For the better part of the last two years, the OKC Thunder have regularly been described as the "next team up," so to speak -- one that, with their elite talent pool, enviable youth, and elite salary-cap figures, could soon realistically cement themselves as the NBA's newest dynasty.
Of course, in order to earn such a status, winning a championship is a must.
Fortunately for them, heading into Wednesday's Game 5 of their conference finals matchup against the Timberwolves, Oklahoma City is just one win away from punching their ticket to the title round and, in turn, are a mere five wins away from claiming the Larry O'Brien Trophy for themselves.
As things currently stand, it appears that if the Thunder were to ultimately advance, they'll likely be taking on the Indiana Pacers, who are up 3-1 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals showdown against the Knicks.
However, whether it's Indy or New York who head to the fourth and final round, to Charles Barkley, he's still taking OKC to win it all.
In his eyes, it's not even a question.
Charles Barkley sees OKC Thunder as a lock to win 2025 NBA Finals
Following the Pacers' crucial Game 4 win on Tuesday evening, the NBA Hall of Famer-turned-beloved TNT personality couldn't help but pour cold water on Indiana's post-win celebrations, as he would boldly state that no matter who ends up coming out of the East to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, the Thunder "are gonna beat the hell out of them."
Barkley would continue on by taking his confidence in this Oklahoma City squad to a completely new level, saying that if "anybody wanna bet me any amount of money come to my damn house because I can afford it," before officially declaring them as "the best team in the NBA."
Regardless of if one agrees with such a claim or not (though, based on the metrics, it's hard to argue against it), what bodes well for the Thunder in a series against either the Knicks or Pacers is that not only have they proven to excel while playing both of their styles of play, but, when it comes to going head-to-head as of late, they have come away unscathed.
During the regular season, OKC squared off against Indiana and New York a combined four times (two games apiece), and came away from these showdowns with a 4-0 record and an overall point differential of +62.
With all this in mind, coupled with the fact that they have absolutely dominated in this year's postseason, it's no wonder Barkley -- as well as the odds-makers -- views the Thunder as the favorites to be crowned 2025 NBA Champions.
A win on Wednesday night would only bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company one step closer to making this exciting hypothetical become reality.