NBA tipoff should be greater than a month away, however hoops followers are already hitting the (digital) hardwood because of the launch of NBA 2K26. For the second yr in a row, Yahoo Sports is simulating a complete season and seeing if the premier basketball online game franchise can precisely predict how The Association will play out in 2025-26.
Last year’s simulation was a bit rough — in its protection, might anybody have predicted the league-altering Luka Dončić commerce? So there’s actually nowhere else to go however up. The parameters of the simulation had been the similar as final time round: CPU-User commerce affords had been turned off, default MyEra settings had been used, all G-League, prospect scouting and rotational selections had been automated and the random crew we used to facilitate the simulation was the Milwaukee Bucks.
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The different wrinkle that there is no approach to account for: the news that broke Wednesday morning relating to the allegations made in opposition to the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. If any severe punishment is dished out by the league after its investigation, the simulation will whiff on certainly one of its largest predictions. More on this later.
LeBron’s retirement tour
LeBron James has not signaled he is prepared to hold them up, despite the fact that NBA 2K26 appears to assume so. (2K Games/NBA2K26)
Before I might even start simulating the precise video games, 2K prompted me with a message that LeBron James was planning to retire after the season and requested if I might allow him to go on a retirement tour. We bumped into this similar scenario in final yr’s simulation with Chris Paul (who could be very a lot NOT retired), however since we had been simming by all the things, why not let the best participant of this technology take his well-deserved victory lap.
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As far as James’ age-41 season performed out, he averaged 21.8 factors, 4.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists whereas beginning all 82 video games. James’ factors and rebounds totals would mark the lowest of his profession, however he nonetheless managed to assist lead the Lakers to a 45-37 file and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
2K loves the Mavericks
For the second yr in a row, the 2K sim has main religion in Jason Kidd and the Mavericks. After predicting Dallas would go 63-19 final season, with Jason Kidd taking dwelling Coach of the Year and the Mavericks hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, 2K doubled down and has them ending 64-18 and Kidd successful COTY once more.
The Mavs’ season was pushed primarily by a main enchancment from Klay Thompson, who shot a career-best 46.3% from 3-point vary, and by permitting 108.9 factors per recreation, making Dallas the greatest defensive crew in the league.
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Is it doable Dallas has a monster season in 2025-26? Sure, particularly with No. 1 total choose Cooper Flagg in the combine, however this end result simply places the Mavericks in the class of largest shock from the complete simulation.
Flagg surprises nobody
Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg is anticipated to make a direct affect. (2K Games/NBA2K26)
While we’re on the matter of the Mavericks, it should not come as a shock to anybody that Flagg — certainly one of the most anticipated NBA prospects in current reminiscence — walked away with the Rookie of the Year award in our simulation.
Flagg averaged 15.3 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 shares in 73 video games (72 begins) throughout his rookie marketing campaign, taking part in a vital function as the third-leading scorer in Dallas and making the All-Rookie First crew.
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NBA Cup winner
The Magic topped the Clippers 122-119 in the NBA Cup remaining, capturing the in-season event crown. Newly acquired Desmond Bane was named the NBA Cup MVP, averaging 31.1 factors, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the event.
Orlando and Los Angeles assembly in the remaining would make it six distinctive remaining members since the event started in 2023-24.
Everybody beats The Wiz(ards)
Northeast bias apart with this subsection’s pun, Washington’s simulation was nothing to joke about. After ending 18-64 final season, NBA 2K is predicting a full bottoming out of the Wizards franchise in 2025-26.
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Washington completed 8-74, beating each the 1972-73 76ers’ mark for worst file (9-73) and the 2011-12 Bobcats’ file for worst successful share (.106). The Wizards began the season 0-19 en path to having the league’s worst protection (127.8 factors allowed per recreation) and ending thirty first in PPG (109.3).
Disappointment in Denver
As unhealthy as Washington was, it is onerous to think about them being a reliable contender heading into the season. Denver, on the different hand, is seemingly at all times going to be in the combine so long as Nikola Jokić is wholesome and in the dialog as the greatest basketball participant on the planet.
That’s what made the Nuggets’ 40-42 file — a 10-game drop from final season — so disappointing. Jokić was his ordinary dominant self, ending with 30.3 factors, 12.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists on the season, however Jamal Murray missed vital time, solely taking part in 37 video games in the common season. Murray did return and rating 34 factors in the play-in recreation in opposition to Golden State, however the No. 10 seed Nuggets nonetheless misplaced.
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The KD Era in Houston begins
Kevin Durant’s first yr in Houston was attention-grabbing. The Rockets did handle to make the postseason, ending as the fourth seed in the Western Conference, however the 47-35 file was really a dip from 2024-25 once they completed No. 2 out West with a 52-30 file.
Durant led the Rockets in scoring, averaging 24.3 factors, whereas including 4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per recreation. For Durant, who turns 37 earlier than the season begins, the scoring output would mark the second-lowest of his profession and the rebound whole could be the lowest on his Hall of Fame resume.
Houston finally misplaced to the Timberwolves in seven video games in the first spherical of the playoffs.
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MVP and extra
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s exceptional season earned him a second straight MVP award. (2K Games/NBA2K26)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, certainly one of NBA 2K26’s cowl athletes, is rated 98 total, and it was very straightforward to see why. SGA took dwelling his second consecutive MVP award, averaging an absurd 35.9 factors together with 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.1 steals.
To put his scoring common in perspective, the final time an NBA scoring champion completed with a larger common factors whole was 1986-87, when Michael Jordan averaged 37.09 factors per recreation. The solely different participant in NBA historical past with a larger factors per recreation whole is Wilt Chamberlain, who gained seven straight scoring titles in the Sixties.
Other award winners
Defensive Player of the Year — Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
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Sixth Man of the Year — Russell Westbrook, Suns (stays unsigned)
Most Improved Player — Ziaire Williams, Nets
Clutch Player of the Year — Devin Booker, Suns
So, who gained all of it?
The full playoff image and outcomes from the Yahoo Sports NBA 2K26 simulation. (2K Games/NBA2K26)
Both the Eastern and Western Conference finals went to seven video games, with the Knicks managing to oust the Cavaliers and the Clippers overcoming the Mavericks to arrange a coastal conflict between New York and Los Angeles. Karl-Anthony Towns and James Harden took dwelling their respective Conference Final MVP awards earlier than battling for the league’s high prize.
In one other seven-game thriller, the Knicks had been in a position to defeat the Clippers, capturing the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973. To make issues even sweeter for Knicks followers, Jalen Brunson performed the hero in the complete collection, together with a mammoth 47-point effort in Game 7, incomes Bill Russell Finals MVP honors. Across seven video games, Brunson averaged 33 factors, 2.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
While the Knicks enter the season as certainly one of the favorites to come back out of the Eastern Conference, the way forward for the Clippers, as alluded to earlier on this article, is a bit extra murky.