The OKC Thunder are an organization ready to win a championship as soon as the 2024-25 NBA season, and the majority of fans and pundits seem to strongly believe such a notion.
Interestingly enough, however, unlike other current contenders, Mark Daigneault's squad is built to be in a position to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the foreseeable future, as they are headlined by a 26-year-old superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, two rising studs still attached to rookie-scale deals in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, and a slew of other young and promising talents.
Add all this to the fact that Oklahoma City has roughly 20 total first-round picks (their own and acquired via trades) heading their way over the next several seasons, and it's safe to assume that this team will be in a position to win the NBA Finals for the better part of the next decade, and perhaps for even longer.
That said, in this league, nothing is guaranteed. The Thunder's potential of raising banners up into the rafters at Paycom Center is highly dependent on several different factors, with arguably the most noteworthy being GM Sam Presti's ability to properly structure this club for sustained success years down the line.
Though all may seem right with this team heading into this year's campaign, there's no telling what they may look like, say, five seasons from now. However, if all goes right, their starting lineup could look a little something like this...
Dream starting lineup for the OKC Thunder 5 years from now
Point guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Since arriving in Loud City back in 2019, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as one of the game's all-around best talents, especially over the last two seasons.
Through 143 games played from 2022-23, the combo guard has found himself posting sensational per-game averages of 30.7 points, 5.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and just shy of a block on 52.3 percent shooting from the floor and 35.0 percent shooting from deep.
As a result of these efforts, SGA has earned two consecutive All-Star and All-NBA nods and has finished among the top five in MVP voting twice, with his 2023-24 performance slotting him in at number two in a rather controversial and hotly debated voting turnout.
On top of this, with him serving as their clear top option the Thunder have accumulated a total of 97 wins during this stretch and just officially became the youngest team in league history to not only clinch a number one seed in a conference standings but, also, to win a playoff series along the way.
Soon Gilgeous-Alexander will be eligible to sign a lucrative new contract extension that, if signed, could make him the first $80 million single-season earner in NBA history and, simultaneously, keep him in Oklahoma City through the 2030-31 season.
Expect this to eventually come to fruition and, in turn, see him serving as the starting point guard for this team at least five years from now.
Shooting guard: Cason Wallace
Some may not realize it, but Cason Wallace had himself quite an impressive rookie season in 2023-24.
Though he may have done so in a rather quite manner -- at least, when compared to fellow Thunder rookie, Chet Holmgren's immaculate showing --, the 10 overall pick from last summer's NBA Draft managed to establish himself as a ridiculously efficient and effective 3-and-D contributor in the backcourt.
In 20.6 minutes per night, Wallace went on to post All-Rooke Second-Team earning averages of 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and just shy of a steal on 49.1 percent shooting from the floor and 41.9 percent shooting from deep while boasting a highly respectable defensive rating of 113 and a positive defensive box plus-minus.
From his willingness to play and, simultaneously, perform at an immaculate level off-ball on offense (cashed in on 50.8 percent of his 124 uncontested 3-point attempts) to his standout defensive chops that only seemed to get better when the pressure became greater, having someone of his ilk running alongside SGA in the backcourt could be a perfect marriage to better the two-way efforts of this team moving forward.
Small forward: Jalen Williams
Last season, Jalen Williams put forth a career-best campaign while posting impressive averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 54.0 percent from the floor and 42.7 percent from deep.
Not only are these numbers extremely impressive when solely considering the fact that it was only in his second season in the association, but when taking into account that he did all this while playing out of position for the majority of the campaign it adds to the already incredibly excitement that comes with the 23-year-old.
Despite boasting a build (6-foot-5, 211 pounds) and game that is more generally found in modern-day wings, Williams was tasked with sliding down to the starting power forward position where he ended up becoming the second option on offense behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and finished with the third best plus-minus and net rating on the top-seeded Thunder.
With Isaiah Hartenstein now in tow, it's almost certain that J-Dub will wind up being utilized at his more natural small forward slot rather than down at the four in 2024-25, which could end up seeing him flourish even more on the hardwood.
An All-Star and All-NBA berth could very well be in the cards for Williams with this projected position switch.
Power Forward: Cooper Flagg
So now here's where the "dream" part of this exercise comes into play.
Projected to be the first, or at the very least a top-three pick in next June's 2025 NBA Draft, the idea of the legitimate title-contending Thunder landing a talent like Cooper Flagg is one that's seen as a bit far-fetched.
But is it?
As mentioned earlier, Oklahoma City owns the rights to a whopping 20 first-round picks over the next several years, many of which hold enviably high values (say, the LA Clippers 2025 pick-swap as well as their unprotected 2026 pick, for example).
Considering their harrowing injury history, there's a realistic, albeit slim chance that OKC could wind up with a top-three pick in next year's draft as a result of Los Angeles' struggles and, in turn, could snatch up Flagg in this fashion.
Of course, another, perhaps more plausible scenario would be to see Sam Presti and company package a plethora of these draft assets (with a 15-man roster limit, in no way can the Thunder use all of these picks on themselves) into a trade that, in turn, could see the franchise slide into a position to select the presumed generational talent.
And boy, if this "dream" situation played out as noted, things could get wild out in Loud City.
Measuring in at 6-foot-9 with a smooth two-way play style, Flagg boasts the build and intangibles of a highly versatile tweener forward at the next level, while his three-level scoring prowess provides the incoming Duke freshman with the potential to be a legitimate star in the NBA.
Adding him to a lineup already consisting of SGA, J-Dub, and Chet Holmgren would be an absolute nightmare for opposing clubs to square off against.
Center: Chet Holmgren
Speaking of Chet Holmgren...
Though the reigning rookie phenom may be coming into his sophomore season projected to slot in at power forward while splashy free agency big Isaiah Hartenstein mans the pivot position, it's widely understood that Holmgren is the center of the future for the Thunder.
In 82 games played during his debut campaign in 2023-24, the former second overall selection proved to be an absolute two-way menace while manning the five spot, as he went on to drop sensational averages of 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks on 53.0 percent shooting from the floor and 37.0 percent shooting from distance.
Because of his stellar level of play, Holmgren went on to earn All-Rookie First-Team honors, finished second in the running for Rookie of the Year, and, now, is coming into 2024-25 viewed as one of the absolute best talents compared to the rest of the league's "next generation" ballers.
Frankly, one of the only noteworthy concerns about the big is his astonishingly slim 207-pound frame for someone of his 7-foot-1 stature. However, by the time 2029-30 rolls around, it's not all that far-fetched to believe that Holmgren will have had his weight room trips and diet tips pay off in the size department.