Though committing to a potential total of $877.21 million in new, standard deals may seem extreme, it's safe to say that every penny the OKC Thunder spent this offseason was worth it.
As a result of their summer spending spree, the defending champs not only rewarded numerous key role players with highly deserved pay bumps but they locked down their star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren for the long haul as they look to establish themselves as the league's next dynasty.
Now, while chasing such a goal is certainly exciting, ultimately, achieving success with this pursuit will come at a grave cost, particularly when it comes to the club's roster construction.
Thunder bound to see significant roster turnover amid dynasty pursuit
ESPN's Tim Bontemps recently discussed ways in which teams actually enter into the dynasty picture, and highlighted the sacrifices they have to make along the way.
Using examples such as the 1990s Chicago Bulls, 2000s San Antonio Spurs, and Kobe Bryant-era Los Angeles Lakers, Bontemps stressed that in order for a club to have long-lasting supremacy, turnover outside of the team's core is a must.
"Arguably the NBA's most famous dynasty, the 1990s Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson as the three constants of their two three-peat teams across that decade. But every other player on the roster from the 1993 title team had been replaced by general manager Jerry Krause by the time the Bulls won again in 1996," Bontemps wrote.
Considering they've committed a potential total of $822 million to the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren alone, Sam Presti seems committed to holding strong with this trio as their core for the future.
Moving forward, the goal will be to try and surround this trio with a strong supporting cast consisting of players who not only have complementary styles of play but, considering the new era of crippling tax penalties, are attached to cost-efficient contracts.
Now, while it's apparent that they already seem to have this type of situation in place with fan favorites like Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, for instance, rounding out the starting five, eventually their services will likely become too pricey to retain due to their high-end production warranting more lucrative paydays, which, as explained by an anonymous executive, will wind up leading to many player exits.
"It's no fun if one team has all the talent. There's a throughline between the Spurs teams, they had Tim [Duncan], Tony [Parker], and Manu [Ginobili], but the role players turn over. So OKC, yeah, Chet, Shai and Jalen can stay together, but Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort and [Alex] Caruso and these other guys may have to go as those guys progress and get expensive," the executive told Bontemps.
Though the idea of losing any of these beloved contributors is far from fun, as history suggests, these are the types of tough decisions and sacrifices organizations must make to achieve such lofty aspirations.
Fortunately for the Thunder, they seem to have the tools necessary to continue filling out the roster with quality talents while simultaneously avoiding the dreaded tax aprons thanks to their treasure trove of draft capital coming their way.
Nevertheless, these luxuries still don't make the executive's harsh reality check any easier for fans to stomach.