The Celtics are the heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champions, but behind them are some serious contenders. Here’s a look at the top five favorites to win the 2024-25 NBA championship.
The 2024-25 NBA season will see some familiar faces in some new places.
Whether it was a four-time champion leaving his longtime team or a player joining a crosstown rival, a handful of offseason moves shook up the NBA this summer.
With those moves will come some highly anticipated homecoming games. Those players will return to their old stomping grounds as a visitor, with many expecting a warm welcome from their former fans.
Here's a look at five of the must-watch homecoming games for the upcoming NBA season.
Paul George: 76ers vs. Clippers, Nov. 6
Paul George will face his old team early in the 2024-25 season, but it won't be a traditional homecoming.
George and the Philadelphia 76ers will hit the road to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 6. Instead of returning to Crypto.com Arena, George will take the floor at the Intuit Dome in just the Clippers' sixth regular season game at their new home in Inglewood, California.
After five seasons and three All-Star appearances in L.A., George switched coasts and signed a four-year, $212 million deal in Philadelphia.
Klay Thompson: Mavericks vs. Warriors, Nov. 12
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It will be an emotional night on Nov. 12 when Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks visit the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson spent 13 years in Golden State, earning four NBA championships and five All-Star selections while forming the greatest shooting backcourt in league history alongside Steph Curry. The 34-year-old also overcame two full missed seasons due to injury to contribute to the Warriors' 2022 title run.
A golden age in Golden State came to an end this offseason, as Thompson joined the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Knicks vs. Timberwolves, Dec. 19
The preseason already provided a glimpse at how intriguing the Knicks-Timberwolves matchups in 2024-25 could be.
A blockbuster trade between the two sides sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick. Before even making his regular season debut with his new team, DiVincenzo brought some drama to the Timberwolves' exhibition at Madison Square Garden with some words for New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, who is also the father of Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson.
On Dec. 19, Towns will make his return to the Minnesota, where he spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career after the Wolves selected him first overall in 2015. Despite putting together one of the best seasons in franchise history and reaching the Western Conference finals, Minnesota opted to deal a franchise cornerstone.
Less than a month after Towns returns to Minnesota, Randle and DiVincenzo will get a chance to play in front of the MSG faithful again on Jan. 17.
DeMar DeRozan: Kings vs. Bulls, Jan. 12
DeMar DeRozan had plenty of free agency suitors, but he ultimately landed with the Sacramento Kings as part of a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.
The move capped off a three-year run for DeRozan in Chicago. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons, but the Bulls once again bowed out in the Play-In Tournament to finish out 2023-24.
DeRozan should receive a warm welcome in the Windy City when the Kings visit the Bulls on Jan. 12.
Mikal Bridges: Knicks vs. Nets, Jan. 21
Instead of moving cities, Mikal Bridges is moving boroughs.
Bridges was dealt from the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets to the contending Knicks, reuniting him with three of his college teammates in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo (before DiVincenzo was traded to Minnesota). The swap marked the end of Bridges' year-and-a-half run in Brooklyn, one that began when he was shipped out from Phoenix in a trade that netted the Suns Kevin Durant.
As crosstown rivals, Bridges will face his former team four times in 2024-25. The Knicks will host the Nets at Madison Square Garden for a pair of games in November and visit Barclays Center on Jan. 21. New York will make a second trip to Brooklyn on April 13 to close out the regular season.
