OKC Thunder Included Among 'Top Contenders' in Recent Power Rankings

The Athletic made a tier list ranking every team in the NBA following a flurry of offseason moves.

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) reacts to no call by the referee against the San Antonio Spurs during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the NBA's title contendors for the past few seasons.

After winning 40 games following two seasons with less than 25 wins, the Thunder notched 57 wins in 2023-24, 68 wins en route to a title in 2024-25 and 64 wins in 2025-26. OKC earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference each of the past three years.

With a strong roster that features the reigning NBA MVP, multiple All-Stars, four players who have earned All-Defense recognition and a handful of other talented role players, the Thunder should contend for another championship in 2026-27.

The Athletic seems to agree that Oklahoma City is once again among the NBA's top contenders, ranking the Thunder No. 3 in the outlet's offseason NBA power rankings following a flurry of big moves around the league this summer.

The Athletic's power rankings featured five tiers to rank each of the league's 30 teams, with OKC slotting into the first tier, titled "Top Contenders". The defending NBA champion New York Knicks claimed the top spot on the list, followed by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers rounded out the first tier, described as "the class of the league" by author Law Murray.

The Thunder went 2-0 against the Knicks in 2025, but struggled against San Antonio, who took down Oklahoma City in seven-game Western Conference Finals series to end the Thunder's season.

While much of OKC's roster is similar to last season, Sam Presti and company made a few personnel moves that will impact Mark Daigneault's rotation. The Thunder traded sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, talented scorer Aaron Wiggins and former All-Defense honoree Lu Dort, who each have played significant roles for Oklahoma City over the past few years.

Dort was in the Thunder's opening lineup for more than six seasons, making 432 appearances and 423 starts for OKC. Now, Daigneault and company will have to fill a spot in the team's starting lineup, which could lead to some observers believing the Thunder will take a slight step back in 2026-27.

Even though the team didn't make any big additions to replace Dort, Oklahoma City has plenty of options to fill out the starting five. All-Defense honoree Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, who looked like a budding star in the playoffs, are both candidates to become full-time starters this season.

With a healthy season, the Thunder could outperform their offseason power ranking slot and be one of the NBA's two best teams.