What is the OKC Thunder Chasing this Season?

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the mountaintop. The destination that it's hoped to reach since the franchise began in 2008. What's next for it to accomplish?

Well, it's another trophy to add to its collection. What separates great teams from dynasties is sustained success over multiple seasons, and another NBA Finals win would certainly put Oklahoma City in a higher category than it's in now. Given the relatively young age of its current roster, there should be no problem in continuing to compete for championships for the next few years, at least.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Kevin Polten recently named the thing that all 30 NBA teams are chasing after in the 2025-26 season. For the Thunder, they said it's all-in on an extended championship window. The Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic were also given the same prompt, but Oklahoma City is the only team to actually get a championship done already.

"The Thunder might be less all-in than any team trying to repeat in modern NBA history," Bontemps and Polten said.

That's because Oklahoma City doesn't have to be in a rush to do anything. While the rest of the five teams are still trying to get over the hump, the Thunder is seeking ways to stack up more victories. It has the core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren locked up on the roster for the next five seasons, along with six extra first-round picks on the way in the near future.

While Oklahoma City would like to get back-to-back NBA Finals wins, it wouldn't derail anything if it didn't gain that accomplishment. As long as its core stays together, it will be one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. In three years, the team could look even better than it does now.

Bontemps and Polten seemed to be hesitant on the Thunder being able to replicate last year's campaign this time around. Getting 68 regular season wins and rolling through the West — aside from a seven-game series with the Denver Nuggets — is not a simple task to live up to. Oklahoma City will be motivated to win, but maybe not as much as it once was.

Even if it can't reach the heights of last season, the Thunder will be the team for the rest of the NBA to chase in the 2025-26 season. Time will tell if anyone can take it down.