Who is OKC Thunder's Biggest Western Conference Threat Next Season?

This offseason has been very fruitful for the West. Each team has made significant additions and/or alterations to their lineup to secure opportunities for progression. The same cannot be said for the East, as that conference is dealing with a number of injuries while no true team holds a dignified top spot in the conference.

For Oklahoma City, this means the team is going to have to work that much harder against teams like the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and others.

The Rockets are adding a former Thunder superstar in Kevin Durant to its team, hoping the 36-year old will be able to add veteranship and another scoring avenue to its young lineup—a team who claimed the second seed in the conference a year ago but fell short in the first round of the postseason. This is a team who is on many radars for who can match up to the Thunder, but they may be missing cohesion and chemistry depending on how the coming season unfolds.

Denver adds depth and flexibility as it slightly rebuilds its lineup from last year's second-round defeat at the hands of Oklahoma City, making multiple moves in free agency and through trade acquisitions. This team has the potential to be very scary for the hopeful Thunder next season, and can be a team who will be highly difficult to topple in a seven-game series.

The Clippers have added more veteran talent to its roster in hopes of enriching the value provided by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, bringing back former Clippers favorite Chris Paul to the picture, being able to play make for its superstar talent. While talented, this team hasn't showed much promise in being able to overtake Oklahoma City in recent history.

For the Timberwolves, a team who got beat by the Thunder in five games this past postseason, this team will bank on current roster progression—securing Julius Randle and Naz Reid to long-term extensions. Minnesota couldn't quite bridge the gap last year, and losing a standout in Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Atlanta Hawks, it could possibly get harder.

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have the opportunity to make some noise as well, but are on the lower end of teams mentioned—regardless, Oklahoma City will have to remain poised and prepared as it heads into another hopeful season.