As things currently stand, the OKC Thunder boast the second-best odds of taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy come the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season. Considering their star-studded roster and historic start to their campaign, this lofty status is more than justified.
However, as is the case virtually every season, the Western Conference standings are already shaping up to be a tight-knit race to the top, as nine teams find themselves sporting winning records and only four are at sub-.500 marks.
Atop the proverbial totem pole are the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Thunder, who all hold a sensational 7-1 record through their first eight games of action.
While both still fall behind OKC in the title odds department, they each have something that Mark Daigneault's club currently does not -- ample championship experience.
From Phoenix being headlined by two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant to Golden State's dynastic core remaining largely intact with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins still aboard, it's evident that these organizations already trump Oklahoma City's lacking arsenal of established winners.
Now, with a recent trade proposal, there appears to be a way for one of these clubs to attain even more aid that would not only boost their star power but also their familiarity with winning championships, as FanSided's Josh Cornelissen proposed a trade earlier this week that would send two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Bay Area.
Recent Giannis to Warriors trade idea could hurt Thunder title odds
Recently, Bill Reiter of CBS Sports revealed that a Western Conference executive told him "teams are circling—and hopeful" that Giannis Antetokounmpo could end up being placed on the trade block this season should the 1-6 Milwaukee Bucks continue to trend downward.
Interestingly enough, this rumbling was soon followed up by a claim made by ESPN's Brian Windhorst that Golden State is the "biggest candidate" in the association "to make a big trade" prior to February's deadline.
"This is a team that's got an itchy trigger finger trying to make the big deal," Windhorst said.
With all this in mind, it should come as no surprise that media pundits have already gone about and started to concoct hypothetical blockbuster scenarios that could end up shipping Giannis to the Warriors, and, on Wednesday, Cornelissen did just that by proposing a mega three-team deal.
To Cornelissen, this trade would give the Dubs "a fearsome" two-way starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Draymond Green, while having guys like Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III, Kyle Anderson and Trayce Jackson-Davis waiting in the reserves would complete a roster that he believes "challenges anyone in the Western Conference."
Despite his Bucks' lackluster start to the year, Antetokounmpo is still in the prime of his career at 29 years old and is once again stuffing the stat sheet with mesmerizing averages of 31.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 63.3 percent shooting from the floor.
Having the eight-time All-Star and 2021 Finals MVP join forces with 10-time All-Star Curry, four-time All-Star Green, and their four championships together would not only make the Warriors an even greater threat to take the Western Conference crown this year but, simultaneously, could negatively impact the title-odds of the Thunder.
From their enviable postseason experiences as a collective to the elite inside-out play on both ends of the floor that would be created in such a blockbuster situation, Golden State would automatically thrust themselves into the conversation of being a direct threat to the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
This idea, though only a mere hypothetical at this time, should not only draw the attention of Oklahoma City, but the rest of the league.