Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the final foe the OKC Thunder faced in the Western Conference before officially punching their ticket to the NBA Finals and, ultimately, taking home their first Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Considering this, coupled with the fact that they were also the conference's runner-ups in the previous campaign, it should come as no surprise that they are already considered a legitimate threat to Oklahoma City's repeat bid in 2025-26.
However, while the odds-makers have several ball clubs viewed as greater dangers to the Thunder this year, such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and, most notably, the Denver Nuggets, recent trade rumors have begun to circulate that, if they were to translate into a legitimate deal, could theoretically shift the West's hierarchy in the T-Wolves' favor.
Ja Morant trade could make T-Wolves more threatening to Thunder
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Timberwolves are "monitoring" the availability of point guard Ja Morant, who appears to have spoiled his relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies following several public displays of dissatisfaction.
Morant is an established All-Star and All-NBA honoree who, now in year seven, is posting averages of 20.0 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. Despite his efforts, however, Memphis finds itself off to a mere 3-6 start to the season and amid a four-game losing streak.
When locked in, Morant is truly one of the best players the league has to offer. The Thunder experienced this first hand during Game 3 of last year's quarterfinals, where he spearheaded the charge to a 27-point first-half lead before leaving the contest (and being ruled out for the rest of the series) with a left hip contusion.
The Timberwolves already have two proven All-NBA studs leading the charge in the likes of Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards, the latter being someone that many believe is in the same group as Thunder cornerstone and reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Creating a new Big Three with them and Morant would have the potential to rival just about any team's top trio, even Oklahoma City's.
Fortunately, as is the case when compared to virtually every other club in the association, the Thunder would undoubtedly still have the clear edge in the depth department, especially given the number of players Minnesota would need to part ways with to make room for the Grizzlies guard's $197.2 million contract.
Nevertheless, a direct threat in the Timberwolves being interested in adding someone of Morant's talent is certainly something worth monitoring moving forward.