Can any Eastern Conference Team Threaten the Thunder Next Season?

The Oklahoma City Thunder owned the league last year, and certainly owned the Eastern Conference.

The only teams to give them an issue throughout the entirety of the regular and postseasons included the conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA Finals-bound Indiana Pacers, which Oklahoma City would ultimately take care of in seven games.

Now in the offseason looking ahead to 2025-26, the Thunder seem to be clear in the drivers' seat, retaining all of its top talent as its young guys have a short summer to improve and prepare for the coming year. And on top of that, the East has underwent a bit of turmoil. The conference isn't steady, and it's a clear path for any team who can forge its way to the top of the standings.

And per ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, an assistant coach in the NBA said the East is in one of its worst situations ever at the moment.

With top Eastern Conference teams plagued by injury like the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum, the Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton and now with Damian Lillard heading to the Portland Trail Blazers following his achilles tear, there are just a few teams who will likely be in contention to oppose the gauntlet of the West.

Two clear front runners include the Cavaliers, who finished with the second best record in the league last year and will return plenty of young talent, while the New York Knicks will also look to be on that doorstep as they navigate the hiring of a new head coach in Mike Brown.

But either of these teams having the bandwidth to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and the slew of talented Western Conference teams will be unlikely—especially when considering how the Thunder went through 29 wins and just a lone loss to the East last year, though that loss did come at the hands of the Cavaliers.

If the Celtics and Pacers returned to this season in full health, it would be a much different story everyone would be talking about. But as it stands, it doesn't appear that the East will be able to put up too much of a fight throughout the 2025-26 season.