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Guide NBA 2025-26: Oklahoma City Thunder
What to Expect from the Thunder in 2025–2026: Full AnalysisThunder: Unquestioned ChampionsThe Oklahoma City Thunder, 2024–25 NBA Champions, delivered one of the most dominant seasons in league history. They finished the regular season with a 68–14 record, securing the NBA’s best mark and the top seed in the Western Conference.Moreover, their 16-win gap over the […]
What to Expect from the Thunder in 2025–2026: Full Analysis
Thunder: Unquestioned Champions
The Oklahoma City Thunder, 2024–25 NBA Champions, delivered one of the most dominant seasons in league history. They finished the regular season with a 68–14 record, securing the NBA’s best mark and the top seed in the Western Conference.
Moreover, their 16-win gap over the second-place Houston Rockets was the largest margin between the top two teams in a conference since the NBA-ABA merger in 1977.
Statistically, it’s nearly impossible to find a category where OKC didn’t rank near the top. The team posted a historic +12.9 point differential, the best single-season mark in NBA history, surpassing the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers’ record of +12.3 — which had stood for over half a century.
Defense was the foundation of Oklahoma City’s success. The Thunder had the best defensive unit in the league, allowing 2.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-ranked Orlando Magic. They were also turnover-forcing machines, averaging 10.2 steals per 100 possessions, the highest rate in 12 years.
Among the many young stars on the roster, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the clear leader. The Canadian guard was named NBA MVP, averaging an incredible 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5 rebounds, and shooting 51.9% from the field.
In the playoffs, OKC swept the Memphis Grizzlies (4–0), survived a seven-game war against the Denver Nuggets (4–3), and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (4–1) to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 13 years. Facing the Indiana Pacers, the series went the distance to seven games. Unfortunately for Indiana, Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the first quarter of Game 7, and the Thunder closed out the series to secure the championship.
Offseason Moves and Analysis
With the championship, the 2024–25 Thunder became the second-youngest team in NBA history to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The great thing about having such a young core is that it doesn’t require drastic moves to stay competitive.
General manager Sam Presti, one of the most respected executives in basketball, did a masterful job building the roster over the past few years. This time, his focus wasn’t on acquiring talent but on locking up the franchise cornerstones long-term.
The Thunder ensured the long-term futures of their three key stars: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, all of whom signed significant contract extensions that will keep them in Oklahoma City for at least five more years.
Shai’s deal was the most notable — a four-year, $285 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in NBA history, with an average of $71.3 million per year.
Holmgren and Williams both received five-year extensions — Holmgren’s deal could reach $239 million, while Williams’ could total $287 million.
As for new additions, the Thunder drafted forward Thomas Sorber in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, Sorber suffered a torn ACL during the offseason and is expected to miss the entire upcoming season.
What to Expect This Season
Despite their dominant numbers, OKC’s title run wasn’t as easy as it looked. Their playoff battles against the Pacers and Nuggets were true tests of resilience, showing that even at their best, they could still be challenged. The upcoming season should be even tougher, especially with the Nuggets improving and the Houston Rockets — now led by Kevin Durant — emerging as a real threat.
Still, with virtually no roster turnover, the Thunder retained their championship core and continuity. That stability makes them once again the clear favorites to win the 2025–26 NBA title.
Young, deep, and versatile, OKC is perfectly positioned to contend for the West’s No. 1 seed for the third straight year.
Player to Watch: Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams — the Thunder’s dynamic shooting guard and second-leading scorer behind Shai — is a key figure heading into 2025–26. Last season, he averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, earning his first All-Star and All-NBA selections.
Williams also played a critical role in OKC’s elite defense, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2024–25. However, his offensive inconsistency was a recurring issue, particularly during the playoffs.
For example, Williams could follow up a 32-point game (11-of-21 shooting) with a 10-point performance on 2-of-13 — a swing that actually occurred between Games 3 and 4 of the second round vs. Denver.
That said, inconsistency is understandable for a 24-year-old in just his third NBA season. The key for Williams in 2025–26 will be becoming a dependable second scoring option alongside Shai.
Key to Continued Success: Limiting Offensive Rebounds Allowed
Finding weaknesses in this Thunder team isn’t easy. They had the NBA’s best defense in 2024–25 and ranked top five in both offensive rating and points per game.
Rebounding, however, has been a lingering issue since 2023–24, when they ranked fourth-worst in the league. The signing of Isaiah Hartenstein was meant to fix that, and it worked — the Thunder improved to 11th overall in total rebounds.
Even so, offensive rebounds allowed remained a soft spot. OKC gave up an average of 11.6 offensive boards per game, 8th-worst in the NBA, leading to 15 second-chance points per game by opponents (7th-worst).
Fixing that flaw could be the key to making an already elite team even more unstoppable. Reducing second-chance opportunities would make OKC’s league-best defense even more suffocating — and could be what turns the Thunder’s dominance into a dynasty with back-to-back championships.
