The CBA has created an unstoppable monster in OKC

[lethalizer]

Jones was actually a first rounder. Overall OKC used 5 second round picks to get and then dump him. You're right though. Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams make up for it. All rotation players. All 2nd rounders.

At this point I think our first round picks are guaranteed to be cursed even. Sorber immediately getting a season ender, Topic getting cancer of all things(?!).

Luckily, we seem to have a very high hit rate when it comes to the second round so those are getting "masked", so to speak.

Strangely enough, the second rounders end up being cheaper in the long run than if the first rounders had hit. So it has helped the Thunder's balance sheet. Not many teams could have a five year stretch where six first rounders (Mann, Poku, Dieng, Jones, Sorber and Topic) may not work out and it's like "yeah, no biggie. We're still elite."

That's actually a great point now that I think about it. The cap wizardry Presti pulls off are mostly thanks to the players he picks up being non-first rounders. The Wiggins contract wouldn't have been possible if we didn't have him for cheap initially in the first place. Had him tied up with a team option at first, which made it possible to sign him at a lower price by declining the team option. Same goes for Joe, was a waiver pickup. All goes back to Dort, even.

Ajay is the latest product of this.

[JujitsuFlip]

The basketball penalties for any team staying in the second apron long term are crippling

Good, then it's doing exactly what it was intended to do.

[p0peye]

So, new CBA emphasized having good front office as far more important than market size and deep pockets, thus cementing OKC for sustained success over longer period. Yeah, it sucks.

[Rainwater]

I can do nothing but laugh at the people who keep talking about how the new CBA, second apron rules etc are making the NBA better.

I’m not sure many seem to fathom how unstoppable it makes OKC because other ‘contenders’ are so limited in what they can do to add talent.

Barring injuries, i don’t see how this team isn’t a dominant Warriors like force. The sort of thing everyone cried about.

Don’t get me wrong they’d be amazing without the new CBA changes but I think other teams would be better placed to build deeper teams to compete.

This new CBA sucks. I just don’t see how we won’t continually run into this sort of scenario with one dominant team and a bunch of average so called contenders.

Short sighted take wait until those contracts kick in

[CobraCommander]

don't make OKC geniuses because they were forced to trade PG for SGA and Jdub is better now than he was in high school or college...and was at best a prospect and they picked up HartenWilt and Chet panned out and Wallace plays his role and they also hit on Joe and went and got Caruso and JayWillams loves just playing there...etc etc...they just got lucky every damn time...

[Pattycakes]

I think whoever handed them sga is responsible for this.

Everything else is a detail to the ultimate narrative

[Patches Perry]

don't make OKC geniuses because they were forced to trade PG for SGA and Jdub is better now than he was in high school or college...and was at best a prospect and they picked up HartenWilt and Chet panned out and Wallace plays his role and they also hit on Joe and went and got Caruso and JayWillams loves just playing there...etc etc...they just got lucky every damn time...

Can't tell if satire which means job well done lol

[Invictus88]

I can do nothing but laugh at the people who keep talking about how the new CBA, second apron rules etc are making the NBA better.

I’m not sure many seem to fathom how unstoppable it makes OKC because other ‘contenders’ are so limited in what they can do to add talent.

Barring injuries, i don’t see how this team isn’t a dominant Warriors like force. The sort of thing everyone cried about.

Don’t get me wrong they’d be amazing without the new CBA changes but I think other teams would be better placed to build deeper teams to compete.

This new CBA sucks. I just don’t see how we won’t continually run into this sort of scenario with one dominant team and a bunch of average so called contenders.

Short sighted take wait until those contracts kick in

The next step is to flip smaller pieces they can't pay for into even more draft capital. But hilarious that OP is whining about how awful it is that a great sustained GM job maximizing assets can't be matched anymore by lazier methods of just throwing money at the problem. Adapt or die.

[Old_Blue]

I think whoever handed them sga is responsible for this.

Everything else is a detail to the ultimate narrative

The Clippers are certainly most at fault for what now appears to be a Thunder dynasty bound team. That said, teams like the Rockets and Suns also played their part:

(1) The Rockets sent the Thunder Chris Paul, two protected first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 and the right to swap first-rounders in 2021 and 2025 in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

(2) The Suns later sent the Thunder Kelly Oubre, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome and a 2022 first-round pick in exchange for Chris Paul.

Which means that the Thunder ultimately netted three first round picks and two first round pick swaps for Russell Westbrook.

If we're honest about it, the entire League was watching the Thunder amass a hoard of draft picks like some kid collecting tons of matches. Nobody seemed interested in stopping the kid from burning down the house.

[YogurtProducer]

I think whoever handed them sga is responsible for this.

Everything else is a detail to the ultimate narrative

Pretty much.

If LAC never gifts OKC the future MVP and picks on top of it, OKC is just an alright team who is still looking for their superstar.

It isn't the CBA who made LAC do that.

[CobraCommander]

don't make OKC geniuses because they were forced to trade PG for SGA and Jdub is better now than he was in high school or college...and was at best a prospect and they picked up HartenWilt and Chet panned out and Wallace plays his role and they also hit on Joe and went and got Caruso and JayWillams loves just playing there...etc etc...they just got lucky every damn time...

Can't tell if satire which means job well done lol

[Rainwater]

I can do nothing but laugh at the people who keep talking about how the new CBA, second apron rules etc are making the NBA better.

I’m not sure many seem to fathom how unstoppable it makes OKC because other ‘contenders’ are so limited in what they can do to add talent.

Barring injuries, i don’t see how this team isn’t a dominant Warriors like force. The sort of thing everyone cried about.

Don’t get me wrong they’d be amazing without the new CBA changes but I think other teams would be better placed to build deeper teams to compete.

This new CBA sucks. I just don’t see how we won’t continually run into this sort of scenario with one dominant team and a bunch of average so called contenders.

Short sighted take wait until those contracts kick in

The next step is to flip smaller pieces they can't pay for into even more draft capital. But hilarious that OP is whining about how awful it is that a great sustained GM job maximizing assets can't be matched anymore by lazier methods of just throwing money at the problem. Adapt or die.

OKC GM has been good drafting but at some point his luck has to run out, right?

[madmaxmedia]

Iasiah Joe (sniper)
Cason Wallace (future best guard defender)
Ajay Mitchell (future star)
Aaron Wiggins (sniper)



If you can acquire talented cheap depth like this despite paying 3 maxes and other starters. That's just hell of a competent peak leadership and overall scouting prowess. It has nothing to do with with CBA.


Like other said, in year or 2 they may he forced to make some tough decisions, but they can live with it if they draft this damn well wether its a top 10 pick, top 20, or second round.

Basically Ousmane Dieng seems their only recent miss for drafts. And jury not out on him yet, long term raw project.

Yea they still have enough incoming draft assets to make these decisions easier, it's still gonna feel like playing with house money. They can probably trade a couple of guys for future draft picks, and use the current incoming picks to replenish their roster cheaply. 2026 and 2027 swaps with LAC, 2028 swap with DAL. I know there is more, those are just some of the highlights.

I think if they literally lost everyone on their roster this offseason, they could have a playoff team in 2030.

[Calvin Klein]

What does this roster have to do with the new CBA? This thunder team is the result of masterful GM work from Presti.

I didn’t say their roster had anything to do with it.

It just completely limits every other contending team being able to put any sort of roster good enough to compete with them

Good on OKC then! Other teams will have to start being smarter instead.

Unless you are the Lakers which is just gifted MVPs, all teams play with the same rules, so OKC being this good is actually great for the league. Hopefully other teams start building the right way.

[dhsilv2]

Jones was actually a first rounder. Overall OKC used 5 second round picks to get and then dump him. You're right though. Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams make up for it. All rotation players. All 2nd rounders.

At this point I think our first round picks are guaranteed to be cursed even. Sorber immediately getting a season ender, Topic getting cancer of all things(?!).

Luckily, we seem to have a very high hit rate when it comes to the second round so those are getting "masked", so to speak.

Strangely enough, the second rounders end up being cheaper in the long run than if the first rounders had hit. So it has helped the Thunder's balance sheet. Not many teams could have a five year stretch where six first rounders (Mann, Poku, Dieng, Jones, Sorber and Topic) may not work out and it's like "yeah, no biggie. We're still elite."

Winning in the second round is a cheat code.

[eric365]

Chip Engelland is the real MVP

He improves the shooting of every players and that change everything

You are drafting "better" because he improve the players drafted

He came to the spurs in 2005. Completely change the jump shot of Tony Parker.
This 28th pick that was a good starter at this point become an all star the next year

[Invictus88]

Short sighted take wait until those contracts kick in

The next step is to flip smaller pieces they can't pay for into even more draft capital. But hilarious that OP is whining about how awful it is that a great sustained GM job maximizing assets can't be matched anymore by lazier methods of just throwing money at the problem. Adapt or die.

OKC GM has been good drafting but at some point his luck has to run out, right?

Part of it is doing very well at talent evaluation but the other benefit of draft capital is the fact that those drafted players cost significantly less than veterans of the same skill level during their first contract.

If you believe his drafting results is luck-based then yeah. You'd think it would run out. But if you believe there is a skill component behind it then maybe not.

[tmorgan]

Yeah, what’s really funny is that Presti has been far, far from infallible in the draft. That’s pretty much impossible, after all. Instead, just give yourself as many shots as possible and see what you get. Scoring big with Jalen Williams was obviously huge. Chet’s done about as expected with that pick, very good play and some fragility. Lots of late hits and lots of earlier misses.

It’s really not the drafting that’s made Presti the best. It’s the planning, the maneuvering, the adjustments.

[tamaraw08]

I don’t see how you reached that conclusion from that evidence.

OKC is the best run team in the league, and the reason they’re on top is because, despite facing the same financial obstacles as everyone else, they put this juggernaut together.

Indeed, it’s only the CBA that’s going to stop them, at least to some extent. Next year, when their top 3 guys are using 85% of the salary cap, things start to get difficult. Drafting well and making young guys great while still on rookie deals shouldn’t be penalized by allowing bigger markets or richer owners to just buy great teams.

I think a lot of this is having a ton of future picks still. They are probably going to lose Dort AND/OR I-Hart because of committed huge guaranteed contracts on SGA, JDub and Chet next year but they already have 3-4 replacements for Dort and probably will grab 1-2 good bigs from the next couple of drafts they acquired from the Clippers.

[Edrees]

They were a haliburton achilles tear away from not even winning the title. Not saying they aren't the clear favorite but they aren't unstoppable as we saw in the finals