With Klay Thompson departing, the Golden State Warriors dynasty is officially over after an incredible that earned them four championships in eight years.
Now that the most dominant squad over the past decade has broken up, which franchise has the potential to be the NBA’s next dynasty?
One team firmly in contention for the throne is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC already took the league by surprise this past season, winning 57 games and finishing as the No. 1 seed in the grueling Western Conference, after beginning the year with a win total projection of 44.5.
They swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Dallas Mavericks in a tightly battled six-game series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as the latest superstar for the Thunder, finishing second in MVP voting to Nikola Jokić, but the talent pool in Oklahoma runs deep. At 7’1″, Chet Holmgren is nimble and graceful on both ends of the floor and plays with a poise that belies his youth. And with his mid-range game and defensive prowess, Jalen Williams has garnered comparisons to a young Kawhi Leonard.
Talk about a Big Three!
If that wasn’t enough firepower, OKC added two key veterans to their young core this offseason.
Alex Caruso was acquired in a trade with the Bulls for Josh Giddey, who was not happy with the idea of coming off the Thunder bench next season.
And, free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein agreed to a three-year, $87 million deal with OKC. Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 64.4% from the field for the New York Knicks in 2023-24.
OKC add Isaiah Hartenstein & Alex Caruso, Will they get to NBA Finals, Possible dynasty?
FOX Sports analyst Skip Bayless had high praise for OKC’S offseason moves on a recent edition of The Skip Bayless Show.
“Sam Presti did it again. He is the best GM in the NBA,” Bayless exclaimed before adding, “Alex Caruso is as tough and fierce of a perimeter as there is in the league, and they went and got him. And now he’s with the Thunder right on time as a 30-year-old. A proven defender that can defend at the highest level, who can disrupt at the highest level and make offensive plays at a supreme level when called upon.”
… Caruso and Hartenstein are exactly what OKC needed.”
Looking at the future of this OKC team, Bayless thinks they have what it takes.
“Caruso and Hartenstein are exactly what OKC needed,” He said.
“I believe in these Thunder because they believe in each other. Next year, I’m here to tell you, OKC is going to win the West in the playoffs as well as in the regular season… we could be looking at a Thunder dynasty.”
OKC currently has the second-lowest odds to win the NBA finals at +750, only trailing the Boston Celtics (+300). They are the favorites to win the West at +370.
