For the better part of the past two seasons, the OKC Thunder have been viewed as a ball club with the makings of becoming the league's next great dynasty.
With MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and budding stud Chet Holmgren leading the charge and being surrounded by a slew of elite role players and recently selected lottery talents, it's hard to argue against such a sentiment.
Of course, to many, before they can officially be thrust into this type of conversation, Oklahoma City will need to win its first title as a unit.
As things currently stand, they are four wins away from doing exactly that, with Game 1 of their NBA Finals matchup against the Indiana Pacers being set for this coming Thursday.
However, to former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, he's already convinced that even without taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2025, this Thunder club will still be on track toward dynastic status, and even went as far as to say that they appear destined to surpass the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors in such a storied conversation.
Thunder dynasty slated to be 'even more powerful' than Warriors
"I think we're looking at the beginning of a dynasty anyway. Let's say they don't win it this year. We gonna sit here and say they won't be the favorite the next season? It's absolutely the start of a dynasty. I think it's a dynasty that will be even more powerful than what we saw with the Warriors," Cousins said.
Though certainly an eye-catching comment, especially considering Golden State has won four titles since 2015 and, from 2016 through 2019, were regarded as arguably the greatest collection of talent the game has ever seen with the likes of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green serving as headliners, Cousins certainly has a strong argument to back his claims.
The 12-year veteran (and former Dubs big, no less) proceeded to highlight OKC's abundance of future draft capital over the next several years, noting that "when the Warriors were in their heyday and they had everything rolling, they never had the assets that this Thunder team has."
Over the next seven years, Oklahoma City holds the rights to roughly 30 draft picks, half of which fall into the first round.
Not only is this a luxury on account of the fact that GM Sam Presti has the ability to continue fleshing out their roster with top-billed talents on cost-efficient contracts throughout the next decade, but, as Cousins noted, "God forbid they run into an injury, they have the assets to go get another superstar" in some sort of trade.
While this take by no means should lead people to believe the Thunder don't need to view this year's championship as a must-win -- after all, OKC fans are more than familiar with how quickly a team's chance at contention can dissolve --, it's encouraging to think about how well positioned this team is moving forward and exciting to know what, exactly, they are on the brink of potentially becoming.