Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder climbed back into the playoffs after a five-year drought, claiming the Western Conference's top seed.
Although the Thunder lost in the semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, their season was successful. Now, with the offseason addition of defensive ace Alex Caruso and versatile center Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC has its sights set on a deeper playoff run in 2025.
But can the Thunder contend for a championship? Let's break it down.
Oklahoma City didn’t rely on a true point guard last season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slotted in at the one, but he’s more of a shooting guard in the mold of Kobe Bryant. SGA dished out a respectable 6.2 assists per game last season, but it was one of the lowest marks for a lead playmaker on a playoff team.
During the regular season, the Thunder thrived on generating miscues (13.6 percent turnover rate), fueling a league-best 26.5 transition points per game. However, in the half court, the lack of a true floor general became apparent. OKC resorted to isolation plays (sixth most in the league), often relying on Gilgeous-Alexander's brilliance to bail it out.
The offseason trade of Josh Giddey, the team's second-best facilitator (career 5.7 APG), without acquiring a replacement point guard further complicates the issue. The Thunder will enter the 2024-2025 season with only one real passing threat, Gilgeous-Alexander.
Can the Thunder create enough scoring opportunities in the half court against playoff defenses designed to slow the game down?
OKC’s interior defense was a clear weakness last season, particularly against teams with imposing frontcourts. Enter Isaiah Hartenstein, a solid defender who started 49 games for the Knicks last season, helping them to a top-10 defensive rating.
Hartenstein played with his motor redlining every game, hustling for rebounds and stretching for closeouts, but he isn't a dominant rim protector. He finished the season with 1.1 blocks per game and allowed opponents to shoot 60.7 percent from the restricted area, good for 45th in the league.
Even more concerning for OKC, Hartenstein struggled to contain elite Western Conference centers such as Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Will Hartenstein’s presence be enough to shore up the paint against the likes of the Lakers, Nuggets and Timberwolves in the playoffs?
Unless you’re the Boston Celtics, who have five top-50 players in their starting lineup, having the best player on the court goes a long way toward winning a playoff series. SGA is undoubtedly a superstar with a lethal first step and a deadly mid-range game.
But in a Western Conference loaded with surefire Hall of Famers such as LeBron James, Jokic, Dallas' Luka Doncic, Phoenix's Kevin Durant and Golden State's Stephen Curry, can Gilgeous-Alexander consistently be the best player on the court in a playoff series?
These players have led their teams deep into the playoffs, demonstrating the ability to elevate their game when the pressure mounts and defenses sink their teeth into them. Can Gilgeous-Alexander rise to that same level and carry the Thunder to a title?
With at least 12 teams vying for a playoff berth, the Western Conference is loaded. OKC should have no problem securing a top-four seed, but the playoffs may expose it. The lack of a true playmaker and questions about the interior defense could be too much to overcome.
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Are NBA players underpaid? Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry argues yes. The greatest shooter in NBA history said Thursday on Complex’s “360 With Speedy” that because the league’s current CBA doesn’t allow for current players to invest in league and team equity, players are leaving money on the table. “I would say, yes, we are underpaid,” Curry admitted when asked, despite enormous salaries, if the players were getting short-changed, “because you wanna be able to participate in that rise [of equity].” “It’s a partnership with ownership, [and] it’s a partnership with the league,” the 37-year-old stressed, revealing that league salaries do not reflect players’ impact on team valuations. If anyone has the right to begrudge the current CBA on player participation in equity, it’s Curry. When drafted in 2009, the Warriors were worth $315 million. Current valuations in May of 2025 have the team at $9.4 billion, the most in the league. Curry’s been paid handsomely during his time in Golden State, and he doesn’t overlook it. “I know we’re blessed to be in a position where we’re playing basketball for a living, and these are the type of checks that people are earning,” he told Complex. However, when he signed his $62.6 million one-year extension in 2024 that would keep him in a Warriors’ jersey until 2027, many felt that no amount of money the franchise could offer him would represent his worth. Curry had an undeniable impact on the Warriors’ valuation increasing by nearly 3,000%. He’s benefited by being the most salaried player on the roster and plenty of endorsement deals. But is he getting his fair share? Something similar may happen with reigning NBA Finals MVP and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just signed the richest contract in league history with an average annual value of $71.25 million. According to Forbes, the Thunder’s valuation increased 20% from 2023 to 2024 and will likely take another jump after this year’s championship. Curry concedes that player participation in equity isn’t a simple concept and not all markets are created equal: “You got competitive advantage considerations…and want every market to have a fair chance, like I get all that.” He believes, however, that finding a solution is a “mutually beneficial proposition” for players, teams and the league. Even the most expensive people in the world need to find other investors to make owning an NBA team possible. The best example of Curry’s point is the Boston Celtics sale in March. The most-championed franchise in league history was sold to Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion, the largest ever sports franchise sale in North America at the time. Chisholm needed Rob Hale, Bruce Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street, to afford the purchase. Because team ownership is already a multi-investor operation, the league could potentially come to an agreement with the players by the next CBA negotiation at the end of the decade. If not, the league's best players will continue to simultaneously earn a ridiculous amount of money, and it will not be nearly enough.
There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Dallas Cowboys fans appear to have one thing on their mind during training camp, and they made sure to let team owner Jerry Jones know about it on Saturday. Hundreds of Cowboys fans showed up to the team's annual "Opening Day Ceremony" on Saturday in Oxnard, California. Jones addressed the crowd, and the 82-year-old was greeted with a lot of restless supporters when he took the microphone. As Jones began talking about how disappointed he was with his team's 7-10 season last year, many fans shouted the same two-word message: "Pay Micah!" The fans eventually settled enough for Jones to urge them to take note of all the changes the Cowboys have made this offseason. "I was shocked last year when we ended up with the record that we had. I never saw that coming. I want you to know, and I want you to look for as you watch practices this week, I want you to watch what we've done in the areas that we needed to work on," Jones said. "Look at what we've done in this offensive line. Look at what we've done, if you will, with our receiver cops. Look at what we're doing with our defense. A lot of changes out here -- a lot of coaching changes, a lot of player changes." Parsons is set to make $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. He is undoubtedly seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football, which would mean topping the $41M per year T.J. Watt recently got with his new deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Parsons had 12 or more sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons. Jones has hinted that he is playing hardball with the star linebacker in contract negotiations, and Cowboys fans do not seem to appreciate it.