The OKC Thunder have gone from hunters to being the hunted after winning the 2025 NBA Championship, and, as a result, many of their most formidable foes have already been working nonstop during these early stages of the offseason in an attempt to reach their level.
Though there are several teams who have managed to improve their talent pools from last season so far, such as the Rockets with their trade for Kevin Durant and Dallas' selection of Cooper Flagg at number one overall in last week's draft, it seems that none hold a candle to the Denver Nuggets as far as legitimate threats to Oklahoma City's repeat hopes are concerned.
Already equipped with arguably the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic and a championship-tested supporting cast, the Nuggets gave the Thunder a real run for their money during this past year's Western Conference Semifinals, bringing the eventual champs to seven games.
Now, through just three full days of free agency, they've undoubtedly made themselves even better by adding key veterans like Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency and trading for Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets.
Without a doubt, these moves make Luguentz Dort's recent remarks on ESPN's NBA Today all the more alarming to hear.
Lu Dort hints Nuggets were already biggest threat to Thunder last year
When asked by former NBA Champion and current analyst Danny Green what team made the Thunder the most nervous during their recent title run, without hesitation, Dort name-dropped the Nuggets.
"I would say the Denver Nuggets were the one that had us shaking a little bit. They won before and they've been in those types of positions so they did a great job at responding and all of that," Dort said.
In the end, even with these freights that Denver may have sparked, the Thunder ultimately prevailed when it mattered most, as they coasted to a commanding 125-93 win in their winner-take-all Game 7 out at Paycom Center.
However, it is a bit worrisome to consider just how close last year's Nuggets team came to eliminating Oklahoma City, even while shooting just 41.0 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from three-point range, the worst and second-worst marks among all second-round participants.
Frankly, had they gotten any semblance of a reliable offensive producer outside of Jokic and Jamal Murray, as Denver shot an abysmal 25.0 percent when both were off the floor throughout the postseason, not only is it plausible to think they would have squeaked past the Thunder but they may have gone on to win their second title in three years.
Now, with guys like Hardaway Jr. (averages 13.7 points on 36.1 percent shooting from deep for his career) and Cam Johnson (posted 18.8 points on 39.0 percent shooting from deep last season) in tow, at least on paper, it appears they have more than addressed their tertiary scoring needs.
Because of this, the Nuggets should unquestionably be seen as the biggest threat to the Thunder in 2025-26, and Lu Dort's comments only strengthen such a claim.