The Oklahoma City Thunder currently carry the burden of being the eighth straight NBA champion that did not defend their title.
Oklahoma City fell in seven games to the San Antonio Spurs in May’s Western Conference Finals. This result wasn’t expected for the regular season juggernaut, but the Spurs came through in the most crucial moments.
A majority of recent champions been hurt by a lack of flexibility – Oklahoma City won’t be a victim of this.
Oklahoma City Possesses Elite Assets
GettyJalen Williams is a proven All-NBA talent.
The Thunder’s asset pool is simply the deepest and most versatile in the NBA off of first glance.
OKC rosters a blend of experienced veterans, cost-controlled rising stars, and two-way forces. This isn’t accounting for the plethora of draft picks and the two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander being in the fold, either.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report confirmed this sentiment earlier this week, ranking the Thunder as the franchise with the best assets.
Four Thunder players were labeled as a valuable contract. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Hartenstein were all grouped here for different reasons. Williams is an All-NBA player who provides All-NBA defense. Holmgren is arguably the best defender in the NBA outside of Victor Wembanyama, while Hartenstein is in possession of a valuable contract. The future of Wallace in OKC is uncertain, but he is a talented two-way guard.
Rising stars such as Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell didn’t even make the cut, which is telling in the grand scheme of things. McCain grades out as an above-average offensive player with exceptional portability according to Crafted NBA. This doesn’t account for the strides McCain made on defense with the Thunder, either. Mitchell serves as an electric bucket-getter that would positively impact less competitive teams.
Oklahoma City is in a phenomenal position moving forward, point blank.
Thunder Have Many Avenues to Improve
GettyMcCain is a core piece of the Thunder moving forward.
Oklahoma City has two different ways to approach the next 12 months. General manager Sam Presti can either bank on internal improvement or make trades based on how the season goes.
This works well for the Thunder, as Holmgren and Williams are receiving major paydays starting this season. One or the other (or both) could become expendable if the team falls short yet again. Both will also be prime assets on the market, even with substantial contracts.
Mitchell, McCain, and Wallace are all valuable trade chips as well. Presti is in a position where he can essentially trade anyone he wishes to, which isn’t an undesirable spot to be in.
Oklahoma City’s assortment of draft picks might be even more impressive. The Thunder own 11 second round picks and a plethora of first rounders over the next seven seasons. This again allows Presti to either draft-and-stash or to trade the picks as he sees fit. The Thunder’s draft history over the course of the 2020’s is impeccable, but trades for Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain demonstrate that Presti is well-equipped to handle anything.
Oklahoma City is simply in a stronger position than any contender in recent NBA history. Time will tell if this results in another title, but the franchise is in an optimal position.
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