Are the Thunder a dynasty in the making?

They sure seem to be playing, and have the makings of one - great, young, well-rounded, a superstar . . .

 

Yes. Building through the draft is how the league is now set up.

 

They actually did a really good job of rebuilding. Much more patient than the Blazers.

Yes they fell into SGA, but they also dealt their superstar at the best possible time.

 

How many times do we see a great team win a championship and then not repeat? OKC hasn’t even won a championship yet. They’ve looked great in these playoffs and might win it, but a team isn’t even in the consideration for being a dynasty until they have won a championship.

 

If they continue to draft well and are willing to pay the tax to keep the players they have they certainly could be. Any more a dynasty in my book is 5-7 years. They could do that and win 2-3 chips pretty easily.

 

Can't they? Is there something that prohibits them from paying their own guys as much as other teams?

 

Yes absolutely. They will either be a powerhouse team the next decade, or at best even better, such as an epic all time dynasty.

We've never seen a team with the best record in the NBA, in the conference finals, this young of a roster, so deep at multiple positions, salary cap flexibility, and stacked with tons of extra future draft picks. Just absolutely unheard of. We've seen clearly better NBA teams for the current season for sure, the Durant Warriors probably the most recent, maybe even last seasons Celtics. But we've never seen a roster also have the other long term assets too.

The Thunder both did an excellent job of gaining future picks in trades, but also drafting a ton of great players with the picks they've used. The Thunder only had two seasons with big losses - compared to our Blazers currently completing their 4th year of losses.

This summer will be interesting as regardless of how the playoffs end I can see the Thunder considering trading away some of their talent for more picks. Eventually they may not be able to afford extensions for all of the players on the roster today. If they can flip one or two for more picks, and they currently seem to have upside backups in place to take on those extra minutes - they are really setting that franchise up to win for the next decade if not beyond.

 

The Spurs are obviously the other franchise that could be a dynasty. They might have the best player on either roster, which is crazy to say with SGA likely winning the MVP. But they don't have the depth the Thunder have, the draft picks, or the history of great draft picks. Wemby is a huge 7ft that have very high injury risk. Chet might have high risk too but is just a piece of the Thunder success - not the foundation as Wemby is in SAS. Still I wouldn't be surprised if we have a run of 3-4 years where the Spurs beat the Thunder. This might become a new version of the 2000era Spurs/Lakers battles.

 

Hard to see how the Blazers will have a chance the next decade even if we somehow eventually get an allstar. I guess hope we can eventually get HCA - and maybe get on the other side of the bracket from OKC/SAS or catch an injury break, etc.

 

I know I could look it up... but do the Thunder still have an abundance of future draft picks? I've heard for the past several years about all the draft picks they have, but they've obviously used some of those by now. So do they still have a shit ton of future picks?

 

OKC got Jalen Williams as a pick in that same Paul George deal - plus have many more picks still coming. Traded for CP3 and got picks, then traded him away for picks. Traded others players for picks, took on salary for picks. Then made many great picks themselves.

I always hated that we didn't go FULL on rebuild first when Olshey was fired and even then later when Dame was traded. Instead we acquired a bunch of irrelevant vets like Brogdon/Hart/Timelord/Ayton, or gave huge contracts out to Ant/Nurk/Thybulle/Grant. It was utterly insane that we were in the luxury tax at the start of last summer coming off the 3rd fewest wins in the NBA.

We should have 100% committed to gaining long term assets. That has actually made our rebuild LONGER than the Thunders two years of losses and well as left us now with ONE more pick than when Olshey was fired. Olshey left a roster with Dame, CJ, Ant, Norm on it - that group should have netted more than one pick! It seems like we might be past the primary rebuild phase where our own pick can be high in the lottery so I'm not sure there is even much we can do at this point.

 

Injuries.

I'm still not convinced that Wemby will be able to stay healthy enough to realize his potential.

 

Yes they have a ton next year. But they also have some distant ones from Denver and Phoenix swaps, etc that all look super valuable. Plus suspicion they might flip some rostered players for more picks to replenish their stockpile.

 

This doesn't look right at all.

Dort
Cason Wallace
Jaylin Williams
Aaron Wiggins
Isaiah Joe

Then as you say Chet/Jalen Williams were both great picks.

Giddey was a good pick, they traded him for off court issues plus Caruso received in exchange has been awesome for them.

Topic was out all season with knee surgery but top5 upside - who knows how good he could be. Perfect pick for them to stash.

 

I look at their assets and think not only are they already a "dynasty in the making" with their current roster but they have the most they could offer for Giannis should he become available... and they have more than anyone else for a Bucks youth rebuild without having to trade one of their top 6 guys in their rotation. They, without even drafting in this draft, would still have the best starting 5 in the league and a really good bench. That being said, I think they could get Giannis and keep all three of their picks in this draft.

Scary combo of a great roster and an almost incredible war-chest of future FRPs most of which have no protections on them.

 

OKC plays 11 guys - they are crazy deep. They traded for SGA as a rookie and added Caruso/Hartenstein last summer (trade/free agent)

So thats what 8 of 11 guys on a 68 win team they drafted? That might be the best drafting any team has done this century. Can't believe @julius is trying to criticize it.