As things currently stand, the OKC Thunder are the top seed in the entire league at 21-1, are on pace to re-set the NBA record for wins in a single season, and are tabbed as the far and away favorites to win the 2026 NBA Finals.
However, the right (or, in this case, wrong) move involving Giannis Antetokounmpo could throw a real curveball at the defending champ's repeat aspirations.
Thunder title repeat could be directly impacted by Giannis trade
Wednesday afternoon, the trade rumor mill started spinning out of control when ESPN insider Shams Charania broke the news that the Milwaukee Bucks were holding conversations with the two-time MVP about his relationship going forward with the organization.
Needless to say, this has sent the NBA world into complete and utter chaos, with analysts and keyboard warriors alike buzzing about the future of Giannis' playing career, and, more specifically, with what team it might be played out with.
As things currently stand, regardless of how sensational the 30-year-old performs, his greatness isn't all that great a threat to Oklahoma City's title pursuits.
Even with his elite averages of 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks on 63.9 percent shooting from the floor and a career-best 43.5 percent shooting from deep, the Bucks are still only 9-13 and on the outside looking in on a Play-In Tournament bid out East.
However, in the right environment, his services could help thrust a fringe title favorite over the hump, which could give the Thunder some trouble down the road.
Though there's still technically no official word on whether or not Giannis will even ask out of Milwaukee, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the superstar forward has already informed the franchise that "he wanted to be a Knick," which, considering they have the fourth-best odds of taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy as is, this may be a situation OKC should be monitoring closely.
Outside of New York, one of the most dangerous up-and-coming teams in the fourth-seeded San Antonio Spurs could realistically wind up being a top landing spot on account of the fact that they could float the best trade package in Milwaukee's direction, what with their slew of future draft capital and collection of promising young players residing on their roster.
The Greek Freak being paired with the Extraterrestrial, Victor Wembanyama, would not only have the makings of a legitimate title contender this season, but for the next several to come, which is something that could severely hurt Oklahoma City's dynasty push.
The most frightening part of this whole situation is that these are only two of many teams that will likely make a push for Giannis if and when he requests a trade from the Bucks.
If moved to the proper situation, the Thunder's quest for a second consecutive championship may not be as easy-breezy as it currently projects.