After capturing their first championship in franchise history, the Oklahoma City Thunder now face a promising, yet challenging, situation in the years ahead. While the team clearly has the talent to remain at the top, building a dynasty requires more than just skill. With a roster full of young players, OKC must determine whether they’ve already assembled their long-term core or if further growth will come through trades and draft picks.
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On a recent episode of Podcast P, Paul George weighed in on whether this version of the Thunder could evolve into a dynasty. The Sixers forward expressed belief in their potential but stressed that success ultimately hinges on the mindset of the players. He noted that OKC’s stars will need to prioritize winning together above individual ambitions.
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren could take on larger offensive roles elsewhere, but maintaining the core will require sacrifice. The Thunder risk repeating history, where another once-promising trio failed to stay together long enough to fulfill its potential.
After witnessing the prior trifecta walk out the door, Sam Presti won’t make the same mistake again, according to George. “[Presti] keeps that nucleus,” the nine-time All-Star said to Dallas Rutherford after he insinuated that the Thunder could try to go all-in for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“He’s in the driver’s seat … [Presti] just won with the youngest team in the history of the NBA. [OKC has] draft picks to go out. Like I could see him … if things aren’t going right that season or he sees there could be a boost or a change of a face that needs to be added, he can very well make a decision at the deadline,” George continued. “But right now, I’m running it back.”
George agreed that it would also be disrespectful to the current group if the Thunder were to package them up for the Greek Freak. It could also affect the team’s strong chemistry. The 35-year-old believes Presti has learned his lesson after once shipping off James Harden in order to cut costs immediately after their first Finals appearance.
“This is like, ‘All right, we learned from the previous time around, having James, Russ, KD, Serge. We learned our mistakes that time around, how do we extend this group right here?'” George said, putting himself in Presti’s shoes. “And Sam Presti is the best at, you know, creating a family environment.”
No one team has been able to grab hold of the 2020s after only a handful of teams dominated the previous four decades. It will take some front office magic and continued internal growth, but if one franchise has the potential to establish a dynasty for the next decade, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder.
