The Thunder are the NBA’s most dominant team. Here’s how they can get improve

The Oklahoma City Thunder are already the envy of the NBA for several reasons. OKC is the reigning NBA Champion, and its core of 2024-25 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams and emerging big man Chet Holmgren are all signed through 2030. Last season’s roster was the second youngest to win a title. Only the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers were younger. 

The Thunder are off to a 20-1 start, one of four teams to start so well and joining the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (who won 73 games that season) as the only defending champions to start 20-1 or better.

But the Thunder have reason to be optimistic about the future in a way most champions haven’t. 

Thanks to the 2019 trade that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers and landed Gilgeous-Alexander in return, the Thunder owns the Clippers’ right to swap with Houston in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

The Clippers are off to a 5-16 start, their worst start since 2010-11, and the pick is unprotected. So if the Clippers continue to stumble the rest of the season, the Thunder could land a high draft pick. Imagine the Thunder landing a top-3 pick with its already young and talented core. 

The Clippers made the deal believing George would be a key to a championship team when paired with Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers have the fifth-best winning percentage in the regular season since the trade, but never made the Finals and George signed with Philadelphia as a free agent before last season. 

Leonard has missed time due to injury this season, and when he and James Harden have played together, the Clippers have a minus-9.0 net rating when both play this season (235 minutes, per NBA.com)

But there’s more. 

The Thunder have Utah’s first-round pick from a 2021 deal with Utah that allowed the Jazz to shed salary by sending Derrick Favors to the Thunder. That pick is top-8 protected, so if the Jazz pick later than eighth, their pick goes to Oklahoma City. 

That’s not all. 

The Thunder made a deal with Philadelphia to acquire Al Horford in 2020. The Thunder would get the 76ers’ first-round pick if it falls outside of the top-4 in 2026. The 2026 NBA Draft could lead to a major infusion of young talent if things play out in the Thunder’s favor because of the past trades. It’s not as if the Thunder have struggled recently. Oklahoma City’s .693 win percentage over the last four seasons trails only Boston (.726), which has two Finals appearances and one championship over that span.