The Oklahoma City Thunder: The League’s Brightest Future?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the biggest surprises of this NBA season so far, surpassing virtually all preseason expectations with a 24-25 record at the halfway point of the season. In this article, I’ll be giving my thoughts on what the Thunder have done right so far in their rebuild, what’s next for them in the near-future, and possible moves they can make.

What has OKC Done Right?

After yet another devastating Playoffs loss in 2019, GM Sam Presti decided to make the uncomfortable, but necessary, decision to push the rebuild button. What resulted was one of the greatest trades in NBA history. Presti traded Paul George, who was coming off an MVP-candidate season, to the Los Angeles Clippers for a haul of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and seven future first-round draft picks/swaps. In just three years after the trade, Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into an All-NBA talent as well as the franchise’s cornerstone. Furthermore, this trade gave OKC a plethora of draft picks that they have already turned into promising young prospects. Presti continued this momentum, and in just two off-seasons, he managed to acquire a record amount of draft-picks for the Thunder. Thanks to Presti, Oklahoma City is now in one of the best positions in the NBA, with enough assets to land virtually any player in the NBA.

They’ve also drafted nicely so far. Presti took a reach by drafting Josh Giddey sixth overall in 2021, but the Australian jumbo-playmaking guard has looked like one of the best players of the class, averaging … this season. Giddey has worked hard to turn major criticisms of his game, such as his self-creation and shooting, into neutral aspects and even strengths. Oklahoma City also used their three lottery picks in 2022 wisely. Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick, has unfortunately not taken the court due to injury, but looks to be a strong contender for the Rookie of the Year award next season. Ousmane Dieng, the eleventh pick, was a project pick by Presti, and projects to be an important member of this team in a few years time. However, Presti’s biggest steal so far has been Jalen Williams, an overlooked wing from a mid-major university who has played like a top three rookie from the class, completely outperforming what some expected from a twelth pick.

Another overlooked aspect of the Thunder’s success is their emphasis on building a team culture. Presti has stated that he values who players are as people high when evaluating prospect, and as a result, the Thunder have built a young core more focused on the direction of the team instead of themselves. For example, franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stated that he was ready to adjust his game for the development of backcourt partner Josh Giddey. OKC has also prioritized keeping some of their veteran players, such as Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala, who not only play crucial roles on the court, but also guide the youngsters in the locker room. For rebuilding teams, managing the egos of talented young players is often a struggle; however, Presti has managed to build a gritty, selfless culture in OKC.

Current State of the Team

As mentioned, Oklahoma City has already shattered pre-season expectations and delivered a promising season. They’re in real play-in contention, currently holding the eleventh seed with a 24-25 record. Oklahoma also has one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, and with how tight the Western Conference is, one strong streak of play may just vault them into playoff territory. For the first time since 2019, playoff basketball may return to Loud City (OKC made the playoffs in 2020, but as those playoffs were held in the Orlando Bubble, the fans of Oklahoma City never got to support the team in person).

Another important thing to consider is why the Thunder have been losing games. With the absence of Chet Holmgren, the Thunder do not have a real center with the exception of the undersized Mike Muscala. As a result, they’ve been losing close games by being dominated in the paint and on the boards. All of this will change with the return of Holmgren, who looks like one of the best rim-protecting prospects ever with strong rebounding ability. All in all, the Thunder should be proud of what they’ve accomplished this year without a core player who solves their biggest weaknesses.

Future of the Team

Regardless of what happens this seasons, Thunder fans can relax knowing that the front office could do nothing this off-season and the team will still massively improve, as Chet Holmgren will return next year and the young core will continue to improve. However, OKC also is in the position to finally unload some assets and trade for a crucial piece. In my opinion, the Thunder should target a versatile wing who can defend and shoot. One strong contender would be OG Anunoby, who remains on the trade market as Toronto looks to reset. In the draft, the Thunder should use their own pick to target this type of player as well. Some intriguing prospects are Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Kansas’s Gradey Dick, depending on where their pick ends up. If the Thunder do decide to cash in on their assets and aim for a strong playoff run, they may once again find themselves as the young, exciting, team giving the rest of the league a run for their money.

Final Thoughts

As NBA fans, we’ve witnessed Sam Presti perform a management masterclass in his rebuild of the Thunder. Once described as the league’s “black eye” for back-to-back losing seasons, OKC has finally broken out as the young, competitive team, and may just be a few years away from its first ever franchise championship.