Jayson Tatum, Celtics Named 2024-25 NBA Title Favorite by NBA GMs; Thunder No. 2

After winning the 2024 NBA championship, the Boston Celtics are the overwhelming favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of this season once again.

The NBA released its 2024-25 GM survey on Tuesday, and the Celtics were voted as the favorites to win the 2025 NBA title. Boston received a whopping 83 percent of the vote, far ahead of the second-place Oklahoma City Thunder, who received 13 percent.

The Celtics signed star forward Jayson Tatum to the richest deal in NBA history with a five-year contract extension worth up to $314 million in July and retained the rest of the core that won the 2024 title. NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown appears to be even more motivated after being snubbed from the Team USA roster for the Paris Olympics, and veteran pieces like Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford will help Boston maintain its status as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The Thunder were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season after finishing with a 57-25 record, but they fell in the conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, who received three percent of the vote to win the 2025 NBA championship.

However, it's clear that there's a bright future in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were named as the team that made the best overall moves this offseason with 37 percent of the vote, ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (33 percent) and the New York Knicks (20 percent). Oklahoma City brought combo guard Alex Caruso and center Isaiah Hartenstein to add some veteran experience to their young core that is led by one of the best players in the league.

Thunder star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was voted the favorite to win NBA MVP this season, leading the ballot with 40 percent while Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić garnered 30 percent. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged over 30 points in each of the last two seasons and is the engine that drives the Oklahoma City offense.

Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Dončić will have to contend with the most promising future star in the NBA who also resides in the Western Conference, as San Antonio Spurs second-year big man Victor Wembanyama was voted as the player GMs would want to start a franchise with, receiving 77 percent of the vote. The 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year already showed signs of being a dominant force on both ends of the floor, and he appears poised to take a leap in his sophomore campaign.