Are the Thunder a dynasty in the making?

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Are the Thunder a dynasty in the making?

  • Yes

    Votes: 21 67.7%

  • No

    Votes: 10 32.3%
  • Total voters
    31

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Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
How many times do we see a great team win a championship and then not repeat? OKC hasn’t even won a championship yet. They’ve looked great in these playoffs and might win it, but a team isn’t even in the consideration for being a dynasty until they have won a championship.
 
If they continue to draft well and are willing to pay the tax to keep the players they have they certainly could be. Any more a dynasty in my book is 5-7 years. They could do that and win 2-3 chips pretty easily.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
No, they will be great for years, but the salary cap will be their demise. OKC can't pay them all.
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Can't they? Is there something that prohibits them from paying their own guys as much as other teams?
 
Yes absolutely. They will either be a powerhouse team the next decade, or at best even better, such as an epic all time dynasty.

We've never seen a team with the best record in the NBA, in the conference finals, this young of a roster, so deep at multiple positions, salary cap flexibility, and stacked with tons of extra future draft picks. Just absolutely unheard of. We've seen clearly better NBA teams for the current season for sure, the Durant Warriors probably the most recent, maybe even last seasons Celtics. But we've never seen a roster also have the other long term assets too.

The Thunder both did an excellent job of gaining future picks in trades, but also drafting a ton of great players with the picks they've used. The Thunder only had two seasons with big losses - compared to our Blazers currently completing their 4th year of losses.

This summer will be interesting as regardless of how the playoffs end I can see the Thunder considering trading away some of their talent for more picks. Eventually they may not be able to afford extensions for all of the players on the roster today. If they can flip one or two for more picks, and they currently seem to have upside backups in place to take on those extra minutes - they are really setting that franchise up to win for the next decade if not beyond.
 
The Spurs are obviously the other franchise that could be a dynasty. They might have the best player on either roster, which is crazy to say with SGA likely winning the MVP. But they don't have the depth the Thunder have, the draft picks, or the history of great draft picks. Wemby is a huge 7ft that have very high injury risk. Chet might have high risk too but is just a piece of the Thunder success - not the foundation as Wemby is in SAS. Still I wouldn't be surprised if we have a run of 3-4 years where the Spurs beat the Thunder. This might become a new version of the 2000era Spurs/Lakers battles.
 
Hard to see how the Blazers will have a chance the next decade even if we somehow eventually get an allstar. I guess hope we can eventually get HCA - and maybe get on the other side of the bracket from OKC/SAS or catch an injury break, etc.
 
I know I could look it up... but do the Thunder still have an abundance of future draft picks? I've heard for the past several years about all the draft picks they have, but they've obviously used some of those by now. So do they still have a shit ton of future picks?
 
Natebishop3 said:
They actually did a really good job of rebuilding. Much more patient than the Blazers.

Yes they fell into SGA, but they also dealt their superstar at the best possible time.
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OKC got Jalen Williams as a pick in that same Paul George deal - plus have many more picks still coming. Traded for CP3 and got picks, then traded him away for picks. Traded others players for picks, took on salary for picks. Then made many great picks themselves.

I always hated that we didn't go FULL on rebuild first when Olshey was fired and even then later when Dame was traded. Instead we acquired a bunch of irrelevant vets like Brogdon/Hart/Timelord/Ayton, or gave huge contracts out to Ant/Nurk/Thybulle/Grant. It was utterly insane that we were in the luxury tax at the start of last summer coming off the 3rd fewest wins in the NBA.

We should have 100% committed to gaining long term assets. That has actually made our rebuild LONGER than the Thunders two years of losses and well as left us now with ONE more pick than when Olshey was fired. Olshey left a roster with Dame, CJ, Ant, Norm on it - that group should have netted more than one pick! It seems like we might be past the primary rebuild phase where our own pick can be high in the lottery so I'm not sure there is even much we can do at this point.
 
kjironman1 said:
If they continue to draft well and are willing to pay the tax to keep the players they have they certainly could be. Any more a dynasty in my book is 5-7 years. They could do that and win 2-3 chips pretty easily.
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Continue to draft well??

They've had 2 picks out of the last 10 that is still on the team and an important part of their roster. Chet and Jalen.
3 if you want to count Wiggins.

So that's 3 picks out of 19 that hit. And of those 3, 2 are legit starters, and one of them was the 2nd pick in the draft and the other was still a lotto pick.

Let's be real, if they hadn't gotten SAG, their draft history wouldn't exactly be bragged about nor be winning them games. Of their last 19 draft picks, 11 were traded, 2 are out of the league and 2 are starters/important players for the Thunder.

2024 NBA 1 12 Nikola Topić (didn't play this year)
2023 NBA 1 12 Dereck Lively (↳DAL) Duke (traded)
2023 NBA 2 37 Hunter Tyson (↳DEN) Clemson (traded)
2023 NBA 2 50 Keyontae Johnson Kansas State
2022 NBA 1 2 Chet Holmgren Gonzaga
2022 NBA 1 12 Jalen Williams Santa Clara
2022 NBA 1 30 Peyton Watson (↳DEN) UCLA (traded)
2022 NBA 2 34 Jaylin Williams Arkansas
2021 NBA 1 6 Josh Giddey (traded/weird pervo)
2021 NBA 1 16 Alperen Şengün (↳HOU))(traded)
2021 NBA 1 18 Tre Mann Florida (traded)
2021 NBA 2 34 Rokas Jokubaitis (↳NYK) (traded)
2021 NBA 2 36 Miles McBride (↳NYK) West Virginia (traded)
2021 NBA 2 55 Aaron Wiggins Maryland
2020 NBA 1 25 Immanuel Quickley (↳NYK) Kentucky (traded)
2020 NBA 2 53 Cassius Winston (↳WAS) Michigan State(traded)
2018 NBA 2 53 Devon Hall Virginia (out of the league)
2018 NBA 2 57 Kevin Hervey UT Arlington (out of the league)
2015 NBA 1 14 Cameron Payne Murray State (traded)
 
SharpesTriumph said:
Hard to see how the Blazers will have a chance the next decade even if we somehow eventually get an allstar. I guess hope we can eventually get HCA - and maybe get on the other side of the bracket from OKC/SAS or catch an injury break, etc.
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Injuries.

I'm still not convinced that Wemby will be able to stay healthy enough to realize his potential.
 
BoBoBREWSKI said:
I know I could look it up... but do the Thunder still have an abundance of future draft picks? I've heard for the past several years about all the draft picks they have, but they've obviously used some of those by now. So do they still have a shit ton of future picks?
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Yes they have a ton next year. But they also have some distant ones from Denver and Phoenix swaps, etc that all look super valuable. Plus suspicion they might flip some rostered players for more picks to replenish their stockpile.
 
julius said:
Continue to draft well??

They've had 2 picks out of the last 10 that is still on the team and an important part of their roster. Chet and Jalen.
3 if you want to count Wiggins.

So that's 3 picks out of 19 that hit. And of those 3, 2 are legit starters, and one of them was the 2nd pick in the draft and the other was still a lotto pick.

Let's be real, if they hadn't gotten SAG, their draft history wouldn't exactly be bragged about nor be winning them games. Of their last 19 draft picks, 11 were traded, 2 are out of the league and 2 are starters/important players for the Thunder.

2024 NBA 1 12 Nikola Topić (didn't play this year)
2023 NBA 1 12 Dereck Lively (↳DAL) Duke (traded)
2023 NBA 2 37 Hunter Tyson (↳DEN) Clemson (traded)
2023 NBA 2 50 Keyontae Johnson Kansas State
2022 NBA 1 2 Chet Holmgren Gonzaga
2022 NBA 1 12 Jalen Williams Santa Clara
2022 NBA 1 30 Peyton Watson (↳DEN) UCLA (traded)
2022 NBA 2 34 Jaylin Williams Arkansas
2021 NBA 1 6 Josh Giddey (traded/weird pervo)
2021 NBA 1 16 Alperen Şengün (↳HOU))(traded)
2021 NBA 1 18 Tre Mann Florida (traded)
2021 NBA 2 34 Rokas Jokubaitis (↳NYK) (traded)
2021 NBA 2 36 Miles McBride (↳NYK) West Virginia (traded)
2021 NBA 2 55 Aaron Wiggins Maryland
2020 NBA 1 25 Immanuel Quickley (↳NYK) Kentucky (traded)
2020 NBA 2 53 Cassius Winston (↳WAS) Michigan State(traded)
2018 NBA 2 53 Devon Hall Virginia (out of the league)
2018 NBA 2 57 Kevin Hervey UT Arlington (out of the league)
2015 NBA 1 14 Cameron Payne Murray State (traded)
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This doesn't look right at all.

Dort
Cason Wallace
Jaylin Williams
Aaron Wiggins
Isaiah Joe

Then as you say Chet/Jalen Williams were both great picks.

Giddey was a good pick, they traded him for off court issues plus Caruso received in exchange has been awesome for them.

Topic was out all season with knee surgery but top5 upside - who knows how good he could be. Perfect pick for them to stash.
 
I look at their assets and think not only are they already a "dynasty in the making" with their current roster but they have the most they could offer for Giannis should he become available... and they have more than anyone else for a Bucks youth rebuild without having to trade one of their top 6 guys in their rotation. They, without even drafting in this draft, would still have the best starting 5 in the league and a really good bench. That being said, I think they could get Giannis and keep all three of their picks in this draft.

Scary combo of a great roster and an almost incredible war-chest of future FRPs most of which have no protections on them.
 
OKC plays 11 guys - they are crazy deep. They traded for SGA as a rookie and added Caruso/Hartenstein last summer (trade/free agent)

So thats what 8 of 11 guys on a 68 win team they drafted? That might be the best drafting any team has done this century. Can't believe @julius is trying to criticize it.
 
SharpesTriumph said:
This doesn't look right at all.

Dort
Cason Wallace
Jaylin Williams
Aaron Wiggins
Isaiah Joe

Then as you say Chet/Jalen Williams were both great picks.

Giddey was a good pick, they traded him for off court issues plus Caruso received in exchange has been awesome for them.

Topic was out all season with knee surgery but top5 upside - who knows how good he could be. Perfect pick for them to stash.
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I mentioned Wiggins.

But:
Dort: Wasn't drafted by them.
Wallace: Wasn't drafted by them.
Williams: Is a 16 minute a night backup
Joe: wasn't drafted by them.
 
blazerkor said:
I look at their assets and think not only are they already a "dynasty in the making" with their current roster but they have the most they could offer for Giannis should he become available... and they have more than anyone else for a Bucks youth rebuild without having to trade one of their top 6 guys in their rotation. They, without even drafting in this draft, would still have the best starting 5 in the league and a really good bench. That being said, I think they could get Giannis and keep all three of their picks in this draft.

Scary combo of a great roster and an almost incredible war-chest of future FRPs most of which have no protections on them.
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I mean I agree the Thunder could make a run at Giannis and keep a ton of picks or most their starters.

But they're so good right now I'm seriously not even sure they need Giannis - or that they would be better off adding him. He has a massive salary, is going to start declining every year in his 30's, doesn't have the skills of other stars that play well at an older age. Plus they need to give some young guys extensions and with those picks elevate their ceiling 5-10 years from now.

They just won 68 games!

Trading for Giannis could be like the Suns trading for Durant and you take a team with a bright future and totally diminish it.
 
SharpesTriumph said:
OKC plays 11 guys - they are crazy deep. They traded for SGA as a rookie and added Caruso/Hartenstein last summer (trade/free agent)

So thats what 8 of 11 guys on a 68 win team they drafted? That might be the best drafting any team has done this century. Can't believe @julius is trying to criticize it.
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You don't do math well, do you?

Their roster includes:

Caruso (didn't draft)
Joe (didn't draft)
SGA (didn't draft)
Jones (didn't draft, but was traded for on draft day)
Hartenstein (didn't draft)
Joe (didn't draft)
Mitchell (didn't draft but was traded for on draft day/signed two way initially)

Dort (wasn't drafted)
K Williams (wasn't drafted, and wasn't their discovery)

Chet (drafted)
Wiggins (drafted)
Williams (both, drafted).

Not sure where you're getting 8 out of 11 being their picks.
 
julius said:
I mentioned Wiggins.

But:
Dort: Wasn't drafted by them.
Wallace: Wasn't drafted by them.
Williams: Is a 16 minute a night backup
Joe: wasn't drafted by them.
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So you include Lively drafted by the Thunder but not the player they trade him for on draft night?

I guess by that definition the Blazers never drafted Roy or Aldridge either.

Bottom line is Thunder have identified all these guys at ages 19-22 and acquired them when the cost was very little - now they are still young but have got that team to 68 wins. One of the great NBA roster building jobs in the history of the NBA. Call it what you want.
 
SharpesTriumph said:
So you include Lively drafted by the Thunder but not the player they trade him for on draft night?

I guess by that definition the Blazers never drafted Roy or Aldridge either.

Bottom line is Thunder have identified all these guys at ages 19-22 and acquired them when the cost was very little - now they are still young but have got that team to 68 wins. One of the great NBA roster building jobs in the history of the NBA. Call it what you want.
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And you take away SGA, and their roster wasn't built by great drafting.

That's my point. People are overreacting to their draft prowess...
 
julius said:
And you take away SGA, and their roster wasn't built by great drafting.

That's my point. People are overreacting to their draft prowess...
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The Thunder would be in a very different spot if the Clippers hadn't bent over and presented themselves in order to get Paul George.

Now in hindsight, I remember that Leonard wasn't going to sign there if they couldn't get PG so the trade was essentially Leonard and George for SGA and all those picks. But still.... the Thunder got a really good haul for a star that demanded a trade to one team.
 
not with SAS doing what they are. no way. Wemby and co will be silly good from here on out.
 
I do wish we had more talent like them though. We have a fraction of the talent that team has. That team. They destroy us every time we play.
 
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