Fresh off a truly historic NBA Championship run in 2024-25 and amid an even more dominant start to 2025-26, this OKC Thunder team is already viewed as the odds-on favorite to take home this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy as currently constructed.
As a result, there's really no need for them to even consider making any in-season trades or signings.
Excitingly enough, even while abiding by these principles, Oklahoma City is still destined to make perhaps the biggest addition the league will see this year via the return of All-Star forward Jalen Williams.
Top-ranked Thunder bound to get even better with Jalen Williams return
After putting forth a career-best campaign and serving as a key figure in claiming the franchise's first title of the Sooner State era just last season, Williams underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right shooting wrist.
Since going under the knife back in early July, the 24-year-old has openly admitted to practicing predominantly with his left hand, comparing his surgically repaired wrist to feeling like putting Laffy Taffy in the freezer, "and then trying to bend it."
However, now four months removed from the operation, reports have been circulating that J-Dub is nearing a full recovery and was even recently seen hoisting up smooth-looking jumpers with his right hand.
According to multiple verticles, Williams' return to the hardwood is rapidly approaching, with his next possible opportunity to make his long-awaited season debut coming Friday night in a road tilt against the Utah Jazz.
As things currently stand, the Thunder stand pat with the best record in the association at 15-1. They sport the fourth-best offensive rating (118.1) while leading the charge in both defensive (102.7) and net rating (15.3).
Adding Williams to this iteration of OKC can only be seen as an absolute luxury.
We're talking about an established All-NBA and All-Defensive talent who posted sensational all-around averages of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals on 48.4 percent shooting from the floor and 36.5 percent shooting from deep joining objectively the best team currently in the league.
With his elite defensive prowess, steady shooting stroke, and rotational versatility, there's simply no world in which the reintroduction of Williams into this rotation could be anything other than a major win.
While other teams across the NBA are actively trying to find ways to catch up to this Thunder team as is, pretty soon they'll be adding significantly more firepower to their arsenal without making a single move.