What's next for OKC? Three paths forward for SGA and the champs

The NBA is successful a agelong of unprecedented parity, with 7 antithetic champions successful the past 7 seasons. Not since Kevin Durant played for the Golden State Warriors has a defending champ adjacent reached the league finals, fto unsocial lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

But 1 of the biggest questions successful the NBA is whether that parity volition proceed oregon if it was an interruption betwixt dynasties. Fresh disconnected their archetypal title, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the wide favorites to repeat, with 80% of the league's wide managers choosing them to triumph it each again successful 2025-26.

With a deep, star-studded roster constructed by wide manager Sam Presti, the Thunder could beryllium connected the precipice of a dynasty. But thing successful the NBA is guaranteed. Last season, 83% of the league's GMs picked the Boston Celtics to repeat arsenic champions, but they mislaid successful the 2nd round, erstwhile Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

So, it's imaginable that Oklahoma City already peaked with its yet palmy -- but occasionally bumpy -- roadworthy to the rubric a twelvemonth ago. But it's besides imaginable that Oklahoma City volition highest this season. Or the Thunder's highest is inactive years away, arsenic a young roster continues to grow.

Put different way: Will the champion mentation of these Thunder beryllium the past, contiguous oregon future? There are compelling arguments for each 3 scenarios.

Why the Thunder mightiness person peaked past season

In the existent league landscape, astir NBA champions highest erstwhile they triumph their archetypal title. Look astatine the erstwhile 2 champions, some of whom, similar Oklahoma City, seemed positioned to triumph much successful speedy succession.

"We're not satisfied with one. We privation more," Nuggets manager Michael Malone said the nighttime his squad won the 2023 title. A fewer months later, GM Calvin Booth added, "If everything is optimized, we should triumph 3 oregon four."

But 2 years later, the Nuggets haven't returned to the league finals, and neither Malone nor Booth is inactive successful Denver.

Meanwhile, the 2024 champion Celtics are stuck successful limbo arsenic Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles, and they've already mislaid three of the apical six players from their rubric squad -- Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis -- owed to fiscal concerns.

Once a squad wins a title, the way of slightest absorption volition ever beryllium to autumn alternatively than to support climbing. That could beryllium existent for Oklahoma City; the squad posted the champion constituent differential successful NBA past (plus-12.9 per game), which volition beryllium hard to apical again. The Thunder besides went 68-14, tied for the fifth-best 82-game grounds ever.

History says specified ascendant teams are astir definite to regress. Out of the 26 erstwhile teams with 64 oregon much wins successful a season, 25 of them won less games the pursuing season.

Oklahom...