Which Conference Will Win The 2025 NBA Cup Crown?

The Emirates NBA Cup, or in-season tournament, began in 2022 when the league and teams sought to create more excitement throughout the year. And, the two teams to reach the finals will be a matchup of East vs. West in the host city of many battles of modern gladiators, Las Vegas, Nevada. These teams will go blow-for-blow as they use their skills, wit, and athleticism to secure the 3rd NBA Cup Crown. Many fans might be wondering, “How does the NBA Cup work?”

Which Conference Will Win The 2025 NBA Cup Crown?

The NBA Cup Group Stage

Both the East and West conferences contain 15 teams, divided into 3 groups: A, B, and C. Groups were selected based on the previous season’s standings, with teams split into multiple three-team tiers. First, each group receives one of the three teams with the best records. Then, the teams seeded 4th through 6th best records are divided up, and so on. Thus, it creates parity in competition and fairness across groups. The 2025-26 NBA Cup began on October 31st.

The Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference Group A consists of: Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Washington Wizards. Group B consists of: Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets. Group C consists of: Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Hornets.

The Western Conference

Western Conference Group A consists of: Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings. Group B consists of: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks. Group C consists of: Portland Trailblazers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs.

Which Conference Could Take The Crown?

Just over half the league has completed its first NBA Cup game after the initial slate of games commenced on Halloween, October 31st. Each team will only have 4 Cup games to decide the positioning within the group. The next best Cup record will decide the wildcard team. Untimely injuries or players on a minutes restriction will greatly impact a team’s chance to reach the knockout round. Luck will be necessary for whoever moves forward with hopes of winning the NBA Cup.

Teams facing injuries, like the 76ers, Pacers, Pelicans, or Mavericks, to impactful players, like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Zion Williamson, or Kyrie Irving, will have a very difficult time in this tournament. The Western Conference has a lot of star power, which will be difficult for many teams in the Eastern Conference to overcome. Fortunately, for the teams in the East, the West will beat up on the other Western Conference teams. The Eastern Conference will open an opportunity to walk away with the NBA Cup crown.

The Knockout Stages begin once the Group Stage concludes. Star isolation players will be positioned best to advance round-to-round. However, the Western Conference is full of top talent that may have their focus placed on the postseason higher than this tournament. Thus, an underdog is more likely to represent the West in the NBA Cup Final round. The Eastern Conference has fewer reliable premier talent, currently due to injuries, which gives the remaining star isolation players an advantage over both the East and West teams during the Knockout Stages. So, this year’s NBA Cup Crown will likely be awarded to an Eastern Conference representative.

NBA Cup Potential Outcomes And Sleepers

Teams to watch out for in the West are: Oklahoma City, Houston, and the Lakers. Teams to watch out for in the East are: Boston, Cleveland, and Milwaukee. Notable sleepers that could go from wildcard to Cup Crown Champion are: Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, and Portland.