With numerous stars under contract, unmatched depth off the bench, and a treasure trove of future draft assets, the OKC Thunder are the franchise that the rest of the league envies.
Sam Presti and company have flexed their transactional muscles time and time again, resulting in one championship and a prime opportunity to become the game's next great dynasty.
Of course, recent news of two potential expansion teams might throw an unexpected wrench in these lofty aspirations.
NBA expansion would come at the expense of Thunder and others
News broke on Monday that the NBA would hold a vote on March 24-25 to approve the expansion of teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. Though the move is far from a done deal, the idea has been floated around since 2020 and is gaining more traction as seasons pass.
If two new teams were added to the league, an expansion draft would be held, and players would be selected from existing franchises. Only one player could be selected from each team.
What would be detrimental to the Thunder is the rule that each team can only protect up to eight players.
This means the rest of each team's roster would be up for grabs.
The Thunder, being arguably the deepest, most salary-cap-friendly franchise in the league, would easily have the most to lose in this situation.
With hefty contracts for their core players strategically staggered, Sam Presti has expertly positioned the Thunder to maintain a deep roster beyond this season. Even though the expansion wouldn't happen until the 2028-2029 season, the abundance of draft capital has OKC well-positioned to be stocked up by then.
It's almost certain that the ball club will have more than eight players worthy of protection, even three years from now.
To put it in perspective, if an expansion were to happen right now, players like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and even Lu Dort could potentially be left off the protected list. Any new team would be more than happy to snatch up these players in a heartbeat.
Expanding to 32 NBA teams could be a dynasty-killer
If the vote were to pass, the redistribution of talent across the NBA would be a storyline worth following.
Teams like the Thunder, who have positioned themselves to compete for a long time, would be punished for their front office's success, while teams that have depleted their rosters due to mismanagement would see little effect.
Having long been the league's poster child for how to run a franchise, Sam Presti is likely praying that this idea does not come to fruition, as many of his efforts would be squandered as a result.
Commissioner Adam Silver has shown he does not fear change in recent years, though, and a move to 32 teams would be in line with his vision for the future of the NBA.