The continually rising stocks of the Nuggets, Rockets, and Spurs as potential threats to an OKC Thunder title repeat may have some forgetting that the Minnesota Timberwolves are the ones who have been the runner-ups to represent the West in the NBA Finals over the last two seasons.
Frankly, until they're dethroned or finally thrust over the hump and clinch a title-round berth themselves, their status as second-best in the conference is more than secure.
That is, of course, unless the league literally boots them from the West like a recently rumored proposal suggests could be on the horizon.
In the wake of Shams Charania's recent announcement that the NBA will hold a vote at the Board of Governors meetings in late March "to explore adding expansion teams," particularly out in Las Vegas and Seattle, ESPN's top Insider revealed that one franchise would have to migrate "from West to East to rebalance the 17-15 split."
Among the many teams that were floated as optimal for relocation, the Anthony Edwards-led Timberwolves have a strong case because they're "geographically isolated" from both conferences, with Charania noting that the Nuggets, their closest conference opponent, are 680 miles away.
For reference, East clubs such as the Bucks, Bulls, Pacers, Pistons, Cavaliers, and Raptors all fall within this range as well.
Thunder partially to blame for possible T-Wolves migration to East
If a new expansion team is approved and Minnesota or any of the other franchises mentioned by Charania are forced to move to the Eastern Conference, the Thunder's very existence could be a major factor.
As noted earlier, Seattle is seen as a popular choice for any new expansion team to reside.
Of course, Oklahoma City is the reason why the Emerald City has a vacancy for a new club in the first place, as they are the result of a now-infamous ownership sale to PBC and chairman Clay Bennett that, in turn, shipped the SuperSonics to the Sooner State in the summer of 2008 and rebranded the organization as the OKC Thunder.
While the two franchises are technically the same and share historical accolades and records, socially, they're widely recognized as two completely different entities.
For years, pleas for the return of the Seattle SuperSonics have been deafeningly loud.
Though it would presumably have to wait until the 2028-29 season, Charania's latest report suggests that these dreams may be closer than ever to becoming a reality.