OKC Thunder Looking to Add Another Underrated Accolade Next Season

The Thunder have been dominant in the past three seasons, and look ready to make another statement in 2027.

Mar 9, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) gestures after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City’s dominance has been undeniable in recent years, and it should be able to prove itself again next season.

Over the past three years, the Thunder have become one of the top attractions in the NBA. With dominant play leading to three straight No. 1 seeds in the West and an NBA championship in 2025, the Thunder have clearly established themselves.

While it’s easy for the NBA title run and three straight No. 1 seeds to steal the headlines, the Thunder have also dominated another area. While securing three straight No. 1 seeds has shown Oklahoma City is the best team in the West, it’s also shown that the Thunder are the best team in their division.

Winning three straight Northwest Division titles, the Thunder have been able to make their mark on the opponents they see most. Next season, the Thunder will again be competing for the Northwest Division title and look to add another banner in Paycom Center for their efforts.

Since the NBA went to three divisions per conference in 2004-05, forming the Northwest Division, the Thunder are the only team to win the division at least three consecutive seasons and have now done so twice. Should the Thunder win the division again next season, they’d match their run from 2010-11 through 2013-14, where they won four straight in the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era.

Given the landscape of the league, the Thunder may also be able to take over the longest active streak of division titles next season. Currently, that belongs to the Boston Celtics, who have won five straight division titles.

However, with the defending champion New York Knicks and new-look squads in Philadelphia and Toronto, the Celtics’ time at the top of the Atlantic could be running out. While it won’t be recognized as much as the Thunder’s potential to take home the No. 1 seed in four straight seasons, winning another division championship would still be quite impressive.

Winning the division certainly doesn’t mean as much as it did just a couple of decades ago, but it still generally means something in the grand picture of the postseason and still has a small role in tiebreakers. Having won the Northwest eight times in the 18 seasons since moving to Oklahoma City, the division has been the Thunder’s to lose for quite some time.

While the Northwest will look a bit different and should be more competitive next season, the Thunder are clearly in the driver’s seat to add another white banner in Paycom Center.