This young OKC Thunder squad is one that many believe could be on the verge of becoming the league's next great dynasty.
With guys like 26-year-old superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rookie-scale rising stars Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, and a slew of promising first and second-year talents, Oklahoma City clearly has a roster built for contending in the now as well as the long-term.
While this realization may excite the fanbase and pundits alike, expectations may be somewhat tempered for those older than, say, 15, as this isn't the first time such hope has been felt.
Back in the mid-aughts and early 2010s, the Thunder rostered a similar collection of talent, headlined by the tantalizing young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
Together, they were pegged as the "It" team of the future and even went as far as clinching their first and, through this point, only NBA Finals berth while residing in the Sooner State.
However, once contract negotiations came about, Sam Presti and company were forced to make some rash decisions.
Ultimately, they opted to partially break up the rising young trio, sending James Harden to the Houston Rockets during the summer of 2012 to retain the dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook while also locking down more veteran presences like Kendrick Perkins as they gunned for glory.
Of course, as we know now, the highs have never reached the same level as they did before the infamous blockbuster, and, recently, Harden himself provided some commentary on the "what could have beens" had he remained in OKC and, frankly, such talk may break the hearts of Thunder fans.
James Harden talks alternate reality had he stayed with OKC Thunder
“If the Thunder would’ve stayed together instead of being broken up over $4 million, we would’ve won two chips at least — at the minimum,” Harden said.
Now, to Harden's credit, he did acknowledge that, had he stayed with the Thunder, he likely may not have reached the all-time status that he's at now, nor would he have become as prominent in the organization's record books as Durant and, more notably, Westbrook.
Since departing from the club roughly 13 years ago, the guard has gone on to receive a bevy of accolades that include 10 All-Star nods, seven All-NBA selections, three scoring championships, and a league MVP while sporting sensational averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals along the way.
However, even with all of these accomplishments, Harden has yet to add the coveted "NBA Champion" moniker to his resume. To him, staying in Oklahoma City alongside Russ and KD very well could have been the way for him to have achieved such a goal.
Considering all of their respective talents and the trajectory they seemed to be on as a unit, it's hard to argue against such a stance.