The Oklahoma City Thunder, for my money, are still the best team in the Western Conference.
Sure, there are going to be some things to sort out this season with the departure of three important, veteran contributors in Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe. But Oklahoma City has the young pieces and the depth to help account for their second-apron roster crunch, and there's certainly a case to be made that a combination of Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain can provide more than that trio in 2026-27.
It's also important to note that they took the reigning Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs to seven games largely without the benefit of two of their primary on-ball threats in Mitchell and Jalen Williams. If the team was fully healthy, who knows how that series would've gone?
This is not an attempt to re-litigate the past. It is simply to say that it's not wise to count the Thunder out of re-attaining the dominance they found during their championship run.
There are teams all over the Western Conference and the league as a whole who certainly would like to prevent that, though. For a number of these squads (like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers), everything would need to come together perfectly for them to even stand a chance of accomplishing that feat.
But for the Spurs, it likely comes down to just one development. If Dylan Harper takes another leap and can become a true secondary option for San Antonio's offense, the Thunder's greatest threat will suddenly take on a much scarier complexion in 2026-27.
Dylan Harper is the key to the Spurs' ability to challenge the Thunder in 2026-27
Of course, Victor Wembanyama is the center of the Spurs' universe, and he's the primary threat Oklahoma City will need to plan for this season. He's almost inarguably the best defensive player in the league entering Year 4, and although we saw him struggle at times to get things going offensively in a playoff setting, his height and pure athleticism are impossible to ignore on that end of the court.
Stephon Castle proved to be a worthy co-star last season as well, averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while knocking down 47.1% of his attempts from the field over the course of the regular season.
But when it came down to it in the playoffs, Harper was their true second offensive option. Harper shot just 28% from beyond the arc in the NBA Finals, but he still managed to average 18 points, 6.4 rebounds, and three assists while taking the ball into his hands over the course of the seven-game series' most important moments. In the long-term, it seems as though he projects as more of a true offensive option than Castle does. The Spurs' goal in 2026-27 should be to identify and maximize that.
That's ultimately where San Antonio fell short last season. While they were a formidable defensive team, their offensive structure often fell apart in the clutch. Another leap from Harper—especially considering some of the sub-par play and decision-making we've seen out of De'Aaron Fox—could go a long way towards solving that issue.
As hard as it is for the Oklahoma City defensive scheme to truly account for Wembanyama, imagine if there was a complementary player on that roster with true, consistent downhill and perimeter shooting abilities.
This is not to say that another leap from Harper would automatically make San Antonio championship favorites over the Thunder. But of all the potential developments in the Western Conference next season, that sort of leap would likely have the greatest impact on the Thunder's championship hopes.
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