How Long Will The Thunder’s Championship Window Last?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are still riding on the high of being the reigning NBA champions, and they have that privilege until they are dethroned. 

Luckily for OKC, it has returned every key player from its championship run and has its big three, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, signed until the end of the 2030-2031 season. 

With the Thunder being in a prime spot to compete for the next several years, you have to wonder, just how long will they compete for a championship?

The Thunder’s championship window seemed to open in the 2023-2024 NBA season. They grabbed the top seed in the West and had the second-best record that year behind Boston. 

They handled the Pelicans easily, winning the series in four games, but in the second round faced Dallas. Dallas proved to be too much as the young Thunder team was sent home in six games.

The Thunder came back with a vengeance last year and dominated the league. They claimed the top seed in the West by 16 games and had the best record overall. Of course, the best part was securing their first-ever NBA championship. 

Now that next season is less than three weeks away, the Thunder are looking to continue their dominance. OKC is set to continue its reign in the NBA as long as everything goes according to plan. Its young stars are still in the process of developing and meshing together, and the Thunder still have an abundance of draft picks to continue to help their roster. 

The Thunder are considered to have the youngest core in the NBA, yet they are already one of the best. Gilgeous-Alexander is only 27 years old and is coming off an MVP season. Williams excelled last year, being named to the All-NBA third team, and Holmgren is one of the league's rising stars. 

Keeping these players for five years, along with developing players like Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic and Cason Wallace, will allow the Thunder to stay competitive for a long time. 

Unfortunately, the Thunder will have to deal with the issue of money when it is time to re-sign key role players. Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort both have team option years approaching on their contracts, and it will be very difficult to keep both. 

However, the Thunder are well prepared to keep bringing in talent. OKC has 12 possible draft picks in just the next three years. This allows them to continue to develop players like they have been, or to make a trade for someone who could help them win when they need to.

All things considered, the Thunder’s window for contending in the NBA will be open for a long time.