What is there to say about the Oklahoma City Thunder that hasn’t been said already? The franchise recouped after an early postseason exit as well as possible, securing two big-time offseason acquisitions — Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein — before taking multiple playmakers with burgeoning potential via June’s NBA Draft.
In a few short months, many have gone from considering OKC a cute Cinderella story to one with skyscraping expectations. The Thunder were the winners of the offseason, according to the majority opinion. But was there anything that worked against them?
One reason to love and hate OKC’s summer
Thanks to all the offseason activity, most have moved Oklahoma City way up to No. 2 among the top contenders for next season’s NBA championship. Had the Boston Celtics not won 64 games, which cleared the next closest team by a whopping seven wins, perhaps the Thunder’s earned merit this summer would’ve been enough to catapult them a tick above the defending champions, if not neck-and-neck.
However, there is still plenty to celebrate — and maybe even a reason to dread. In a recent Bleacher Report article, writer Grant Hughes has one big reason to consider the summer a victory and one big reason that leaves OKC desiring a bit more.
The victory: trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso
“Both Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein were banner acquisitions. Each will spend time in starting and closing units, and their combined impact could be the reason the Oklahoma City Thunder improve on a win total that netted the West's top seed last year. To get Hartenstein, all the Thunder had to do was spend cash—perhaps in an amount slightly above market value. That was an easy enough move. Landing Caruso for the ill-fitting, extension-eligible Giddey was a flat-out heist. OKC didn't even have to dip into its overflowing war chest of future picks to land perhaps the best perimeter defender in the game,” wrote Hughes.
The loss: seeing the Philadelphia 76ers just as successful
“It would have been a hilarious show of gamesmanship if the Thunder had messed with the Philadelphia 76ers' offseason plans. OKC gets Philly's 2025 first-round pick unless it falls within the top six, so there would have been some real upside to courting Paul George or otherwise throwing assets around to prevent the Sixers from completing a highly successful summertime overhaul,” continued Hughes.
While the NBA season is an all-out brawl, the offseason is a chess match. OKC kept the spotlight for nearly two weeks before Paul George joined the 76ers after a drawn-out negotiating period with the Los Angeles Clippers. The nine-time NBA All-Star, joining former league MVP Joel Embiid and reigning Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, has surrounded the franchise with a forcefield, leaving legends of the game to hand it the mantle for the best offseason of any NBA team.
Philadelphia secured George, the biggest fish in the pond; however, it may not be nearly enough to challenge the Celtics. Whereas the Thunder, who struck two elite role players, saw their acquisitions launch them above the rest of the Western Conference, giving them the edge to not only exit next spring’s postseason bracket with the West crown but position them to compete for a title.
Whether the 76ers can make it out of the Eastern Conference is a major question. While they have a formidable trio, Boston harbors the league’s most lethal starting five, spearheaded by a pair of All-NBA caliber players in their prime.
Oklahoma City and the Sixers will share their first tilt on January 14 in the City of Brotherly Love, the first of two matchups for bragging rights over who won the previous summer.
Related: Josh Giddey has a chance to earn a 100 million dollar contract after getting traded by OKC
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