Despite the historic pace they have been on over these past two years and the fact that they're favorites to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy this postseason, many are convinced that the OKC Thunder are still a piece away from achieving ultimate glory and becoming the game's next great dynasty.
From arguments about how their lack of deep playoff run experience could hold them back to concerns over whether Jalen Williams is capable of being a trusty number two on a title-winning team, cases have been made left and right when it comes to why people are not yet sold on this iteration of the Thunder.
Because of this, it should come as no surprise that, amid the widespread Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors that have been circulating since the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers on Tuesday night, OKC has been frequently mentioned as a possible trade destination this offseason.
With their treasure trove of draft capital coupled with their bevy of recently selected first-round talents still attached to rookie-scale deals, it's hard to blame people for discussing such a hypothetical.
However, based on Sam Presti's track record during his tenure running the show from the executive branch, the likelihood of Oklahoma City partaking in such a monster exchange should be considered quite low.
And while some may be a bit unenthusiastic about this kind of take, they will need to look no further than the club's biggest signing (both figuratively and literally) from last summer's free agency period, Isaiah Hartenstein, to be reminded of how successful the franchise has been with pursuing ideal-fit role players over high-priced stars.
Thunder must focus on strengthening weak spots, not adding star power
After being bounced by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals last season, calls for Oklahoma City to cash in on their enormous number of assets in exchange for more star power to surround Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with became deafeningly loud.
The hope among many fans and pundits was that they would look for a talent upgrade in the frontcourt department to help address their size discrepancy -- something that played a large role in their ultimate demise --, and several hypothetical trade ideas were proposed to find a solution for exactly this.
Though certainly the more exciting route, Presti and co. instead opted for the much simpler and quieter approach of scouring the free agency market, only to wind up signing a six-year role player in Hartenstein.
Now, was such a move as celebrated among the fanbase as, say, a blockbuster swing for All-Star Lauri Markkanen would have been? Absolutely not!
Yet, 10 months later, the big man has proven to be one of the best-case scenario additions for this top-ranked Thunder team, as the 7-footer put forth a career-best campaign of 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks while ranking fourth on this 68-win club in plus-minus (+7.3) among those who played over 50 games on the year.
On top of this, with his arrival, OKC has improved in several key areas, including rebounding (went from 27 ranked in 2023-24 to 11), second-chance points (27 to 11), and opponent points in the paint (seventh to first), just to name a few.
What's more impressive about all this is the fact that it took literally zero key departures to make such an addition happen, as he was signed outright in free agency by way of a three-year, $87 million deal.
Adding a splashy new asset via the trade market like Giannis, on the other hand, would require a ton of assets to be coughed up (both draft capital and current players) to make it possible, which would likely wind up gutting a large chunk of the team's infrastructure.
As fans all know, though their star power has certainly paved the way throughout this historic 2024-25 season, it has been the Thunder's depth that truly separates them from the rest of the NBA.
So, even though going the way of adding form-fitting role players on the open market rather than striking on a top-billed baller in a blockbuster may not be the most entertaining course of action, as things currently stand, it has proven to be the right one for this team to have taken.
Unless OKC can somehow execute a steal of a deal to bring on another star, hopefully this aforementioned approach will not be abandoned come the offseason.