The Oklahoma City Thunder have, obviously, been the most dominant regular season team in the NBA over the past three campaigns.
They finished with the first seed in the Western Conference in each of the past three years, and there's been stretches (including the first couple months of this past season) where they looked absolutely unbeatable. It's not as though they haven't suffered injuries, but they've consistently been able to shuffle their depth in order to account for them.
The complexion of this roster is decidedly different, though. The Thunder moved on from Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe this offseason in separate deals, and they'll be hoping that strides forward from their young pieces will help them to fill those voids.
As their internal picture changes, the landscape of the league around them is changing as well. The San Antonio Spurs appear to be the new young darlings of the NBA— and not just from a playoff perspective. They even came close to challenging the Thunder for the one seed last season, finishing just two games shy of Oklahoma City's 64-win record.
The Thunder certainly have what it takes to claim that mantle again in 2026-27. But there's a world where it's better to let go of the one seed early in order to maximize their health and availability for the postseason.
The Thunder might not come away with the one seed this year— and that's alright
Even though the Thunder came away with the one seed last season off the back of their incredibly strong start to the campaign, the middle and latter portions of the season were defined by injury. Isaiah Hartenstein, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell all missed extensive time at some point.
That's alright during the regular season. The Thunder have room to give extra minutes to pieces like Cason Wallace, second-year center Thomas Sorber, and rookie Bennett Stirtz and Otega Oweh if needed.
But we saw what happens when a team can't get fully healthy before the playoffs. Williams never truly found his stride last season, and his absence, combined with Mitchell's, is what ultimately cost the Thunder another shot at the NBA Championship.
There will be players that need rest during the regular season. Isaiah Hartenstein is already dealing with an injury this offseason. Alex Caruso, who is one of the team's two remaining elite perimeter defenders, hasn't averaged more than 20 minutes per game in his two seasons with the Thunder. Williams, especially, will likely need to be kept in a glass case until the All-Star Break.
If that means they need to cede their shot at the one seed to San Antonio (or some other surprise challenger like the Minnesota Timberwolves or Denver Nuggets), so be it. They'll likely need to face off against the Spurs in the playoffs no matter what.
For a team that's become accustomed to dominance, that might be a difficult pill to swallow. But times are changing in the NBA, and the Thunder need to do everything they can to maximize their championship hopes while their current window is still open.
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