OKC Thunder Must Take Advantage of New NBA Cup Format

The standings at the top will be tight next season, and the Thunder need any advantage they can get.

Dec 10, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball down the court against the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City will be looking to remain at the top of the West standings next season, and the NBA Cup could be helpful in that quest.

The 2026-27 season will feature a new-look Thunder squad after several changes were made over the summer. Still, the Thunder’s core remains intact and ready for another year of contending for an NBA title.

While the Thunder will ultimately be defined by how they perform under the bright lights in the postseason, they’ll need to successfully navigate another regular season to put themselves in the best position for another ring. Of course, that means doing all they can to secure the No. 1 seed in the West and potentially the top record leaguewide.

Last season, the Thunder narrowly secured the No. 1 seed in the West, with the San Antonio Spurs right behind Oklahoma City all year. Given that both teams are young and hungry, the battle for the top seed should again be a tight one.

With the Thunder needing all the help they can get to secure that top spot, the NBA Cup could come in handy. While the NBA Cup itself isn’t new, the fourth season of the in-season tournament will feature a key alteration: the semifinals will be played in the home market of the higher seed, like the quarterfinals.

For the Thunder, that would’ve meant home games in Oklahoma City for the semifinals over the past two years instead of trips to Vegas for those matchups. Given the Thunder’s NBA Cup group, they’re heavy favorites to make it back to the knockout rounds, with a solid chance of going unbeaten in group play to secure the top seed in the Cup standings.

If the Thunder can take care of business and get back to the semifinals, that could hand them a 42nd home game, which would also leave them with only 40 road games. While such a slight difference may not seem like much, one game could easily be the difference between the No. 1 or No. 2 seed when April rolls around. 

Considering the Thunder have had the best home record in the league each of the past two seasons, combining to go 69-13, getting an extra game in Paycom Center could be a real difference-maker in the final standings. The Thunder’s dreams of another NBA title won’t necessarily hinge on their ability to get a 42nd home game, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.