The 2021 NBA season is up for grabs by any team, but some teams will stand out more than others. 

First off there are many teams who added promising stars during the offseason such as the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, and Charlotte Hornets who did get better but will be nothing more than a late playoff team. 

Other teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets are honorable mentions but do not hold the star power that the favorites do.

The six teams who are likely to end up winning the championship this year are the Nets, Heat, Celtics, Bucks, Clippers, and Lakers. 

The Brooklyn Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019 in order to head towards a championship run but also had a solid playoff team the year before giving the team a strong chance as long as Durant can stay healthy. 

This team has shown in the playoffs that their role players can compete at a high level, but the stars in Durant and Irving have proved they can come up in heated moments during the finals. 

The next team is the Miami Heat. The Heat made the finals in the NBA bubble but fell to the Lakers in six games. This defensive nightmare has heart and even the lack of size cannot hold them back. 

This team fought for their spot in the finals and is trying to pull a big-time name like Giannis Antetokounmpo to their franchise. Making a high seed and getting to the finals will easily attract stars.

The Boston Celtics have held high seeds throughout the last few years, but have come up short of the end goal. 

Young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are looking for a chance to prove that they can be certified as superstars and beating the more developed teams can prove they are a force to mess with.

The Milwaukee Bucks early in the offseason signed one time all-star Jrue Holiday to show Giannis Antetokounmpo they were going all-in on giving him a team to win around. 

This team has come up short in the playoffs with Giannis’s lack of three-point shooting the last two years. Although he’s won the MVP award the past two years, Antetokounmpo is trying to show the world that he wants to be a champion before MVP at all costs. 

Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles Clippers, blew a 3-1 lead to a young team in the Nuggets, and have been getting hate for months after the incident. Kawhi is a defensive specialist who shuts down even the best players. 

This team has been known as the “bad team of LA” for years and are seeking a championship in order to change their title from never getting past the second round in their franchise history to champions. 

After the Lakers won in the bubble last year, many have the team as favorites to continue and go back to back. With the additions of Wesley Matthews, Montrezl Harrell, and Dennis Schroder fans grow their arsenal, and will likely be favorites unless their stars get injured. 

Lebron James who’s been considered the best player over the last decade is turning thirty-seven this year and his longevity thus far has gone well, but at any time an injury could shut him down and cause the Lakers to be shadowed by other teams. 

In the end, it can be a toss-up between any of these teams if one team makes a big midseason move, but these six teams have the best chance of taking home the championship.