Warriors make NBA Finals in one of ESPN’s random 2025-26 season simulations

If the computers have their way, Warriors fans could have much to celebrate this upcoming NBA season.Per an ESPN simulation of the 2025-26 campaign, Golden State will advance to its seventh NBA Finals under coach Steve Kerr but come up short of a fifth title, falling to the Orlando Magic.While it’s important to note that the simulation is just one of thousands ESPN completed before the start of the season, the results speak to a retooled Warriors roster expected to make noise in the Western Conference this year. The Finals loss to Orlando is a sour ending to an otherwise impressive, simulated run that puts Golden State back among the NBA’s elite teams.In the simulation, curated by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the Warriors begin the 2025-26 season with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers and never look back, compiling the league’s top record by the NBA All-Star Break.“As the NBA gathered from Feb. 13 to 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the Warriors were the talk of the league,” Pelton wrote. “[Draymond] Green and Jimmy Butler III joined Steph Curry on the West roster thanks to Golden State’s league-best 42-13...