The Oklahoma City Thunder have a number of championship threats to face this season. Although they Thunder still sit atop the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets have looked absolutely lethal offensively without their full lineup available. What happens when everyone gets healthy?
Other teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves will also be looking to dethrone them. Although there's reason to doubt each of these team's standing as true contenders, it's clear that Oklahoma City's path to the championship will be just as tough as last season if not tougher.
Thankfully, the trade deadline did not yield many needle-moving deals in the West. The Spurs and Rockets stood pat, while the Nuggets and Timberwolves made financially-oriented deals.
However, one trade, the dealing of Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, could come back to haunt the Thunder. The Pacers are now more than poised to return to their former stature, and that should be a scary thought for fans of Oklahoma City.
The Indiana Pacers will present a serious threat out of the East next season
Although the Thunder have gone down in the history books as the NBA Champion for the 2024-25 season, it's difficult not to remember how close things came. The underdog Pacers forced the Thunder to seven games. Had Tyrese Haliburton not suffered an injury in Game 7, it's quite possible the series could have gone the other way.
This season, Indiana does not represent a threat whatsoever. With Haliburton out, they've taken a down year. They currently sit at at 13-39 and possess the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Yet their move for Zubac was not intended to have an immediate payoff. The move was conducted with eyes on Haliburton's return.
Zubac provides almost all of what Indiana lost with Myles Turner's departure and then some. Although Zubac doesn't space the floor in the same way that Turner does, his defensive presence and rebounding ability are formidable.
With aggressive help defenders in Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard, Zubac could be the anchoring force the Pacers' defense desperately needs.
If Indiana can successfully incorporate Zubac's around-the-rim scoring package into their offense without sacrificing the ball movement and perimeter shot-making that Haliburton brings, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, the Thunder have their own problems in the West. But this season, it seems as though no team in the East is truly ready to take them down. When the Pacers return to full form, this could change with the blink of an eye.