Oklahoma City Thunder 2025-26 Season Prediction | Is OKC Set for a Back-To-Back NBA Title Run?
♪ ♪ >> BACK HERE ON “HQ SPOTLIGHT” AND FRESH OFF A CHAMPIONSHIP RUN, THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER HAVE BEEN DISHING OUT THE BIG BUCKS TO LOCK IN THE CORE OF THEIR 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM THAT FEATURES THE BIG THREE IN SGA, CHET HOLCOMB AND JALEN WILLIAMS. FOR MUCH MORE ON THE THUNDER WHO CONTINUE TO BE BIG CONTENDERS ENTERING NEXT SEASON, LET’S WELCOME IN SAM QUINN AND JOHN GONZALEZ. GREAT TO SEE YOU. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR THE THUNDER TO PAY THESE THREE IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO COMPETE IN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP WINDOW THAT THEY HAVE? >> THEY LOCK UP THEIR THREE BEST PLAYERS. IT’S A PRETTY ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF BUILDING UP THEIR DYNASTY. IT IS NOT JUST GETTING THEM LOCKED IN THE, IT’S THE TURNS THEY GOT THEM ASSIGNED TO. GUYS WITH THIS LITTLE EXPERIENCY CAN SIGN UP TO 25% OF THE CAP UNLESS THEY HIT CERTAIN MARKERS LIKE ALL NBA COME MVP OR DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN GO UP TO 30% OF THE CAPITAL A LOT OF THE TIME WHEN A PLAYER HITS ANY OF THOSE GOALS, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY JUMP TO 30. THE WAY THE THUNDER STRUCTURE THESE CONTRACTS, CHET HOLMGREN DOESN’T HAVE ANY OF THOSE ESCALATORS. IF HE WINS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, HE DOESN’T GET A BUCK. JALEN WILLIAMS STRUCTURED INTERESTINGLY WHERE IF HE MAKES 13 ALL NBA, ONLY 26%. THEN IT GOES UP FROM THERE. THEY DID PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THEIR THREE BEST PLAYERS LOCKED UP, BUT THEY DIDN’T PAY AS MUCH AS THEY ABSOLUTELY CO COULD. AS THEY NAVIGATE THE APRONS AND NEVER GREAT THE LUXURY TAX, EVERY DOLLAR THAT THEY SAVED IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS COULD PROVE TO BE ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING THE TEAM TOGETHER DOWN THE LINE. >> SAM IS RIGHT, ANOTHER MASTER CLASS BY SAM PRESTI ON MAKING SURE THAT YOU GET ALL THE ADVANTAGES YOU CAN EVEN ON THE MARGINS HERE. THESE GUYS ARE OBVIOUSLY SO G GOOD. SGA JUST WON THE MVP, WON THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS MVP. WON THE FINALS MVP. MOST DESERVING OF A NEW CONTRACT AS IS JAYLIN WILLIAMS. HIS FIRST ALL DEFENSE. JALEN WILLIAMS WHO HAD A CAREER YEAR MIGHT NOT BE THE SECOND BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM. AFTER SOME DEBATE ABOUT THAT AT LEAST IN MY HEAD. CHET HOLMGREN EXIST AND MISSED A BIG CHUNK OF THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. I THINK HE HAS DEEP POI POTENTIAL. AT THE VERY LEAST, I THINK HE IS GOING TO BE A PERENNIAL ALL DEFENSIVE CALIBER PLAYER. HAVING THOSE GUYS AND YOUR CORE AND NOT HAVING TO PROBABLY DISASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE TEAM LIKE WE JUST SAW BOSTON CELTICS DUE AFTER JAYSON TATUM WENT DOWN IS A REAL WIN FOR THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER. THEY COULD HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO A GUY LIKE ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN MOVING FORWARD, AND STILL GOING TO A LITTLE BIT PROHIBITIVE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TEAM BUILDING IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH SALARY THEY HAVE DEVOTED TO THOSE THREE. HAVING JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE WIGGLE ROOM GIVES THEM MORE OPTIONALITY. THAT IS THE NAME FOR SAM PRESTI. >> THIS FRANCHISE HASN’T STOPPED WORKING SINCE THE SECOND THEY PICK UP THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP YOU’RE LOOKING AT ALL THE MOVES THAT THUNDER HAVE MADE IN THIS OFF-SEASON, WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM? >> I GIVE SAM PRESTI IN A ON EVERYTHING HE DOES. HE DOES NOT MISS. THINK ABOUT ALL THE MOVES HE MAKES WHEN HE TRADES FOR SGA, I KNOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS OFF-SEASON. WHEN HE TRADES FOR SGA PREVIOUSLY, JALEN WILLIAMS GETS TOSSED INTO THE DEAL BY VIRTUE OF THE TRAFFIC THEY GOT. HE SELECTS CHET HOLMGREN AND SCOOPS UP ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN LAST YEAR AND GETS ALEX CARUSO FROM THE POLLS FOR NO DRAFT PICKS. ON AND ON AND ON. HE DRAFT THOMAS BARBER THIS OFF-SEASON WHO IS A POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN IF THEY HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO HIM. THE WAY HE STOCKING DRAFT PICKS. THE EVENTUALITY THAT SOME OF THESE MORE EXPENSIVE VETERAN STARS THAT THEY HAVE TO MOVE ON FROM OUTSIDE OF SGA, JALEN WILLIAMS, AND SPEECH INCOME HE’S GOT THIS INFLUX OF CHEAP COST CONTROL TALENT THAT HE CAN LOAD ONTO THE END OF THEH AND HE’S LIKE A CONVEYOR BELT OF CAPABLE BASKETBALL PLAYERS. SAM PRESTI SHOULD WIN EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR IN PERPETUITY. A FOR SAM PRESTI AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER. >> HE CAN DO NO WRONG. THIS FRANCHISE HAS THE BEST TEAM ON THE COURT WENT OFF IT, THIS FRONT OFFICE ALONG WITH SAM PRESTI IS ONE OF THE BEST IF NOT THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE. TELL US WHY THE THUNDER’S FRONT OFFICE RINGS THE TOP OF YOUR RANKINGS OVER ON CBS SPORTS. >> THEY ARE GREAT AT EVERYTHING. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU CAN BUILD A ROSTER, THERE’S A SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPONENTS. HE DRAFTED THREE MVPs IN A ROW. THE FIRST NONTOP TEN PICK TO MAKE IT ALL NBA TEAM IN HIS THIRD SEASON SINCE KOBE BRYANT. THERE IS A TRADE WELL? I WILL GO A HEAD AND SAY YES CONSIDERED THAT HE TRADED FOR SHAY GILLIS ALEXANDER. I DON’T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME HE LOST A TRADE. I GUESS IT WAS JAMES HARDEN. DOES HE’S ON FREE AGENTS? ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN WAS A WIN. MARK DAIGNEAULT, COACH OF THE YEAR, GREAT JOB. THERE IS NO COMPONENT OF TEAM BUILDING THAT THE THUNDER ARE NOT ELITE AT. THEY DO EVERYTHING RIGHT. THEY HAVE AN OWNERSHIP GROUP THAT IS WILLING TO SPEND THE OTHER BAD BLOOD LEFT OVER WITH WHAT HAPPENED WAS JAMES HARDEN ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2012. SINCE THEN, THAT OWNERSHIP HAS BEEN WILLING TO PAY THE TAX WHEN NECESSARY. SAM PRESTI HAS DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF ASSEMBLING YOUNG TALENT AND ASSEMBLING DRAFT PICKS. AS THOSE GUYS START TO GET TOO EXPENSIVE AND THEY START TO HAVE TO MAKE COST-CUTTING MOVES, THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THEM WITH CHEAP DRAFT PICKS. ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN HAS A TEAM OPTION FOR THE ’26-27 SEASON. THE THUNDER DRAFTED, SENT NUMBER 15 AND SIGNED THE BIG JAYLIN WILLIAMS FROM ARKANSAS WE ARE VERY TEAM FRIENDLY DEAL. IF THEY DO HAVE TO LOSE ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN, THERE COULD HAVE THE REPLACEMENTS ALREADY IN-HOUSE. THE WAY THIS TEAM IS BUILT. THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO FEEL THE LOSS OF A NONESSENTIAL ROLE PLAYER, BECAUSE THERE CAN BE FULL CYCLE IN SOMEBODY NEW. NO GM HAS EVER DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB OF SETTING UP THIS TEAM NOT ONLY IN THE PRESENCE BARELY WON 68 GAMES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP BUT THE FUTURE AS WELL. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO EXPERIENCE ANY DROP OFF FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT LEAST. >> SAM IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I LOVE THAT HE BROUGHT UP THE ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN THE WAY THE CONTRACT WAS STRUCTURED. WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DETAILS, NOTHING GETS BY SAM PRESTI TO THE POINT WHERE THE ADS IN THE TEAM OPTION ON THAT BACK END SO THAT THEY HAVE SOME MORE WIGGLE ROOM AND SUMMER OPTIONALITY RATHER THAN IT BEING A PLAYER OPTION AND HARTENSTINE WOULD HANDCUFF THEM FURTHER AS THEY MOVE THE PIECES AROUND THE BOARD. SAM’S PIECE ON THE BEST FRONT OFFICE IS ON CBSSports.com. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERYBODY READ IT. HE SAW HIS TOP FIVE OR EARLIER. OKLAHOMA CITY OBVIOUSLY NUMBER ONE. I THINK THERE’S A BIG GAP. RIGHT HERE, THERE ARE SOME REALLY OTHER SMART TEAMS HERE. THE CELTICS WON A CHAMPIONSHIP TWO YEARS AGO AND HAD TO DISMANTLE THEIR TEAM BECAUSE JAYSON TATUM WENT DOWN FOR THEY WERE HYPER EXPENSIVE PRAYER THEY WERE GOING TO SPENT HALF THE BI. THEN THE SPURS ON THE ROCKETS. I MIGHT MOVE THE ROCKETS UP OVER THE SPURS BUT NOT A HUGE QUIBBLE. NUMBER FIVE FOR THE CAVALIERS. I THINK SAM IS REALLY RIGHT ON THIS AND SMART. I DON’T THINK PEOPLE GIVE KOBY ALTMAN A LOT OF CREDIT FOR WHAT HE DID. I THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD IN THE WATER AFTER LeBRON LEFT. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY REBOOT THIS THING ON THE FLY WHERE THEY DRAFT DARIUS GARLAND AND SIGN DONOVAN MITCHELL. THEN THEY TRADE FOR DONOVAN MITCHELL AND THEY ALSO TRADE FOR JARED ALLEN. AND THEN ALSO IDENTIFYING KENNY ATKINSON WHO IS THE COACH OF THE YEAR WHO I THOUGHT DID A REALLY GOOD JOB IN HIS PREVIOUS STINT IN BROOKLYN BUT DIDN’T GET ENOUGH RUNWAY. JUST FULL MARKS FOR KOBY ALTMAN AND SAM QUINN. HE NAILED THIS THING. >> GREAT POINTS THAT YOU BRING UP AS WELL, JOHN GONZALEZ. EVERYTHING MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER. ALL OF THESE MOVES THAT YOU GUYS ARE LISTING SETTING THEM UP TO HAVE PLENTY OF YEARS LEFT TO CONTEND WITH THERE’S NO QUESTION THERE. JOHN, HOW REALISTIC IS IT THAT THIS CHAMPIONSHIP WINDOW CAN LAST VERY LONG? >> IT IS REALISTIC. I THINK THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST SHOT AT WINNING MULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FOR A WHILE NOW. THE CAVEAT HERE IS AN ADAM SILVER’S PARITY NBA, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IGNITE MULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIPS. LAST SUMMER, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CELTICS COULD BE A DYNASTY. THERE WAS AN INJURY TO JAYSON TATUM. THAT IS A LITTLE BIT ON HOLD FOR IT OKLAHOMA CITY AS WE MENTIONED, SAM PRESTI HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB SETTING UP. HOWEVER, SEVEN STRAIGHT SEASONS NOW WE HAVE NOT HAD A BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPION. NOT A BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPION SINCE NO GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS DID IT IN 2018. AND 68 WINS LAST YEAR. I THINK THEY ARE THE FAVORITES GOING INTO NEXT SEASON. I THINK THEY ARE THE FAVORITES IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE. I JUST WONDER ABOUT WHAT THE WEST IS SO LOADED. YOU CAN SEE THE ASCENDANT ROCKETS, THE DENVER NUGGETS TOOK THEM TO 7 GAMES WHERE THE DENVER NUGGETS BY THE WAY GOT MUCH BETTER THIS OFF-SEASON. OKLAHOMA CITY HAS A SHOT TO EXTEND THIS AND WIN MULTIPLE TITLES. IT IS FAR FROM GUARANTEED. >> WE WILL SEE HOW LONG THIS CHAMPIONSHIP WINDOW LASTS. AS THEY GET SET REALLY TO HANG THEIR FIRST EVER NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER IN THE RAFTERS, OKC AS YOU MENTIONED, JOHN ENTERS NEXT SEASON AS THE BETTING FAVORITE TO GO BACK-TO-BACK. WHAT IS YOUR SEASON PREDICTION? >> AND PREDICTING A SECOND CONSECUTIVE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO BREAK THE STREAK OF THE SEVENTH STRAIGHT NEW CHAMPIONS. OF THE TEAMS THAT WON A CHAMPIONSHIP WHERE THIS YOUNG OR SET UP WELL. THEY ARE NOT EVEN A LUXURY TAX TEAM THIS YEAR. THEY HAVE NO FINANCIAL PRESSURE. THEY ARE YOUNG AND GOING TO GET BETTER. THEY WON 68 GAMES LAST YEAR AND AN HISTORIC NET RATING. I SEE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THIS TEAM IS NOT GOING TO REPEAT. INJURIES HAVE BEEN BAD, MATCHUPS ARE NOT GUARANTEED BY ANY MEANS. THEY ARE AS WELL SET UP TO REPEAT AS ANY TEAMS OF THE STEPH CURRY AND KEVIN DURANT WARRIORS. I THINK THEY WILL BEAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS IN THE FINALS. >> I THINK THEY ARE THE FAVORITES TO DO IT. WHEN WE DO THESE SEGMENTS, SAM IS THE ONE WHO DOES THESE DECLARATIONS. I’M A LITTLE BIT MORE NUANCED. THIS IS ACTUALLY A FENCE THAT I’M SITTING ON. I’M GOING TO SAY THEY ARE GOING TO FINISH WITH A ONE SEAT IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE AND MAKE IT TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS. I’M GOING TO RESERVE JUDGMENT. AS I MENTIONED LAST YEAR, THE DENVER NUGGETS TO THEIR BENCH WAS DEPLETED REALLY OUTSIDE OF RUSSELL WESTBROOK. IT WAS A REALLY BAD BENCH. THEY GO AND ADD BRUCE BROWN AND TIM HARDAWAY JR. AND GET A REALLY CAPABLE BACKUP CENTER WHO WANTED TO GO TO GREECE. IT MEANS JULIAN STRAWTHER AND PEYTON WATSON ARE THEIR NINTH AND TENTH MEN INSTEAD OF THEIR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH MEN. THAT IS A REALLY GOOD DEEP UNIT. IT’S GOT BETTER, THE ROCKETS AT GATE D. THERE’S A LOT OF TEAMS OUT THERE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY UNSEAT OKLAHOMA CITY. OUR GUY TIM DOYLE PREDICTED THAT THE ROCKETS WOULD COME OUT OF THE WEST. I’M TEST DRIVING THEM A LITTLE BIT. >> SAM GOING OUT AND GIVING US OUR ACTUAL FINALS PREDICTION. IT’S GOING TO BE THE CAVS AND THUNDER WITH THE THUNDER GOING BACK-TO-BACK. STAY PUT. MORE FROM YOU IN JUST A MINUTE. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THAT HAPPENS. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CONTINUE TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS, PAYING YOUR BIG PLAYERS. THE BEST ODDS TO WIN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE AT PLUS 140. GOT TO GET A QUICK BREAK. WHEN WE RETURN, WE ARE SEEING AN NBA PRECHECKING IN WITH THE ATLANTA HAWKS. HAVE THEY MADE THEMSELVES A CONTENDER IN THE ET? WE HAVE THE ANSWER NEXT.
John Gonzalez and Sam Quinn join CBS Sports HQ Spotlight to discuss the OKC Thunder offseason and preview their 2025-26 season.
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