With Group Play of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tipping off Oct. 31, we’re breaking down each group as they prepare for opening night, beginning with West Group A.
West Group A features two playoff teams from last season – the NBA champion Thunder and West runner-up Timberwolves – as well as one team eliminated in the Play-In (Kings) and two teams that finished in the draft lottery (Suns and Jazz).
In last year’s NBA Cup, the Thunder were the only one of these five teams to make it out of Group Play as they won their group with a 3-1 record, then defeated the Rockets and Mavs in the single-elimination Knockouts to reach the championship, where they fell to the Bucks.
TEAMS | OKC | MIN | SAC | PHX | UTA | TOTAL OKC | X | 2-2 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 | 12-2 (.857) MIN | 2-2 | X | 2-2 | 4-0 | 3-1 | 11-5 (.688) SAC | 0-3 | 2-2 | X | 3-1 | 4-0 | 9-6 (.600) PHX | 0-3 | 0-4 | 1-3 | X | 4-0 | 5-10 (.333) UTA | 0-4 | 1-3 | 0-4 | 0-4 | X | 1-15 (.063)
When we look at head-to-head matchups from last season between teams in West Group A, the Thunder (12-2), Timberwolves (11-5) and Kings (9-6) all finished with winning records, with Minnesota being the only team to knock off Oklahoma City.
West Group A also features three of last season’s top 10 scorers – OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (career-high 32.7 ppg) won his first scoring title, while Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards (career-high 27.6 ppg) finished fourth, and Phoenix’s Devin Booker (25.6 ppg) finished ninth.
West Group A features the NBA’s two leaders in total points scored from last season in Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Teams breakdown Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves enter the 2025-26 season coming off back-to-back runs to the Western Conference Finals, looking to break through to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in team history. They return nearly their entire core from last season, losing only Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency.
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder ended last season hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning the first title of the OKC era. However, one trophy they did not capture was the NBA Cup as OKC was defeated by Milwaukee in the championship game. In the offseason, the Thunder resigned their core players as they look to collect more hardware.
Phoenix Suns: The Suns underwent an offseason overhaul with a new general manager, new head coach and a retooled roster around franchise cornerstone Booker, who signed a two-year extension. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are out, while Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and rookie Khaman Maluach are in as the Suns look to rise back to playoff contention.
Sacramento Kings: The Kings look for a fresh start after a tumultuous season that saw changes at head coach, GM and star player with the trade of De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine. After back-to-back Play-In exits, the Kings look to get back in the playoff picture with former All-Stars DeMar DeRozan (6x), Domantas Sabonis (3x) and LaVine (2x) as well as recently crowned EuroBasket MVP, Dennis Schröder, on the roster.
Utah Jazz: The Jazz just endured the worst season in franchise history (17-65), as their win total dropped for the fourth consecutive season. The Jazz drafted Ace Bailey with the fifth pick, seeing his talent and upside as a key piece of their rebuild alongside the rest of the young core.
