2025 NBA Playoffs: A Look Ahead
The 2025 NBA playoffs may be a while away, but it’s never too early to take a look at the potential playoff picture. With the top six seeds in each conference advancing based on their regular season record, and the final two seeds determined by the NBA Play-In Tournament, here’s a look at how the playoffs would shape up if the season ended today.
Eastern Conference:
* (1) Cleveland Cavaliers
* (2) Boston Celtics
* (3) New York Knicks
* (4) Orlando Magic
* (5) Indiana Pacers
* (6) Milwaukee Bucks
* (7) Miami Heat
* (8) Detroit Pistons
* (9) Atlanta Hawks
* (10) Chicago Bulls
Western Conference:
* (1) Oklahoma City Thunder
* (2) Houston Rockets
* (3) Memphis Grizzlies
* (4) Denver Nuggets
* (5) Dallas Mavericks
* (6) LA Clippers
* (7) Los Angeles Lakers
* (8) Minnesota Timberwolves
* (9) Sacramento Kings
* (10) Phoenix Suns
In the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Cavaliers would face the winner of the play-in tournament’s eighth-seeded team, while the second-seeded Celtics would face the winner of the play-in’s seventh-seeded team. In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Thunder would face the winner of the play-in tournament’s eighth-seeded team.
The NBA Play-In Tournament would take place from April 15-18, with the first round of the playoffs set to begin on April 19. The conference semifinals would follow on May 5-6, with the conference finals starting at a to-be-determined date. The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 5.