OKC Thunder Tops ESPN’s 2025-26 Power Rankings

Heading into next season, it’s no surprise that Oklahoma City will be the team with a target on its back. This Thunder team returns every key member, the coaching staff and the front office, and adds another summer of development. Some championship-winning teams have been older, and chasing a ring one last time. That’s the complete opposite of this Thunder team, though — they’re only getting better.

As OKC continues to improve internally, plenty of other teams around the league made moves to improve by leaps and bounds. Oklahoma City faced a gauntlet en route to the franchise's first ring this past season, but it's only gonna be harder this year.

In ESPN's new power rankings heading into the 2025-26 season, the Thunder topped the list, and rightfully so. But the stiff competition was evident two. All three teams at the top belong to the Western Conference. Behind Oklahoma City at No. 1, a hungry Houston squad ranked No. 2, followed by Denver at No.3.

“The Thunder haven't added any new players this offseason except rookies Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer -- who flashed tremendous defensive skills at summer league, making him a perfect fit -- in the draft. But why would they need to,” Zach Kram questioned? “The defending champs will return every member of their rotation as they attempt to repeat in 2025-26. 

“Instead, Oklahoma City's main business this offseason was signing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to long-term extensions, locking up this championship core through the rest of the 2020s. And that mission was accomplished without any fuss.”

Oklahoma City has a real chance to complete the near-impossible task of going back-to-back. Only a handful of NBA teams have ever pulled it off, but the Thunder's talent level is up there with any team from the past whether people want to admit it or not.

There are so many players that could improve by leaps and bounds on this Thunder roster, a fact that doesn't even seem possible. But this Thunder team could shock the world once again next season, and it's no surprise that they'll top every power rankings list this offseason.