Damian Lillard's heartwarming return to the Portland Trail Blazers this summer is something many are celebrating as a storybook turn of events. The signing has even instilled hope that perhaps one day a similar reunion could be seen between the OKC Thunder and their own beloved former franchise cornerstone.
However, outside of the exciting emotions and positive attention the All-Star's impending homecoming may be generating, his decision seems to highlight an ongoing trend in the league that, sooner or later, could begin to cause serious problems for Oklahoma City.
Thunder foes continue to steal quality players from Eastern Conference
After winning their first championship of the Sooner State era this past season, the Thunder are looking to become the league's newest dynasty.
Considering their ample supply of future draft capital and the fact that their star talents are now locked down for the foreseeable future, it seems GM Sam Presti has positioned the organization as well as he can for them to achieve such lofty aspirations.
Simultaneously, however, it appears that many of their direct conference foes are actively doing everything in their power to make sure this doesn't happen.
While the Thunder have been incredibly busy constructing the best roster they can possibly roll out during their repeat-hopeful 2025-26 campaign, the rest of the West have been quite active themselves.
From the LA Clippers adding much-needed frontcourt help with the signing of Brook Lopez to the Denver Nuggets' key acquisitions of both Cameron Johnson (trade) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agency), many conference rivals are bolstering their talent pools for what they're hoping will be a legitimate title push this coming year.
What's even more interesting is that many of these high-end contributors who have recently been added to these win-now clubs are migrating from the Eastern Conference.
Over the past few seasons, this has been a consistent phenomenon, with examples ranging from Kyrie Irving's migration from Brooklyn to Dallas to Bradley Beal's trade from Washington, D.C. to Phoenix.
Just last season, we even saw Jimmy Butler work his way from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.
Now, we find Lillard following this exact trend, as he heads back to the West Coast after a two-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Though this particular move may not pay immediate dividends like the others listed above, as the All-Star is expected to miss the entirety of the upcoming season while recovering from a torn Achilles, his return to action in 2026-27 will directly coincide with Portland's promising 7-foot-1 wunderkind Yang Hansen having a full year of experience under his belt and the addition of whomever the club selects with what will presumably be yet another high-end lottery selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Should he return anywhere close to his pre-injury form, the Trail Blazers could prove to be rather menacing in two years' time, which will only add them to the continuously growing list of threats to the Thunder as they try to pile up as many championships as possible.
If the likes of the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and LeBron James and Luka Doncic-led Lakers weren't already trouble enough, add the Nuggets, Clippers, and perhaps even the 2027 Blazers into the mix as potential problematic teams Oklahoma City may now need to get through en route to another NBA Finals berth.