budding dynasty after winning the 2022-23 NBA championship with the best player in basketball Nikola Jokic only 27 at the time. Dynasties, however, are not supposed to blow a 20-point lead in a playoff Game 7 as Denver did to Minnesota.

Coach Mike Malone feels it wasn’t a knockout blow to this team’s core, but getting back to the championship won’t be easy because on paper this team isn’t better than it was two years ago. Losing Bruce Brown and Caldwell-Pope in two years have been two pieces that haven’t been replaced. What does that mean?

Joker must shine as Nuggets navigate injury concerns

Joker will have to play out of his mind and Denver can’t afford any injuries to Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. or Aaron Gordon. The truth is, Joker can and probably will play at a MVP level once again (he has three and probably deserved four in a row), Porter Jr. had a rough playoff series vs. Minnesota and Gordon had a tough off-season with the death of his older brother Drew Gordon. This team has a big payroll, a thin bench and some questions to answer.

Denver Nuggets 2024-2025 NBA Northwest Division Prediction

• Prediction: 54-28. Denver is playing for today and that could make all the difference.

Utah Jazz (31-51, Missed Playoffs)

Season Overview

• Last NBA Championship: None.
• Key Move: Picking three players in the dreaded 2024 NBA Draft that the franchise feels were quality picks: Cody Williams (No. 10), Isaiah Collier (No. 29) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 32 overall).
• In A Nutshell: This team is rebuilding, so which veteran will be moved before the trade deadline to jump start the process?

Utah Jazz Synopsis

Utah has an extremely young core, has six projected first round draft picks in the next three years and a CEO of Basketball Operations (Danny Ainge) who is known for a quick trigger finger. That is a volatile combination, so don’t expect the former Celtics CEO and guard to just set back and let it unfold.

The Jazz want to make something happen to get off the mediocrity trail and one would have to think star wing Lauri Markkanen, even with a 5-year, $238 million deal in place, could be moved if someone is willing to pick up the tab.

Veteran center John Collins and shooting guard Collin Sexton could be trade bait, but either way this team is going to put a young product on the floor that will struggle at times. The next big move will probably dictate if all-rookie choice Keyonte George settles in off the ball or on it.

Utah Jazz 2024-2025 NBA Northwest Division Prediction

• Prediction: 27-55. Utah’s record will slide for the second consecutive season.

Portland Trail Blazers (21-61, Missed Playoffs)

Season Overview

• Last NBA Championship: 1976-77 (i.e. The Walton Gang)
• Key Move: Drafting Donovan Clingan, a college winner, who can actually contribute if DeAndre Ayton and Robert Williams III come down with injuries (again).
• In A Nutshell: This franchise has drafted some terrific prospects in recent years, but what kind of basketball players are they?

Portland Trail Blazers Synopsis

Head coach Chauncey Billups was known for his grit and clutch play, so it has to be frustrating when his team doesn’t play smart. It’s one thing to be undersized at certain positions (which Portland is) and not be able to shoot well (which is the case), but to turn the ball over at a merciful rate (which it did last year more than all but one team) is brutal.

If players, particularly guards, are not overly skilled, they have to play smart and so far that hasn’t been the case under Billups. What can Portland do to change it? They are going to play their young players plenty to find out what can be done.

Portland Trail Blazers 2024-2025 NBA Northwest Division Prediction

• Prediction: 23-59. Any front office can blow up a core, but it’s not so easy to build a true contender from the cellar.

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