Charles Barkley Gives His Definitive Verdict On Nuggets-Rockets Offseason: “Best Chance Of Beating OKC”

The Oklahoma City Thunder ran through the Western Conference and edged out the Indiana Pacers to win the 2024–25 NBA championship. They’ll likely enter the new season as favorites once again when tipoff arrives in October. That said, several teams have made serious moves to challenge OKC. Charles Barkley, for one, believes the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have the best shot at dethroning the defending champs.

Picking the Rockets as one of the favorites is a no-brainer. They were already an elite team last season, driven by young athletic talent, and now they’ve added Kevin Durant, who’s hungrier than ever to chase a third ring.

For Denver, however, Barkley’s reasoning was a bit different. Their hopes begin and end with Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP whom Barkley considers the best player in the world. With the right pieces around the Serbian star, the Nuggets could be poised for another title run.

“And (the Nuggets), they’ve got the best player in the world [in Nikola Jokic]. They just needed some more depth. They kind of broke the team up after they won the first championship (2023), and that’s really unfortunate. [They’ve] still got the best player. You want to give them as many opportunities as possible. But I thought they had a great summer,” Chuck said. “They probably had the best chance of beating OKC.”

The Rockets, meanwhile, have rebuilt their team through trades. Durant will be the focal point, and the addition of Dorian Finney-Smith gives their defense a solid boost. They’re now stacked with athletic wings, exactly the kind of roster you need if you want to take down the OKC juggernaut.

“Because if you’re going to beat OKC and the Rockets, you’ve got to be athletic on the perimeter, especially with Durant going down there with those other guys. OKC is probably the most athletic team in the league,” Barkley added.

If you thought the West was tough last year, this season’s Western Conference might be an all-out bloodbath. Sure, the favorites remain OKC, the Nuggets, and the Rockets, but the Lakers and Clippers have made solid offseason moves.

The Warriors are always a threat as long as Steph Curry stays healthy. The Timberwolves reached the Conference Finals again last year, and the Mavericks could make a late push if their stars return in time.

Meanwhile, the East has taken a noticeable step back. The Celtics lost Jayson Tatum to injury and traded away two key pieces of their championship core. The Pacers lost Myles Turner to the Bucks, and Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined with injury. Add to that the ongoing uncertainty around Joel Embiid and the 76ers, and it’s looking increasingly likely that the West will produce the NBA champion once again in June 2026.