Nov 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; An overall view of the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Cup Court before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

NBA Cup Changes Could Benefit OKC Thunder in Coming Years

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the league’s best home-court advantages, and it might soon help them in the NBA Cup.

Over the past several years, the Thunder have been one of the top teams in the NBA, culminating in their run to their first championship last season. Going into 2025-26, the Thunder will again be the favorites to take home the Larry O’Brien, but there could be another goal that the team is focused on early in the year.

Last season, the Thunder won the Western Conference side of the NBA Cup before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the final. With a championship under their belts, the Thunder now have a chance to make another run at the in-season championship.

If Oklahoma City can make it through the group stage and the first knockout round, they will be headed to Vegas for the semifinals and potentially the final again. However, that structure will change, potentially in the Thunder’s favor, in 2026-27.

The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/Md0uIQXmme
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 10, 2025

As the NBA announced on Wednesday, the higher seed will get to host in the semifinals of the NBA Cup beginning in 2026-27, mirroring the quarterfinals, while the final will still be held in Vegas. This is a welcome change that many have been asking for, especially considering that the semifinal matchups still count toward the regular season standings.

This also could mean that the Thunder are in for a great opportunity in the future if they can play well in the group stage. Over the first two seasons of the NBA Cup, the Thunder are 4-1 in home games, with the lone loss coming in a tight matchup against the Golden State Warriors in 2023-24 without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Much like the actual postseason, the Thunder have been a force to be reckoned with at home in the regular season’s high-stakes games. Last season, the Thunder were the No. 1 seed in the West in the NBA Cup.

Under the current format, that meant the Thunder hosted the Dallas Mavericks before heading to Vegas for a semifinal matchup against the Houston Rockets. Had these new rules been in place last season, that matchup against Houston would have happened in Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, which also means the Thunder would have finished the season with 42 home games and only 40 road games.

While there have been plenty of incentives thrown in to get players to care about the NBA Cup, having two more games at home than on the road could be massive in a tight Western Conference over the next few years.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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