NBA Cup’s 8 teams still standing, ranked by championship chances

The NBA Cup is in its third year as the in-season tournament dreamt up by commissioner Adam Silver. The league places the qualifying round tournament games into the regular season schedule, but pauses play for “island games” for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The quarterfinals are now set with eight of the best teams in basketball still standing for what should be a dramatic conclusion with high stakes.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural Cup in 2023, and the Milwaukee Bucks upset the Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game to claim the trophy in 2024. The Lakers and Thunder are both back in the quarterfinals this year with six other teams capable of winning it all. With a cash prize on the line for players and coaches, the competition is going to be electric.

The four quarterfinal games will take place Tuesday and Wednesday. The semifinals are Saturday in Las Vegas, and the championship game will be Tuesday, Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. Here’s how we’d rank the last eight teams standing in the 2025 NBA Cup.

8. Phoenix Suns

Quarterfinals opponent: Thunder

The Suns have been one of the best stories in the league to start the season, going from what looked like a hopeless cellar dweller without their 2026 draft pick to a potential playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. New head coach Jordan Ott will be a frontrunner for Coach of the Year if the team keeps this up, and he’s done a fantastic job getting this team to buy in defensively, play faster, and crash the offensive glass. Collin Gillespie has been a god send at point guard, providing the stability at the position the team lacked last year. Dillon Brooks is playing at close to an All-Star level right now, putting up the best scoring numbers of his career while being a certified a culture-changer on the wing with his tenacious defense and floor spacing. The center rotation led by Mark Williams has been effective as well. Phoenix has two big problems heading into the quarterfinals: a) Devin Booker has been out with a groin strain and will likely be a game-time decision, b) they’re playing the Thunder, who are almost unbeatable. Just putting up a good fight against OKC would get more people to believe in what the Suns have going this year. If they can actually pull off the miracle win, it will be one of the biggest stories of the year so far.

7. San Antonio Spurs

Quarterfinals opponent: Lakers

The Spurs were just trying to make the playoffs for the first time in the Victor Wembanyama entering the season. Their hot start has completely changed the calculus, and now San Antonio doesn’t just want to make the postseason, they want to make some noise and win a round or two. The Spurs have been really good without Wembanyama (7-3 record entering the week) so far as he recovers from a calf strain, and after being a full participant in practice over the weekend, it’s possible he returns for the NBA Cup quarterfinals. San Antonio is getting a big lift from De’Aaron Fox right now, and rookie No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper is also adding scoring punch at the rim off the bench. Luke Kornet has given the Spurs quality rim protection while Wemby is out of the lineup, and a veteran like Harrison Barnes has been on fire shooting threes all year. Returning too early from a calf strain is a terrifying proposition in this era of the NBA, but it would be wonderful if Wembanyama could get back on the floor for this spotlight game against the Lakers if team doctors feel like he’s fully healed.

6. Orlando Magic

Quarterfinals opponent: Heat

The Magic are 2-0 against the Heat already this season and have this NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup at home. It’s hard to beat a good team three times, and it’s especially hard to do it without arguably your best player in the lineup. Orlando star Franz Wagner suffered a scary ankle sprain against the Heat over the weekend, and is out for Tuesday’s Cup game. Wagner carried the Magic to a 7-3 record without Paolo Banchero, and his jumbo ball handling and defensive playmaking just can’t be replaced in the lineup. Banchero will have to take over as the lead star fresh off a groin strain, and he’s capable of putting up big scoring numbers especially with Wagner off the floor. Surrounding Banchero with shooting and defense is a pretty good strategy if his groin is healed, but the Magic will need someone else to step up (like Anthony Black or Tristan Da Silva) with Jalen Suggs potentially out or limited as well. Just when it seemed like the Magic were ready for full go with Paolo and Franz, another one got hurt. We still don’t know what the best version of the Magic looks like.

5. Miami Heat

Quarterfinals opponent: Magic

The Heat remade their offensive identity over the summer, and it’s paying huge dividends now. Miami plays at by far the fastest pace in the league, with their average offensive possession being a full second shorter than the next fastest team. The Heat have also wiped away screens in favor of attacking in isolation, which fits their personnel better. The new-look attacking style has drastically improved the team’s offensive rating from No. 21 last year to No. 14 now, but it’s still the defense that is driving most of their winning. Bam Adebayo is playing at an All-Defense level in the middle, and he should get consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. Kel’el Ware is also breaking out in his second season, and giving Miami a super athletic 7-footer who can play above the rim on both ends. The addition of Norm Powell was exactly what this team needed to help float the offense, and his driving and shot-making continues to be excellent after his late-career breakout with the Clippers last season. The Magic have the Heat’s number so far with a 2-0 record against them, but Erik Spoelstra’s teams always play better when there’s real stakes, and the NBA Cup qualifies as such. Miami will be ready to play.

4. Toronto Raptors

Quarterfinals opponent: Knicks

The Raptors won 13 of 14 games early in the season to shoot up the East standings only to immediately lose five out of six. Toronto was able to grind out wins with its defense to start the year, but it’s seeing that their margin for error is really small if the offense can’t deliver. This team just doesn’t have a lot of shooting talent, and it’s unsurprisingly resulted in a very low-volume team from deep that really needs to hit the threes it does take. The good news for Toronto is that Scottie Barnes is turning in a career-year: he should earn All-Defense consideration to this point, and he’s also averaging an efficient 20 points per game with the best outside shooting of his career. Immanuel Quickley has also had a nice bounce-back year returning from injury, and the bench looks good, too. The Raptors were never as good as they looked during their winning streak, but they’re not as bad as they look right now either.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

Quarterfinals opponent: Spurs

The Lakers have exceeded expectations to look the part of a championship contender coming out of the gates. Luka Doncic’s revenge season is in full swing, and he’s playing like a top-3 MVP candidate right now. Austin Reaves has taken a giant leap, and his All-NBA caliber play has floated lineups with both Doncic and LeBron James off the floor. James has battled a series of injuries on the brink of his 41st birthday, and at this point it’s unfair to expect him to be excellent every night. LeBron can still turn back the clock once in a while, and these spotlight games in the NBA Cup should bring out the best in him. There’s no doubt that this is Doncic’s team at this point, and he’s making all the Lakers’ role players better by association. A Lakers-Thunder semifinals matchup in Las Vegas would feel like a playoff atmosphere if we get it.

2. New York Knicks

Quarterfinals opponent: Raptors

It hasn’t been a perfect start for the Knicks, but they should still feel encouraged that they’re the best team in the East right now. The offense is cooking at near league-best levels behind the Jalen Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns two-man game with two elite shooters on the wing in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. New York does an excellent job at winning the possession game with Brunson being a careful decision-maker, and Mitchell Robinson being a monster on the offensive glass. Miles McBride is turning into one of the NBA’s best bench scorers, and Josh Hart has once again been a star in his role. The Knicks should go to the NBA Finals this year if everything plays out according to plan. Getting to the championship game of the NBA Cup would be a step in the right direction.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Quarterfinals opponent: Suns

Are the Thunder the best NBA team of all-time? It sounds like a crazy question, but OKC has been building its case from the very start of the season. The Thunder enter the week at 23-1 with the best net-rating of all-time and one of the best defenses ever. This team is so good that MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander usually doesn’t need to play the fourth quarter but still puts up an efficient 30+ points every night. Chet Holmgren is a total stud and looks like an All-NBA center right now. Jalen Williams is back in the lineup after missing time at the start of the season with a hand injury, and he’s fitting into the machine seamlessly once again. Ajay Mitchell is the breakout bench scorer OKC lacked last season, and Isaiah Hartenstein is leveling up on the interior, too. The Thunder won 68 games and the championship last season, and they’re better this season. It sure feels like everyone else is playing for second right now.

NBA Cup 2025 Bracket and Schedule

The quarterfinals of the NBA Cup take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The semifinals are Saturday, and the championship game is Tuesday, Dec. 16.

NBA Cup 2025 money and prizes

NBA Cup players and coaches earn money for reaching the quarterfinals, and keep making more money based off how far they advance. Here’s the cash breakdown:

Champions: $531K
Runner-Up: $212K
Semifinalists (Losers): $106K
Quarterfinalists (Losers): $53K