Evan Turner Offers Bold NBA Finals Prediction

Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Evan Turner Offers Bold NBA Finals Prediction

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 7:24 AM ET

The Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been the best teams in the NBA this 2025-26 season, at least in terms of record. Detroit has already clinched the Eastern Conference with a 57-21 record at the time of writing, while OKC is on track to finish atop the Western Conference with a 62-16 win-loss tally.

Despite their dominance, though, former NBA player Evan Turner has two different teams in mind when predicting which franchises will reach the Finals.

In an exclusive interview with Athlon Sports, via Casino Groups, Turner shared that he likes the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs to come out of their respective conferences.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reacts during a game.Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Turner, who also served as an assistant coach for the Celtics from 2020 to 2021, admitted that he initially had both the Thunder and the Pistons reaching the NBA Finals. He also mentioned that he was "rooting" for the New York Knicks, especially since it has been 53 years since they last won the championship.

However, with the Celtics getting Jayson Tatum back and after seeing the Spurs' performance in the NBA Cup, he was convinced the two teams have what it takes to make it all the way to the championship.

"Halfway through after I saw the NBA cup, I like the Spurs and the Celtics," Turner stated. It's worth noting that San Antonio made the NBA Cup Final but lost to the Knicks.

Turner added, "Both teams play with crazy tenacity, they play with crazy, high-level pace."

It remains to be seen if Turner's prediction will prove true. Both the Celtics and Spurs rank second in their conferences, with the former boasting a 53-25 record and the latter a 59-19 record.

The Spurs' Victor Wembanyama has also catapulted himself into an MVP contender, as has Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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