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Thunder Draw Comparison to Warriors After NBA Championship Victory
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder did what many thought they were poised to do in these NBA Playoffs: win the championship. They knocked off the Indiana Pacers in a climactic 103-91 victory during Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

The organization will certainly take their time to soak in the moment and enjoying being champions of the league. However, it will not be too long before the NBA Draft rolls around as the unofficial start of the new NBA season.

The great thing for the Thunder would be how well-poised they are to continue their success from there. They already possess a championship-proven roster and with three selections in the 2025 draft, they can tinker with anything they feel needs improvement.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who was been a vocal believer of the Thunder all season, stated on First Take this morning that they have the potential to be so much more than just this year's champions.

"With the way the league is structured right now, they're trying to squeeze teams out," Windhorst stated. "They're trying to squeeze because of the second apron. Even if the Thunder lose some of these role players ... [they have] 15 first round picks."

Windhorst continued:

"Maybe they drafted a guy that ends up being really great for them. Maybe they don't. ... They got guys sitting out right now who can contribute.

We are in the parody era. Not only have we not had a repeat champion. We haven't had a team in these last seven make it out of the second round.

So I'm not giving them anything, but they are best positioned probably since the [Golden State] Warriors, 10 years ago, with the young players they had under contract control to do something special."

The Thunder's arsenal of draft capital certainly positions them to keep rearming themselves, even while navigating the NBA's financial restrictions. Sam Presti has built a model that is ready for sustainability.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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